I thought The Odyssey had peaked when it revealed a popcorn bucket that resembled an IMAX camera,. However, that was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of movie-based merchandise. There's actually another popcorn bucket based on the film, and I'm both obsessed with it and mildly concerned about it. That's because this latest bucket tied to the upcoming 2026 movie schedule entry is modeled after a Trojan horse.
The official Instagram account for Nolan's The Odyssey dropped the first look at the horse popcorn bucket, which is presumably making its way out to major theater chains when the movie hits theaters on July 17th. Take a look:
Not to get too far off topic, but yes, The Odyssey did erect a massive Trojan horse -- based on the faux gift the gift the Greeks offered the Trojans in order to enter the city of Troy -- on Venice Beach. No,w you can own the smaller version and, better yet, it holds popcorn! Granted, its functionality is questionable, and this is ranking up there with the Shrek outhouse in terms of me wondering how you eat it without all the popcorn spilling out.
Of course, I just hope when I go to pick this up it's not handed to me by one of my enemies. One minute, I'm about to sit down and watch the latest Christopher Nolan film in 70mm, the way the Greek gods intended and, the next, I pop open my bucket and acid spills out onto my lap. My night is ruined, and all because I was as foolish as the people of Troy.
That aside, I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised to see not one, but two popcorn buckets for The Odyssey. I think it's the serious nature of the upcoming epic, paired with expectations from some that this could be a cinematic event on par with classics like Lawrence of Arabia. Is the bar being set too high? I would say no, but the fact that I'm even questioning it selling popcorn buckets when every other movie in Hollywood is doing the same might say otherwise.
Whether theatergoers buy it or not, there's no denying the hype surrounding The Odyssey is very real. Deadline reported AMC's first day advance ticket sales for the star-studded affair are the best it's seen since 2022. I think it was evident from the first trailer that box office records might be broken, and Oscar chatter will begin immediately, but we'll just have to wait and see if it ultimately lives up to the hype.
So grab a popcorn bucket of your choosing, and see The Odyssey in theaters when it arrives on July 17th. I can't wait to check it out on the big screen, though with showtimes already being sold out in my area on opening night, I fear the only way I could get in to see it in IMAx that day would be to create a Trojan horse of my own.
