AMC exec has regrets about that 'Dune: Part Two' popcorn bucket

• You know the "Dune: Part Two" popcorn bucket?
• Yes, that one.
• An AMC exec told Variety they never would have made them if AMC knew how people would react.

The viral "Dune: Part 2" popcorn bucket has left one AMC Theatres exec with a bit of regret.

The collectible — a black tin bucket topped with a gray lid shaped into the mouth of a sandworm creature, complete with a circular row of tiny teeth — was a bit creepy, a bit impractical, and a bit suggestive.

Some in the "Dune" cast even mocked the popcorn holder, and it inspired a "Saturday Night Live" parody that compared it to a sex toy.

Now, in an interview with Variety, AMC chief content officer Elizabeth Frank said the company "would have never created it knowing it would be celebrated or mocked."

Still, Frank said being parodied on "SNL" marked a certain stamp of approval and a feat of marketing. "You couldn't make it happen if you wanted to," she told the outlet.

Frank said the company is continuing to "learn and evolve" its collectible popcorn bucket business.

"It's a material part of our food and beverage business, but it's not the majority of it," Frank told Variety. "It's like going home from a concert with a T-shirt."

AMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The "Dune" buckets were originally sold for $24.99, but are now available on eBay and Etsy for upwards of $175.

"Dune: Part Two" is far from the only blockbuster to get its own vessel. The Hollywood Reporter noted in February that the collectibles have become a "lucrative side business for cinemas, third-party vendors, and Hollywood studios."

The business kicked off in 2019 when AMC and Disney sold an R2-D2-inspired popcorn and drink holder for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," according to THR. More recent vessels have celebrated the premieres of "Barbie," "Wonka," and "Mean Girls."