Nintendo and Universal broke a curious record on March 17th at the Universal Cinema AMC on Universal CityWalk Hollywood. Confirmed by a Guinness World Record adjudicator, the two companies combined to create the world’s smallest popcorn container as part of the promotional campaign for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The collectible cauldron measures 2.6 inches at its widest point and can hold 5-11 kernels of popcorn. Because it can hold popcorn, it’s considered functional and thus eligible for the record.
The size of the cauldron is in reference to Bowser’s small size in the upcoming Mario Galaxy film. Those who saw the first Mario movie know why the iconic villain is now the size of a ping pong ball (or the size Mario reduces to when he takes a blue mushroom).
Bowser’s Cauldron is but another example of the efforts movie theaters are making to bring people back into their establishments. In a sense, the idea is to turn cinemas into pop culture hubs that appeal to both casual moviegoers and more dedicated fans with the promise of taking some kind of movie memorabilia back home.
For many, this push for collectibles at the movies really blew up with the Dune 2 worm bucket. While an impressive product in its own right, what really made it explode in popularity were the other, less savory things people said they wanted to do to the worm online. All manner of sexual uses and positions were imagined on social media due to the suggestive shape of the worm’s mouth and how it required pushing one’s hand through it to get to the popcorn.
From then on, the Jack Black and Paul Rudd-led Anaconda sequel got its own snake bucket, Deadpool & Wolverine got a mouth-wide-open Wolverine head bucket, and Minecraft had a pixelated TNT bucket on sale for fans of the game.
Regal theaters even have brand-specific Funko Pops for purchase. Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Spongebob have also claimed shelf space in theaters in the hopes moviegoers start thinking about cinemas as convergence points for fandoms, as important as comic book shops and bookstores.
They still have a ways to go. Expanding into carefully curated selections of books, pins, stickers, and even Blu-rays seems like the next logical step here. For the Mario Galaxy run, maybe have copies of the first movie up for purchase. Book tie-ins and books whose adaptations are currently on the marquee also go a long way. It might even be smart to think of a permanent small shop or stall in theaters to get people used to the idea.
For instance, Bulletproof Comics owner Hank Kwon installs a pop-up store in certain movie theaters whenever a comic book movie comes out. It is always busy and sales are consistently strong. There’s just something about leaving a movie hungry for more and then getting it just as you’re walking out of the building.
Bowser’s Cauldron will be available on April 1st in participating cinemas, including AMC theaters in the United States, Golden Screen Cinemas in Malaysia, and Vue Cinemas in Taiwan. The movie opens the same day.
