May 2026 is the most stacked month of the year for movie theater popcorn bucket collectors, with five separate release windows across four weekends, starting with the Devil Wears Prada 2 handbag bucket and Shrek’s outhouse on opening weekend and ending with the Mandalorian and Grogu’s full chain-by-chain collectible program on May 21 and 22. Plus, expect a May announcement on the Toy Story 5 pocporn buckets (it is massive!)
This is your planning guide, not a news recap. The Fantasy Land News Popcorn Bucket Hub has every item and every article linked by film. This guide tells you when to show up, which items are the priority to buy, and which items are already selling fast before the month even starts.
Opening Weekend — May 1 and 2: Devil Wears Prada 2 and Shrek
The opening weekend of May has two separate collectible programs running simultaneously, which is unusual for any weekend not tied to a Marvel or Star Wars event.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens May 2, with AMC’s Opening Night Event on April 30 and Cinemark in-theater sales beginning April 28. The handbag bucket, an 85-ounce structured red leather tote design with dual top handles, gold-toned hardware, a gold keyring charm, and a miniature gold high heel and hotel key tag hanging from the side, is $39.95 across all chains. Manufactured by Golden Link Inc., the same company behind several high-profile theater collectibles in recent years. It has already sold out at Marcus Theatres online. Fandango’s Runway Ready Bundle, which paired the bucket with a Runway Magazine and a movie ticket for $50, is also gone. AMC’s online listing was listed as “Coming Soon” as of late April, with a final production run confirmed and a one-per-customer limit. Cinemark’s online shop was also listed as coming soon. If you want this bucket, signing up for notifications at AMC, Regal, and Cinemark is the move right now — every channel that has opened has moved fast.
The full Cinemark lineup for Devil Wears Prada 2 includes the handbag bucket at $39.95 with a free same-day refill, a Popcorn Tin at $14.95, a Bag Charm at $12.95, a Tumbler and Charm set at $19.95, and a Diet Coke Souvenir Cup at $7.95, the last of which is a Cinemark exclusive. For the complete chain-by-chain breakdown and current availability, read our full Devil Wears Prada 2 collectibles guide.
Running alongside Devil Wears Prada 2 is the Shrek 25th Anniversary Outhouse Popcorn Collectible at AMC, available May 1. The bucket is shaped like the iconic wooden outhouse from Shrek’s swamp — crescent-moon cutout included — and comes with a large popcorn. It is available at AMC while supplies last. Full Shrek Outhouse details here.
Priority call for opening weekend: The handbag bucket is the one with real secondary market potential. The Shrek outhouse is the one with more widespread availability. If you can only make one trip, lead with whichever chain has the DWP2 bucket in stock first — the sellout pattern on that item is clear.
May 4 — Star Wars Day: Disney Parks Bucket Wave (WDW and Disneyland)
This one is for the collectors who are covering both theaters and parks. May 4 brings a dedicated Star Wars popcorn bucket and novelty wave to Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and continues the Disneyland wave that started April 28.
At Walt Disney World on May 4, the lineup at Hollywood Studios includes Jabba’s Sail Barge Bucket with light-up elements and hidden characters, the Salvaged Protocol Droid Bucket with light-up eyes, the Bantha Sipper with sound effects, rechargeable Lightsaber Swizzle Sticks, and the DJ R-3X Souvenir Mug available at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge. All items are available while supplies last with a two-per-person limit per transaction.
At Disneyland, the April 28 wave brought the Salvaged Protocol Droid Bucket, Bantha Sipper, DJ R-3X Mug, and Lightsaber Swizzle Sticks. Jabba’s Sail Barge Bucket arrives at Disneyland on May 4. If you were at Disneyland before April 28, the Tauntaun Bucket, Loth-cat Mug, Yub Nub Mug, and Yoda Stainless Steel Tumbler were already available.
For everything confirmed across both parks, including the Disneyland full timeline, see our Walt Disney World May the 4th Star Wars bucket guide and the full 2026 Star Wars popcorn bucket master list.
May 8 — Mortal Kombat II and Billie Eilish
Two separate films open on May 8, both with confirmed theater collectibles at major chains.
Mortal Kombat II has three confirmed formats across chains. The Shao Kahn Popcorn Tin, manufactured by Golden Link Inc., features the helmet as a removable lid and runs around $35 at Regal. The Arcade Cabinet Bucket, styled after the classic MK2 game in black and green, is available at Marcus Theatres and Swan Drive-In with online ordering open. The Clapperboard Bucket — a Cinemark exclusive styled around Johnny Cage’s movie star identity, leaning into the character’s in-universe Hollywood career — is $29.95, holds 85 ounces, and is already available at shop.cinemark.com with a three-per-customer limit. If you want the clapperboard and do not want to make a theater trip, buy it now. It is the kind of themed design that moves fast once the film opens. For the full chain breakdown and AMC confirmation details, see our Mortal Kombat II popcorn bucket guide.
Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D opens May 8 at Regal, with an Early Access event on April 29. Regal has a 130oz collectible Popcorn Tin at around $13 and a 24oz Tumbler expected to run $17 to $20, both at participating Regal locations while supplies last. The concert film is co-directed by James Cameron, which gives it a broader audience than a typical music film. Full Billie Eilish Regal collectibles details here.
Priority call for May 8 weekend: The MK2 Clapperboard Bucket is the one to move on early since it is already live online. The Shao Kahn tin is the premium piece if you are a franchise collector. The Billie Eilish tin is an accessible price point for a film likely to have strong opening weekend energy.
May 13–19 — Top Gun 40th Anniversary Double Feature
Paramount Pictures is bringing both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick back to theaters for one week only, running May 13 through 19, with the original 1986 film in IMAX for the first time. Two fighter pilot helmet popcorn buckets — a red Goose helmet and a navy Maverick helmet — are confirmed at AMC, Cinemark, Epic Theatres, and Marcus Theatres, with Regal’s status still TBA.
Both helmets are $35.99, hold 130 ounces, and feature a removable lid. Marcus Theatres had both available for online pre-order, with orders placed before late April shipping after April 30. AMC confirmed the Maverick helmet, and Cinemark confirmed the Goose helmet specifically — Epic Theatres in Florida has both.
The one-week run means in-theater stock is limited in a way that monthly blockbuster collectibles are not. If you are planning to get these in the theater rather than online, the first weekend of the run is the safer window before any potential sellout at popular locations. Full Top Gun helmet popcorn bucket guide here.
May 21 and 22 — The Mandalorian and Grogu
This is the one. The first Star Wars theatrical release since 2019, opening May 22 with Thursday preview screenings on May 21, and the theater collectible program is the most expansive any Star Wars film has produced at the chain level.
Here is the chain-by-chain breakdown at a glance:
AMC has five items across two collections, all available May 21 while supplies last. The first collection includes an AT-AT Walker Popcorn Vessel and a Cup with Mystery Topper. The second — the “rarer than Beskar” collection — includes a Grogu Hover Pram Popcorn Vessel, a Mando Helmet Popcorn Bucket, and a Blanket. AMC is the only chain offering a wearable keepsake. Also available May 21 and 22 only: a collectible Star Wars Unlimited card pack.
Cinemark has the deepest lineup. All six core items are North America exclusives with free same-day refills: the Grogu Popcorn Container (a full-figure sculptural Grogu bucket), a 32oz Mandalorian Helmet Cup, a 20oz Grogu Tumbler, a 130oz Popcorn Tin, an LED AT-AT Popcorn Container with light-up turrets and sound effects, and a 44oz Souvenir Cup. The Cinemark Super Ticket at $30 covers a May 21 preview at 6 PM and includes a Grogu pin, a collectible cup, and a medium popcorn. The Fan Event on May 21 adds lobby photo ops, themed bar beverages, and a limited edition Mandalorian helmet pin from Pin USA.
Regal has a Clan of Two Bust with music and a Mandalorian logo projector, an AT-AT with sound effects and light-up turrets, and a Collectible Combo with a tin, cup, and random character drink topper. Regal is also offering a Grogu headband to opening night attendees.
Marcus Theatres has four confirmed items: a Grogu Popcorn Bucket with Grogu peeking over the rim, a Large Mandalorian and Grogu Popcorn Bucket with key art, a Mandalorian Helmet Cup, and an AT-AT Walker Popcorn Container.
Beyond the major chains, the Walmart/Fandango bundle — a Grogu bucket designed by Golden Link Inc. featuring Grogu clinging to the side with two Anzellans climbing up — is $39.96 at Walmart.com, bundled with a Fandango ticket. Shipping started April 27, which means some collectors will have it in hand before the film even opens.
The AT-AT is the breakout collectible of this release — it appears at AMC, Cinemark, Regal, and Marcus, it has foldable legs, sound effects, and light-up turrets, and HOYTS in Australia listed it at AUD $74.54 and sold out before U.S. chains had even set a price. Our estimate based on comparable items puts it around $55. For the complete guide to every item at every chain, see our full Mandalorian and Grogu popcorn bucket breakdown.
Priority call for Mandalorian weekend: The AT-AT is the one to prioritize and the one most likely to sell through fast. The Grogu Pram and the Clan of Two Bust are the most display-worthy pieces in the lineup. If you are a completionist across chains, build your weekend around the Cinemark Super Ticket on May 21 that is, the earliest any physical merchandise from this film is in your hands, and the pin is a May 21 exclusive.
Watch for Late May: Masters of the Universe Buckets Could Drop Before June
Masters of the Universe does not open until June 5, but collectors should keep an eye on the last week of May. Chains consistently begin online sales and in-theater availability one to two weeks before a major release, which puts the Masters of the Universe collectible program squarely in the May 21 to 28 window — the same week the Mandalorian and Grogu merchandise is hitting concession stands.
Cinemark revealed the full lineup at CinemaCon 2026, and it is one of the most creative sets of the year. The centerpiece is a Castle Grayskull popcorn bucket with a built-in drink tower — a two-in-one format that has not been done before at this scale. The rest of the Cinemark lineup includes a full-face Skeletor tumbler, a He-Man figure cup, a Sword of Power drink container that unscrews in three parts and uses the hilt as a straw, and Skeletor and Beast Man plush toys. No other chain has revealed their specific items yet, but AMC and Regal are expected to have their own exclusives given the size of the release.
Nothing is confirmed for a May online drop yet, but if you are planning your late May theater runs around Mandalorian and Grogu, it is worth checking the chain shops in the days after May 21. We could realistically see Cinemark or Marcus put Masters of the Universe items online before the end of the month. We will cover it the moment it happens. For everything confirmed so far, see our Masters of the Universe popcorn bucket guide.
Our Take
May 2026 is a legitimate argument for keeping a calendar specifically for popcorn bucket drops. In past years, a month with four separate collectible weekends would have been unusual. Now it is table stakes for the spring theatrical season. The Devil Wears Prada 2 handbag has already proven that fashion-adjacent releases have real collector demand beyond the core gaming and action franchise crowd — and the Mandalorian and Grogu lineup is the kind of program that will still be on eBay at three times retail in October. If you are pacing yourself, lead with the AT-AT on May 21 and work backward from there. If you are going for the full month, the Cinemark clapperboard is already live online and the Marcus Top Gun helmets are one click away. May is not coming to wait for you.
Movie Theater Popcorn Bucket Guide May 2026: The Mandalorian, Top Gun Helmets, and More Are Coming
For every movie theater popcorn bucket as announcements drop, Fantasy Land News has the full coverage. The complete hub with every chain and every film is at FLN Popcorn Buckets. All popcorn bucket news is at FLN Popcorn Bucket Headquarters. Join the Realm at Fantasy Land News-letter.
