The Focker In-Law Lie Detector Popcorn Bucket hits select Regal theaters November 24, 2026, and it is coming soon to Cinemark. Regal’s comes with a large popcorn, and Cinemark’s comes with an XL popcorn and free same-day refills. Neither chain has posted a price yet. Focker In-Law, the fourth Meet the Parents movie, opens in theaters November 25, the day before Thanksgiving. See every new bucket in our Movie Theater Popcorn Buckets guide.
What it looks like: A tan polygraph machine built like a briefcase, with a handle on the side. A “Polygraph Examination Readout” sheet sits on top with squiggly lines and a red X, which is never good news. Below that are rows of black knobs, a gauge and a finger sensor on a cord. The knob panel lifts up, and the popcorn goes inside.
Regal or Cinemark:
- Regal: Comes with a large popcorn. Select theaters starting November 24, while supplies last.
- Cinemark: Comes with an XL popcorn and free same-day refills. Coming soon to select theaters, while supplies last.
How much will it cost? Neither chain has said. The closest bucket we have covered is the Black Phone 2 rotary phone bucket, another retro gadget bucket from Universal. It sold for $42.99 with a large popcorn at AMC. Our guess is this one lands somewhere around $40.
In Meet the Parents, Jack Byrnes hooks Greg Focker up to a polygraph in the basement, and it is still the scene everyone quotes. The Focker In-Law trailer brings the machine back, and this time Jack is testing Olivia, the girlfriend of Greg’s son. “I test all the potential new family members with this machine,” Jack tells her.
The movie: Focker In-Law is written and directed by John Hamburg. Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are back as Greg Focker and Jack Byrnes, with Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo. Ariana Grande plays Olivia, and Skyler Gisondo plays Greg’s son Henry. This time, Greg is the one worried about the new in-law. It is rated PG-13 and opens November 25 from Universal.
Our take: This is one of the most fun bucket ideas of the year. The lie detector is the scene everybody remembers, and hiding the popcorn under the knob panel is a great touch. Bring it to Thanksgiving dinner and find out who really ate the last piece of pie.
