Even Ghost of Yotei Is Getting a Special Popcorn Bucket

Sucker Punch Productions and Sony Interactive appear to be going all-out in the marketing for the upcoming Ghost of Yōtei. Just recently, it got an anime crossover mode inspired by Shinichirō Wantabe’s Samurai Champloo, and now, excited players can even purchase an official Ghost-themed popcorn bucket. Available through the Alamo Drafthouse, this bucket is designed for use in their theater chain as part of a cinematic Samurai showcase event, taking place between August and September. While it seemed like a strange tie-in for some, it has turned out to be a popular one. According to the Alamo Drafthouse website, the popcorn bucket has already sold out its pre-orders, but there’s a chance we may see more of these available in the future.

Billed as the “Way of the Samurai” showcase, Alamo Drafthouse cites the PlayStation exclusive Ghost of Yōtei as inspiration for a month-long presentation of classic Samurai films.

“This August, we invite film lovers and modern-day ronin alike to step into the cinematic world of honor, vengeance, and swordplay with Way of the Samurai, a curated film series inspired by the upcoming PlayStation® release, Ghost of Yōtei™,” said the film showcase announcement. “From August 2nd through September 4th, select Alamo theaters will showcase five iconic samurai films that helped define the genre: Lady Snowblood, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, The Tale of Zatoichi, 13 Assassins, and Ran.”

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In conjunction with this event, Alamo Drafthouse offers the “Ghost of Yotei Popcorn Bucket.” It is estimated to ship by August 1st, just in time for customers immerse themselves in these samurai films. 

The popcorn bucket actually looks quite striking. It is more than just a game still pasted on a plastic bucket, which one would hope would be the case for the asking price of $40.00. The product is hand-painted by artists at Sony and almost resembles what someone in feudal Japan would use if movie popcorn had existed back then.

“This beautifully crafted bucket, shaped like a traditional Japanese rice basket, is the perfect keepsake for any aspiring warrior,” says the product description.

Some fans were confused by this promotion, but now that the pre-orders are listed as sold out, it will likely become a highly sought-after item that will pad the pockets of online scalpers. However, while the online store lists them as sold out, there is still hope for fans who want to obtain one without going through scalpers.

According to an X post from Alamo Drafthouse, they will also be available starting August 2nd to those who show up at a participating Alamo Drafthouse in person.

If this promotion ends up being extremely popular, will we see lines of people camped outside Alamo Drafthouse’s in August for a chance to purchase one of the popcorn buckets? With the ease and accessibility of buying digital game products in 2025, there may be more desperation in obtaining an official popcorn bucket tie-in for Ghost of Yōtei than in getting the game itself.

Releasing October 2nd for PlayStation 5, Ghost of Yōtei is the stand-alone follow-up game to 2020’s widely acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has seemingly ushered in a new era of more east asian-inspired Souls-like settings, which differ from the European fantasy ones that came before it. Black Myth: Wukong was released last year to great praise, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is only a few days away from its July 24th release.

What are your thoughts on the popcorn bucket? Is it worth the $40 asking price, and if so, how high could the price possibly go among resellers online?