As studios and theater owners grapple with getting Americans to spend their money and time at the cineplex, the trade show during last week’s CinemaCon was united in a single goal: make movie theaters the place to be again.
Michael Leary, President & CEO, Cinema United, and Lee Feldman, President and Founder, Pops Corn, speak during CinemaCon 2026. Getty Images for CinemaCon And those in the business of adding as many bells and whistles to movie theaters are certainly doing their part. Coming soon to a movie theater near you: pickle lemonade, glitter popcorn and buffalo chicken egg rolls. And there were dozens of other ideas on the trade floor so crazy that they just might work: A bowling alley in the theater! Multi-course meals! Custom photo booths for each new release!
And I would not be doing my job if I didn’t sample some of the new concoctions myself. Among my favorites was the pickle lemonade. Reps for Coca-Cola, who is behind the fermented beverage, tell me they’re keen on jumping on the pickle bandwagon, and have an easy-made version for theater owners — they just use their existing Minute Maid lemonade supply and mix in a provided flavor packet. (As for the taste – I’m not a pickle girl, but even I couldn’t deny that this one’s a big dill for salty-sweet lovers, and the perfect pairing for popcorn.)
Snack and beverage distributor Vistar also showed off their ready-made hot new offerings this year, including cheeseburger bites, brisket mac & cheese, buffalo chicken egg rolls and apple pie stuffed bites.
Dole, meanwhile, is rolling out Dole Whip (a Disney Parks favorite). A rep tells me they’re banking on the upcoming live-action “Moana” to spur purchases of the tropical sorbet.
For Lee Feldman, founder of Pops Corn, it’s all about creating bespoke popcorn products for tentpole films – like his colorful Cosmic Crunch Rainbow Pop for “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” The strawberry, blueberry, caramel and raspberry flavors were designed to match the colors of the film’s logo.
“This product did exceptionally well at all the theaters,” Feldman says, citing Regal Cinema, Cinemark, Marcus Theaters, Cinepolis and Santikos as current chains selling his product.
