Cheetos Popcorn Arrives at Regal Cinemas Nationwide This Weekend

Mike Pomranz
Updated

Thanks to the impending release ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi, this weekend was already slated to be one of the busiest of the year at the box office (especially after critics heaped nearly universal praise on the flick yesterday). But as if you needed any other reasons to head to the movies on Friday, Regal Cinemas decided to up the ante anyway: The theater chain will be debuting Cheetos Popcorn nationwide.

If your first question is “Wait, is ‘Cheetos popcorn’ Cheetos-flavored popcorn or is it popcorn with Cheetos in it?” the answer is yes and yes. This officially-sanctioned mashup of Cheetos and popcorn doubles down on everything Cheetos, both covering the actual popcorn “with warm, cheesy Cheetos flavor” and tossing Crunchy Cheetos into the mix to make each bite a potential mix of both popcorn and corn puff. Sounds like you may want to consider bringing plastic gloves.

Though Cheetos Popcorn has been available before, December 15 will mark the product’s first rollout for a national audience. “We're excited to give moviegoers a chance to experience Cheetos in an unexpected and delicious new way through our first national theater partnership,” said Sean Mathews, director of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “Cheetos and popcorn are the ultimate movie snack combination, and Regal Cinemas is the perfect partner to launch Cheetos Popcorn nationally.”

Meanwhile, Regal is touting the new snack as an early present. “Cheetos Popcorn is our gift to Regal fans enjoying their favorite movie this holiday season,” said John Curry, senior vice-president of foodservice, Regal Cinemas. “We are thrilled to partner with an iconic brand like Cheetos to deliver blockbuster snack choices to moviegoers.”

That said, despite the seasonal framing, Frito-Lay says that Cheetos Popcorn isn’t a limited-time offering and won’t be going anywhere in 2018. Assuming it’s popular, the cheesy snack will be around indefinitely. And if it turns out to be a huge success, like any blockbuster, maybe we’ll see a sequel Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Popcorn anyone?