It might not be a real-life movie title – but it’s a neat summary of popcorn production in the Riverina, which is set to ramp up to blockbuster proportions.

Darlington Point farmers Gerard Toscan and his brother, John, have announced the sale of their popcorn business.

But no fear – the Riverina will still be popping with buttery goodness, according to Gerard.

While Mr Toscan would not reveal the sale price, he said the operation had been sold to Freedom Foods, an Australian-owned company that already has a presence at Murrami near Leeton.

Mr Toscan said Freedom was set to invest in new machinery at the Darlington Point property.

“They will take it to the next level,” he said.

But Freedom have a high water mark to hit, with the brothers emerging as two pioneers among just a handful of popcorn growers over their time in business.

The Toscans were the biggest suppliers to the nation’s cinemas. Their work, quite literally, was on everyone’s lips.

And it comes as the region’s tourism heavyweights look to new ways to boost agritourism offerings.

“We built it up over a long period,” Mr Toscan said.

“It became quite a big business over 20 years and over that time there were a lot of changes.

“When we eventually took over the cinema distribution contract … that’s where a lot of the achievements lied, it’s really been interesting in itself.”

Mr Toscan said maintaining a good relationship with growers ultimately led to better popcorn for moviegoers.

“It wasn’t a great experience eating in a cinema back then … the flakes would get stuck in your teeth,” he said.

“But in the end we changed varieties and since then everyone has been focused on delivering better quality.”

Quantity of popcorn supply was also on the Toscan’s minds.

They knew it was going to be a big month for orders when blockbusters such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings were showing.

Mr Toscan said the other influence on supply was how much rain fell during the school holidays. If it was cold and wet, they knew they were in for a busy time.

The popcorn was delivered to more than 150 cinemas.