WYOMING COUNTY, Pa. — It was an opening weekend at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, unlike any other.
"First of all, I've never experienced anything like this, and I've been doing this job for a while now," said Ronnie Harvey, the Dietrich Theater's Film Booker.
Originally, the theater was only supposed to show Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, but as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was gaining popularity, Harvey knew to get the biggest audience draw, he needed to add the film telling the story of the scientist behind the atomic bomb.
"I didn't know if I was going to be able to squeeze it in the schedule, but literally last minute I was able to squeeze it in, and thankfully we did," said Harvey. "Cause we had people in full pink, we had people in full suits going to both movies."
From people wearing black suits for Oppenheimer or fuzzy pink boas for Barbie, the Dietrich saw its busiest opening weekend of the summer and possibly the entire year.
"I mean, Barbie is already one of our top five, I think it's six right now of the year, and it's only been four days," said Harvey.
"They are the quintessential summer blockbuster movies," said Erica Rogler, the theater's Executive Director.
The contrast between Barbie and Oppenheimer brought out fans of all ages, creating a movie-watching experience comparable to pre-pandemic levels.
"You know these blockbusters are the livelihood of movie theatres across the country, especially small ones like ours, and it's great to welcome community members of all ages and demographics back to the movies," said Rogler.
This past weekend's 'Barbenheimer,' a combination of the two movies' names, is the second-highest box office weekend ever, according to polls, bringing more than an estimated $235 million.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.