The made-in-Oklahoma summer event movie "Twisters" has practically torn the roof off the North American box office.
The long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 blockbuster "Twister" now looks to storm to a three-day domestic opening weekend of $80.5 million, Deadline reports Sunday.
Looking to land about $30 million ahead of the $50 million to $55 million that several movie industry publications and tracking services initially were forecasting for "Twisters" going into the weekend, the legacy sequel whirled to No. 1 on the domestic box-office list. It was the biggest opening weekend yet this summer for a live-action movie.
The PG-13 action vehicle finished well ahead of the No. 2 film on the list, "Despicable Me 4," which adds $23.8 million to its three-week $259.5 million haul. The animated hit opened in theaters July 3.
The better-than-expected opening weekend for "Twisters" also surpassed “Despicable Me 4," which nabbed $75 million in its first three-day weekend, and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," which rampaged to an $80 million debut in March, to bump the stormy standalone sequel to the third-best North American opening weekend so far this year.
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The opening weekend for "Twisters" ranks behind only those this year for “Inside Out 2," with about $155 million, and “Dune: Part Two," with $82 million.
What domestic box-office record did 'Twisters' set with its opening weekend?
"Twisters" spun up the top domestic opening weekend ever for a natural disaster film, surpassing Roland Emmerich’s "The Day After Tomorrow," which debuted with $68.44 million in 2004, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The legacy sequel, which officially opened in theaters Friday, smashed opening-day expectations, roaring to $32.2 million. The film's first-day take included its strong $10.7 million haul from preview screenings, as fans could catch the action vehicle Wednesday night in IMAX and other premium large-format theaters and at Thursday night showings.
Playing in 4,151 theaters accross North America, "Twisters" took in $27.5 million on Saturday and looks to pull in another $20.7 million on Sunday.
"Twisters" cost about $155 million to produce, not counting the millions used to promote the popcorn movie.
How did Oklahoma and middle America fuel 'Twisters' to the top of the domestic box office?
Filmed across Oklahoma in 2023, "Twisters" is a new, contemporary chapter that follows in the path of the 1990s smash "Twister," which also filmed in the Sooner State. The new "Twisters" stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Carter, a former Oklahoma storm chaser whose devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years prompts her move to New York City, where she studies storm patterns from the safety of a screen.
Kate is lured back to Tornado Alley by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos), to test a new tracking system. Out in the field in the midst of record tornadic conditions, they cross paths with Tyler Owens (star Glen Powell), a charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his rowdy crew.
Two-time Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung, who hails from Arkansas, championed Oklahoma as the right place to make "Twisters." Not only did the filmmaker grow up on a farm just across the Arkansas border from Westville, Oklahoma, but he also previously filmed his Academy Award-winning semi-autobiographical immigrant drama "Minari" in the Tulsa area in 2019.
And Chung obviously understood how to create a standalone sequel that would appeal in Oklahoma and across the rest of Middle America.
Deadline reports that the top-grossing cities for the opening weekend for "Twisters" are Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, Texas. The Regal Warren in Moore ranks as the movie's highest grossing theater to date.
"Twisters" pulled in solid reviews — including from The Oklahoman — and it boasted 78% positive reviews from critics and a 92% positive audience score on RottenTomatoes.com as of Sunday. Audiences also gave the movie an A- CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak, according to The Associated Press.
The movie's focus on popcorn thrills, its predominantly country music soundtrack and the appeal of rising star Powell all have been cited as helping the movie spin to the top of the domestic box office. The AP reports that 24% of moviegoers polled by PostTrak said the Texas actor was a primary draw.
"This is why you make the summer blockbuster; it contains everything you need: It's thrilling. It's adventurous. It's fun. It's funny. It's directed so well, and the performances are beautiful. It's emotional. And it's about the people of Oklahoma. It's about this community," Powell said on the red carpet at the July 15 OKC premiere of "Twisters."
How did 'Twisters' perform at the global box office?
So far, "Twisters" has grossed $123.2 million globally, according to Variety.
It's proven a mightier draw in North America than outside it. Over the weekend, it took in $27.1 million from 76 overseas markets. Since it opened in some overseas markets ahead of its domestic debut, that brings its international total so far to $42 million.
“Twisters” fizzled out in China, drawing in just $1.5 million in its debut. Beyond the United States and Canada, the movie's top markets this weekend were the U.K. with $5.5 million; Mexico with $2.5 million; Australia with $2 million; and France with $1.9 million.
IMAX also has helped to power the box-office success of "Twisters." Variety reports that the premium format brought in $2.2 million internationally and $11.2 million globally for the weekend.
A strong opening weekend was important for "Twisters," as Marvel Studios' highly anticipated R-rated anti-hero adventure "Deadpool and Wolverine" opens in theaters Friday, July 26, and could potentially post record-breaking numbers.
