Hold onto your hats and glasses, folks! Twisters has tornadoed its way into the box office, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. The standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster epic Twister has whipped up an impressive $80.5 million from 4,151 North American theaters on its debut weekend. The film stormed past its projected $50 to $55 million and is now the third-biggest opening of the year. Only Inside Out 2 and Dune: Part Two have topped it so far.
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, known for Minari, Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos. These storm chasers are facing the ultimate weather challenge as tornadoes converge over central Oklahoma. Think of it as Twister with a new, modern twist—literally.
Box Office Tornado
Why did Twisters spin so high at the box office? Well, several factors contributed to this whirlwind success. First, audiences clearly love it, as evidenced by its solid “A-” rating on CinemaScore. Nostalgia for the original Twister, which featured Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, also played a part. The new faces, Powell from Top Gun: Maverick and Edgar-Jones from Normal People, are fresh, exciting, and bankable.
The movie performed particularly well in the Midwest, where tornadoes are no stranger. David A. Gross, of Franchise Entertainment Research, says, “It’s perfect summer entertainment. This is essentially the same havoc we saw the first time, but it’s 28 years later, and the spectacle, the special effects, and the set pieces are bigger and better.”
Financial Storm
Twisters cost a hefty $155 million to produce, not including its marketing expenses. Universal Pictures handled the domestic release, while Warner Bros. took care of international rights. On the global stage, Twisters has amassed $123.2 million, with $27.1 million from international markets. Not too shabby, considering it’s not performing quite as strongly overseas.
Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution, praises the film: “Lee Isaac Chung crafted an immersive summer tentpole. The movie is great fun. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos are incredibly engaging and charming.” High praise indeed!
The Box Office Landscape
Even though Twisters took the top spot, comparing it to last year’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon shows a stark contrast. Revenues for this weekend lagged about 55% behind the same frame in 2023. However, the North American box office is recovering, thanks to a surge in high-performing films like Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst, notes, “A summer season that started off inauspiciously with a series of less-than-stellar box office performances has been turbocharged with a cavalcade of hits.” So, while Twisters has shaken things up, it’s part of a broader box office revival.
The Competition
In second place, Despicable Me 4 added $23 million, bringing its total to $259 million domestically and $574 million worldwide. Inside Out 2 secured the third spot with $12.7 million, inching closer to surpassing Frozen 2 and Barbie as the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
On the horror front, Longlegs made a solid $11.7 million, and A Quiet Place: Day One earned $6.1 million, showing strong legs despite stiff competition. Meanwhile, Fly Me to the Moon—a romantic comedy starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson—crashed and burned with a disappointing $10 million debut.
Final Thoughts
Twisters has certainly made its mark, demonstrating that audiences are still eager for high-octane disaster thrills. With its solid box office performance and strong audience reactions, it looks like this tornado is here to stay.
