“Twisters,” the standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster epic “Twister,” has taken the box office by storm, collecting a massive $80.5 million from 4,151 North American theaters in its debut weekend. The film, directed by Lee Isaac Chung and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, follows storm chasers as they face multiple converging tornadoes in central Oklahoma.
Analysts attribute the surge in ticket sales to several factors, including positive audience reception, with the film earning an “A-” on CinemaScore. Nostalgia for the original blockbuster and the rising bankability of the new cast members, particularly Powell and Edgar-Jones, also contributed to the strong opening. The movie overperformed in the Midwest, where tornado-prone areas are located.
“Twisters” cost $155 million to produce and is being released domestically by Universal Pictures, while Warner Bros. has international rights. The film has grossed $42 million overseas, bringing its global total to $123.2 million.
Despite the success of “Twisters,” comparisons to the same weekend in 2023 were challenging due to the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” opened to $162 million and $82 million, respectively. However, the North American box office is finally gaining momentum thanks to several overperforming tentpoles, with the year-to-date deficit shrinking from 21% to 17%.
In other box office news, “Despicable Me 4” added $23 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $259 million and global haul to $574 million. “Inside Out 2” landed at No. 3 with $12.7 million, nearing the $600 million mark in North America and becoming the second-highest-grossing animated film worldwide with $1.443 billion. The horror hit “Longlegs” added $11.7 million in its second weekend, while “A Quiet Place: Day One” rounded out the top five with $6.1 million.
However, the romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon,” starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, failed to rebound after its disappointing debut, plummeting 65% from last weekend with a paltry $3.3 million. The film has generated only $16.3 million in the U.S. and Canada and $14.3 million internationally, making it one of the biggest box office disasters of the year.
