Spectators rushed toward tornadoes this weekend, boosting “ Twisted ”For a highly successful opening. The independent sequel to the 1996 hit grossed $80.5 million in ticket sales at 4,151 theaters in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.
That’s about $30 million more than analysts initially expected and represents the biggest opening for a live-action film yet. This summer.
“In the beginning, we had high aspirations and it certainly exceeded them,” said Jim Orr, head of distribution at Universal. “We are seriously overindexing between the coasts, which is also fun to see.”
His super performance remembered “ Oppenheimer ” premiered last year on the same weekend. There are some similarities: the studio, Universal and the numbers. But there are also important differences: “Oppenheimer” was 3 hours long, rated R (“Twisters” is PG-13) and track record, not to mention the collective enthusiasm surrounding its release date companion, “Barbie.”
“ Twisted”, however, is a franchise. It may not be a direct sequel to “Twister,” but it is benefiting from brand recognition. The original film directed by Jan de Bont, starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, was a financial success at the time and has only become more beloved over the years. This film, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, does not include any of the characters from the original and introduces a new mob of storm chasers.
“This is just more proof that when you create something that is compelling and interesting and has broad appeal, people from all over the country will show up,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. “I think the word of mouth for this film will be exceptional.”
The production of Universal, Warner Bros. and Amblin cost $155 million to produce and millions more to promote. Part of the effort included a country music-heavy soundtrack, featuring a new Luke Combs single, “Aint No Love in Oklahoma,” which has racked up more than 56 million audio streams. The soundtrack as a whole, featuring appearances by Bailey Zimmerman, Tucker Wetmore, Tanner Adell, Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers, Thomas Rhett and Miranda Lambert, has over 75 million streams.
Reviews were mixed but mostly positive about the 2-hour thriller. Audiences gave it an enthusiastic A-CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak. Also of note: 24% of moviegoers surveyed by PostTrack said actor Glen Powell was the main attraction.
“Our director has created exactly what audiences want to see in theaters: a very gripping, emotional and all-around chaotic story with a charming cast,” said Orr.
Bob Bagby, president of the theater owners association and CEO of Kansas City-based B&B Theaters, which have about 580 screens, said their 4DX auditoriums were nearly sold out all weekend. 4DX is an “immersive” presentation format for movies that includes seat shaking and wind effects.
“Twisters” also sparked some lively online speeches and debates, some about the film not making explicit reference to climate change and others about the lack of a kiss between Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. A video showing the kiss that remained in the editing room circulated on social media over the weekend.
Bagby acknowledged that there was “no surprise political or social agenda.”
“I’m in the film business. We show everything. There have been a lot of films about global warming and that’s important,” he said. “But sometimes you go to the movies and you don’t want to be brought back to reality and miss the escape. You just want to have fun.
Universal also had the country’s second film with “Despicable Me 4,” now in its third weekend. It grossed $23.8 million in North America, where it is still playing in more than 4,000 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $259.5 million.
Third place went to another animation juggernaut: Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” now in its sixth weekend and boasting a global total of $1.4 billion. It is quickly closing in on “Frozen 2” to win the title of greatest animated film of all time.
Last year this weekend, “Barbenheimer” helped boost the box office to more than $311 million. This weekend was never going to match that, but progress is still being made after a rocky start to the crucial summer movie season.
“Things have really changed since May,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
And another force is invading theaters next weekend in “ Dead Pool & Wolverine”, which aims to open in the US$160 million range. That would be enough to unseat “Inside Out 2” as the biggest debut of the year. How this will affect “Twisters” in its second weekend is a big unknown. O’Leary said he believes it’s an advantage to have compelling films going head-to-head.
Dergarabedian added: “We could be looking at a weekend where people want to see two blockbusters back to back. This will give Barbenheimer’s second weekend a run for its money.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national numbers will be released on Monday.
1. “Twisters”, US$80.5 million.
2. “Despicable Me 4,” $23.8 million.
3. “Inside Out 2,” $12.8 million.
4. “Long Legs”, US$11.7 million.
5. “A Quiet Place: Day One,” $6.1 million.
6. “Fly Me to the Moon,” $3.4 million.
7. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $2.7 million.
8. “Bad Newz,” $1.1 million.
9. “MaXXXine,” $819,242.
10. “The Bikeriders,” $700,000.
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