Twisters Exceeds Expectations with $80.5 Million Box Office Debut

The Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell-led film, Twisters, has surpassed expectations at the box office. During its opening weekend, this highly anticipated movie nearly doubled its forecasted earnings.

Over the course of its first three days, Twisters grossed an impressive $80.5 million domestically. This achievement placed it at the top of the box office charts, outpacing other films, such as Despicable Me 4, which earned $23.8 million, and Inside Out 2, which brought in $12.8 million. Notably, these competitors were already in their third and sixth weekends in theaters, respectively.

Internationally, Twisters garnered an additional $42.7 million, pushing its worldwide total to $123.2 million for its opening weekend. Interestingly, the movie only achieved $1.5 million in China, a market typically very receptive to blockbusters.

Boxoffice Pro had initially predicted that Twisters would achieve between $65-$95 million domestically. This projection was made nearly a month prior to the movie’s release. Ultimately, the film’s earnings landed on the higher end of this forecast and exceeded the lower expectations.

This strong start bodes well for Twisters’ performance at the box office. The movie is expected to enjoy a week at the top before being challenged by the release of Deadpool and Wolverine. This upcoming MCU project is likely to dethrone Lee Isaac Chung’s tornado-centric film.

Twisters serves as a standalone sequel to the 1995 movie Twister. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung and written by Mark L. Smith, the film also benefits from a story credit attributed to Joseph Kosinski, known for Top Gun: Maverick.

Chung is acclaimed for his 2020 film, Minari, a semi-autobiographical piece that he co-wrote and directed. Released by A24, Minari garnered six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Youn Yuh-jung, a cast member, won Best Supporting Actress for her role.

Twisters centers around a young storm chaser named Kate, portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones. After experiencing a catastrophic tornado, Kate decides to leave storm chasing and changes her career path, relocating to New York City. She is eventually recruited back to Oklahoma by Javi, played by Anthony Ramos.

Upon joining Javi’s company, Storm Par, Kate encounters Tyler Owens, a storm-chasing social media influencer characterized by Glen Powell. Initially, Kate and Tyler are at odds, but they soon find themselves having to collaborate when confronted by a deadly tornado.

Aside from Edgar-Jones and Powell, the movie features Anthony Ramos, who gained prominence through his roles in Hamilton and has since appeared in A Star Is Born, In the Heights, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Both Edgar-Jones and Powell are rising talents in the film industry. Edgar-Jones is well known for her role in the miniseries Normal People and has appeared in films such as Fresh and Where the Crawdads Sing. She also starred in Under the Banner of Heaven alongside Andrew Garfield.

Powell, who rose to stardom with Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick, had earlier roles in Scream Queens, Set It Up, and Hidden Figures. Recently, he starred in the rom-com Anyone but You with Sydney Sweeney, which was a surprise hit, grossing over $220 million. Additionally, Powell worked with Fast Food Nation director Richard Linklater to co-write and star in Hit Man.

Twisters is currently showing in theaters.