Universal’s weather thriller ‘Twisters’ spun up a huge maiden weekend, earning an estimated $80.5 million to top the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.
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The stand-alone follow-up to 1996’s popular ‘Twister’ – under the seemingly unlikely direction of the man who helmed sweet Korean-American family drama ‘Minari’, Lee Isaac Chung – had been projected to make closer to $50 million.
But strong reviews and a cast led by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones helped propel the film – about storm chasers caught in the middle of fast-converging tornadoes – to what The Hollywood Reporter said was the top domestic opening ever for a natural disaster film.
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“The spectacle, the special effects and the set pieces are bigger and better [than the original film],” said analyst David A. Gross. “It’s perfect summer entertainment.”
‘Twisters’ ousted the previous top earner, another Universal film, the animated comedy ‘Despicable Me 4’, which placed second with $23.8 million in ticket sales for the Friday-through-Sunday period.
Holding steady in third was Disney and Pixar’s coming-of-age animation ‘Inside Out 2’, at $12.8 million. In its six weeks out, it has earned $596.4 million domestically and an additional $847 million globally.
In fourth, down two spots, was horror mystery ‘Longlegs’ from indie studio Neon, at $11.7 million. Nicolas Cage stars in the tale of an FBI agent (Maika Monroe) tracking a creepy serial killer.
And in fifth, slipping one spot, was Paramount’s apocalyptic horror film ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’, at $6.1 million. Lupita Nyong’o plays a seriously ill woman in New York invaded by keen-eared extraterrestrials.
Also Read: Inside Out 2 hits $1bn mark at global box office
Rounding out the top 10 were:
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ ($3.3 million)
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ ($2.7 million)
‘Bad Newz’ (1.1 million)
‘MaXXXine’ ($819,000)
‘The Bikeriders’ ($700,000)
