This weekend moviegoers ran into a tornado, Twisters Poised for a blockbuster opening. The standalone sequel to the 1996 hit earned $80.5 million in ticket sales from 4,151 theaters in North America, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
That’s about $30 million more than analysts initially estimated and is the biggest opening for a live-action film so far this summer.
“We had big aspirations for it initially, and it’s certainly exceeded them,” said Universal’s distribution chief Jim Orr. “We’re seriously over-indexing between the coasts, which is also fun to see.”
Its overperformance was remembered Oppenheimer debuted on the same weekend last year. There are some similarities: studio, universal, and number. But there are also some key differences: oppenheimer 3 hours long, R-rated (Twisters The film is PG-13) and historical, and there’s a lot of excitement about its release date, Barbie.
Twisters, Meanwhile, this is a franchise. It cannot be a direct sequel twister But it benefits from brand recognition. The original film, directed by Jan de Bont and starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, was a financial success at the time and has become even more popular in the past few years. This film, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, does not feature any characters from the original film and introduces a new crowd of storm chasers.
“This is further proof that when you make something that’s engaging and interesting and has broad appeal, people all over the country will come to see it,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “I think public opinion of this film is going to be extraordinary.”
Universal, Warner Bros. and Amblin Productions spent $155 million on production and millions more on promotion. The effort also included a country music-themed soundtrack, including Luke Combs’ new single “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” which has racked up more than 56 million audio streams. The full soundtrack, featuring artists like Bailey Zimmerman, Tucker Wetmore, Tanner Adell, Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers, Thomas Rhett and Miranda Lambert, has garnered more than 75 million streams.
Critics were mixed, but mostly positive about the 2-hour thriller. Audiences gave it an enthusiastic A- CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak. Also worth noting: 24% of moviegoers surveyed by PostTrak said actor Glen Powell was the main attraction.
“Our director has crafted exactly what audiences want to see in theaters: a wildly entertaining, exciting, chaotic story with plenty of action and a compelling cast,” Orr said.
Bob Bagby, president of the theater owners association and CEO of Kansas City-based B&B Theatres, which has about 580 screens, said his 4DX auditoriums were nearly sold out all weekend. 4DX is an “immersive” presentation format for movies that includes seat-shaking and wind effects.
Twisters The film has also sparked some passionate online discussion and debate, some about the fact that the film does not explicitly mention climate change and some about the fact that the film does not include a kiss between Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. A video went viral on social media over the weekend showing what appeared to be a kiss that was left on the cutting room floor.
Bagby appreciated that there was no “surprising political or social agenda.”
“I’m in the movie business. We show everything. There are movies about global warming and that’s important,” he said. “But sometimes you go to see a movie and you don’t want to come back to reality and lose your freedom. You just want to have a good time.”
Universal was also the number 2 film in the country i am despicable 4, It’s now in its third weekend. It added $23.8 million from North America, where it’s still playing in over 4,000 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $259.5 million.
Third place went to another animated giant: Disney and Pixar. inside out 2, It’s now in its sixth weekend, and its global total stands at $1.4 billion. It’s rapidly approaching its goal frozen 2 Earned the title of the greatest animated film ever made.
“Barbenheimer” grossed more than $311 million at the box office over the same weekend last year. This weekend was never going to match that, but progress is being made after a difficult start to the crucial summer moviegoing season.
“Things have really changed since May,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
And another force is set to hit theaters next weekend deadpool and wolverine, which is expected to open in the $160 million range. That would be enough to dethrone him inside out 2 For the biggest opening of the year. What will be its impact Twisters The film’s second weekend is a big unknown. O’Leary said he believes having so many strong films coming out at once is a plus point.
Dergarabedian said: “We can expect a weekend where people will want to watch two blockbusters back to back. It will give Barbenheimer’s second weekend a tough competition.”
According to Comscore, ticket sales are estimated at theaters in the US and Canada from Friday through Sunday. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. twisters, $80.5 million.
2, despicable me 4, $23.8 million.
3. inside out 2, $12.8 million.
4.long legs, $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 News, 1.1 million dollars.
9. Maxine, $819,242.
10. Bike Riders, $700,000.
