Twisters summons a mighty storm

Universal’s disaster film Twisters performed above expectations at the box office this weekend, pulling in a massive $80.5 million from 4,151 theaters, according to Deadline. That number puts it just behind Dune: Part Two ($82M) and tied with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($80M), meaning the highly anticipated sequel should find its way to a $200M+ domestic haul.

Of course, Dune and Godzilla didn’t have much competition. Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones will be up against Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine, who will be taking a significant chunk of the audience over the next month or so. Regardless, this is still a huge win for Universal, especially since Twisters exploded to $123 million worldwide, with Imax and PLF screens accounting for 43% of the gross.

Are we ready to call Powell a star?

For comparison, the original Twister premiered in 1996 to $41.1 million in 2,414 theaters.

Twisters pushed Despicable Me 4 to second place on the Top 10 chart, with a $23.8 million (-45%) haul in its third week. The animated film (also from Universal) has grossed $259.5 million domestically and $574 million worldwide. Inside Out 2 came in at third place, adding another $12.8 million to its impeccable $596.3 million haul. Pixar’s animated hit now sits at No. 15 on the All-Time Domestic chart, behind Incredibles 2 ($608.5 million) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($620 million). Worldwide, the sequel sits at No. 14 after surpassing Barbie ($1.432 billion).

Neon’s Longlegs held its own in its second year, earning $11.7 million (-48%), lifting its domestic gross to $44.6 million, while Apple/Sony’s Fly Me to the Moon delivered a disappointing $3.3 million (-65%) in its second week.

Box Office Results: Domestic Top 10

1.) Twisters (Uni) 4,151 theaters, Fri $32.2 million, Sat $27.5 million, Sun $20.7 million 3-day $80.5 million/wk 1

2.) Despicable Me 4 (United States) 4,112 (-337) theaters, Friday $7.3 million Saturday $9.5 million Sunday $7 million 3-day $23.8 million (-45%), Total $259.5 million/week 3

3.) Inside Out 2 (Dis) 3,625 (-190) theaters Friday $3.8 million Saturday $5.2 million Sunday $3.8 million 3-day $12.8 million (-36%) Total $596.3 million/week 6

4.) Longlegs (Neon) 2,850 (+340) theaters, Fri $3.8 million (-62%) Sat $4.6 million Sun $3.2 million 3-day $11.7 million (-48%), total $44.6 million/week 2

5.) A Quiet Place: Day One (Par) 2,913 (-465) theaters, Fri $1.9 million, Sat $2.5 million, Sun $1.6 million, 3 days $6.1 million (-46%), Total $127.6 million/week 4

6.) Fly Me to the Moon (App/Sony) 3,356 locations, Fri $960K Sat $1.3M Sun $995K 3-day $3.3M (-65%) Total $16.3M/Wk 2

7.) Bad Boys Ride or Die (Sony) 1,716 (-484) theaters, Fri $735K Sat $1.1M Sun $800K, 3 days $2.6M (-38%), total $189.2M/week 7

8.) Bad Newz (Moviegoer) 477 theaters, Fri $353K Sat $387K Sun $329K 3-day $1M/Wk 1

9.) MaXXXine (A24) 1,038 (-1,332) theaters, Fri $268K Sat $314K Sun $239K, 3-day $819K (-60%) Total $13.9M/Wk 3

10.) Bikeriders (Foc) 308 (-416) Fri $280K Sat $300K Sun $120K 3-day $700K(+75%), Total $21.2M/Wk 5

Source: Deadline