Less than a week after its official release in theaters, the Oklahoma-made action movie “Twisters” has already crossed a major box office milestone.
The long-awaited sequel to the 1996 smash hit “Twister,” which was also filmed in the Sooner State, is already surpassing box office records. North American box office revenue exceeds $100 million.
“Twisters” was officially released on July 19th and was shown in 4,151 theaters across North America, debuting at number one at the domestic box office and grossing $81.2 million in its opening weekend, far exceeding expectations.
PG-13 rated action movies have continued to post strong sales throughout the week. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com:“Twisters” grossed about $9.2 million on Monday, $12.6 million on Tuesday and $10 million on Wednesday.
As Collider reports: “Twisters” broke the $100 mark after grossing a staggering $12 million on Discount Tuesday, a day when major cinema chains offer discounted tickets.
Want to take a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Six days after its theatrical release, “Twisters” has grossed more than $113 million at the domestic box office.
The legendary sequel, filmed in Oklahoma in 2023, added another $43.5 million from the international box office, bringing its worldwide total to about $156.6 million as of Wednesday. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com:.
“Twisters” cost about $155 million to make, excluding millions spent on promoting the popcorn movie.
How did 4DX theaters contribute to Twisters’ box office success?
Directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), who grew up on a farm in Arkansas near the Oklahoma border, Twisters is a modern chapter in the trajectory of the 1990s smash hit Twister. The stand-alone sequel introduces a new generation of storm chasers, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, rising star Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos.
“Twisters” had the third-largest domestic opening weekend box office haul of 2024; “Inside Out 2” Approximately $155 million, and “Dune Part 2” $82 million.
“Twisters” set the record for the highest domestic opening weekend gross for a natural disaster movie, beating the previous record held by Roland Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow,” which debuted with $68.44 million in 2004. According to The Hollywood Reporter.
The popularity of Twisters in the immersive 4DX format has helped the film get off to a blockbuster start. Variety Report The 4DX version of “Twisters” grossed about $2.1 million in tickets during its opening weekend, 30% higher than the previous opening weekend record-holder for the immersive format, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” which grossed $1.57 million last year.
The premium format uses 21 synchronized movements and environmental effects such as spinning wind gusts, vibrations, water, lightning and scents to give audiences a multi-sensory cinematic experience. Starting last weekend and continuing this week, fans can “Twisters” 4DX screening Get infected with a virus.
CJ 4DPLEX, a producer of premium film formats and cinematic technologies, confirmed on Thursday that “Twisters” has become the highest grossing movie in 4DX in Japan’s opening weekend box office in 2024. The company said in a news release that it has partnered with Chung, as well as “Twisters” studios Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment to create the 4DX experience.
To date, Twisters has grossed more than $2.3 million across 62 4DX theaters in the U.S. market, with the film boasting a per-screen average of $37,120 and an occupancy rate of 67 percent, CJ 4DPLEX reports.
The Regal cinema chain grossed $2.1 million from its 50 4DX theaters, for a per-screen average of $41,903.
At the Regal Warren in Moore, an Oklahoma City-area theater that was actually hit by an EF5 tornado in 2013 and became the highest-grossing theater during “Twisters”‘s opening weekend, 4DX screenings of the storm’s blockbuster have been sold out all week.
How will “Twisters” fare at the box office compared to “Deadpool vs. Wolverine”?
Deadline Report Premium and IMAX ticket sales accounted for 40% of “Twister’s” domestic opening weekend ticket sales. The problem is that Marvel Studios’ rising stars, “Deadpool and Wolverine,” have monopolized all premium theaters, including 4DX theaters, for three weeks starting Thursday night.
“Deadpool vs. Wolverine,” which officially hits theaters on Friday, is expected to gross between $160 million and $170 million from 4,200 theaters across North America this weekend. According to Variety.
The superhero sequel, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is not only expected to be the biggest domestic release of the year, but also set the record for the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film, beating the current record of $132 million set by 2016’s Deadpool.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is expected to be a superhero-sized hit in overseas markets, where industry insiders estimate it could gross $350 million to $390 million worldwide by Sunday. Disney spent about $200 million to make the movie and another $100 million to promote it, Variety magazine reported.
With “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” becoming a huge hit in theaters, it remains to be seen how “Twisters” will fare. The Associated Press reports: Some analysts have optimistically compared last year’s PG-13 rated “Barbie” to last year’s “Babenheimer.” Rated R “Oppenheimer” Both films were released in theaters at the same time and were box office successes.
