TWISTERS Takes Box Office By Storm

Published: July 24, 2024

TWISTERS Takes Box Office By Storm

By Movieguide® Contributor

TWISTERS dominated the box office last weekend.

Just in its opening weekend, TWISTERS garnered $81.25 million, making it the third biggest opening of 2024 behind INSIDE OUT 2 and DUNE: PART TWO.

“It’s a classic, fun summer blockbuster in every sense. Yes, it’s a sequel. But audiences realized that it could stand on its own. It wasn’t trying to push out the same story,” said Mike Barstow, executive VP of the Nebraska-based Main Street Theatres.

What’s made the storm-chasing flick so successful? Moviegoers loved the movie thanks, in part, to the “original blockbuster, starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as the rising bankability of the property’s fresh faces, [Glenn] Powell (of TOP GUN: MAVERICK and ANYONE BUT YOU fame) and [Daisy] Edgar-Jones (a favorite from Hulu’s romantic drama series NORMAL PEOPLE).”

It also reached an audience that Hollywood often ignores. Variety reported, “TWISTERS…overperformed in the Midwest, specifically in the areas impacted by these dangerous natural disasters.”

“Relatable characters, rural settings, a mix of spectacle, fun, and heart are just a few ingredients contributing to the film’s success with people from a wide variety of lifestyles and backgrounds,” Shawn Robbins, founder of Box Office Theory, told Variety.

Barstow, who’s from the Midwest, knows what it’s like to go through natural disasters, which is why the movie “resonated in the middle of the country.”

“It’s just something we live with in the Midwest,” he said. “We can draw on experiences from growing up.”

“It’s hard for me to understand the psyche, but maybe it helps people to see a movie where the disaster is even worse than real life,” Santikos CEO Blake Hastings added. “Storm chasers are exciting. It’s dangerous. It’s risky. TWISTERS was the first four-quadrant movie we’ve had in a while.”

Its moral and redemptive story also boosted its box office take. Part of Movieguide®’s review reads:

TWISTERS is a big, crowd-pleasing adventure romance. Kate is a young guilt-ridden tornado expert. She has a groundbreaking scientific idea about making tornadoes dissipate. However, she makes a mistake judging one tornado’s strength, and three of her friends die. Five years later, Javi, her team’s other survivor, asks Kate to return to Oklahoma. He needs her to help him use a new advanced radar system to track and measure tornadoes. On her first day back home, she meets Tyler, a cocky, thrill-seeking storm chaser. They begin a complicated rivalry that develops in fun, unexpected ways. Soon, however, everyone finds himself squarely in the deadly path of multiple storms.

TWISTERS is an outstanding adventure romance. It has appealing characters, powerful drama and funny moments with lots of heart. The music is wonderful. The storm scenes are intense, harrowing and exciting. TWISTERS has a strong moral, redemptive story about helping people, saving lives and making sacrifices. It also has a positive view of people living in the American heartland. However, TWISTERS has some foul language and scary moments. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.