Box Office: Twisters Spinning Ahead of Forecasts With $32.2 Million Opening Day

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“Twisters” is twirling, twirling, twirling toward one of the five biggest domestic debuts of the year. The sequel whizzed past projections on opening day with $32.2 million from 4,151 locations across Friday and preview screenings.

Outlook for the opening weekend of the natural disaster thriller is now at $74 million — way north of the industry estimates for $50 million to $55 million earlier this week. That puts it in competition with fellow Universal release “Despicable Me 4” ($75 million) for the fourth-biggest three-day debut of the year (though that animated sequel opened on a Wednesday and had grosses dispersed across a five-day holiday weekend frame). The top three North American opening weekends of the year are “Inside Out 2” ($154 million), “Dune: Part Two” ($82 million) and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($80 million).

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That’s great company to be in for “Twisters,” which Amblin produced and Warner Bros. is distributing internationally. The original “Twister,” starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, was a special effects landmark and box office smash in its time, becoming the second-highest grossing feature of 1996 and enduring as a cable movie favorite. This legacy sequel, directed by “Minari” Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung and featuring a slew of new characters played by Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, hopes to replicate its predecessor’s commercial appeal — and justify its own hefty $155 million production budget.

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Overindexing on opening weekend is an auspicious start — now it’s all eyes on how “Twisters” holds up when Disney debuts Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” next weekend. Positive reviews and noted enthusiasm among moviegoers (audience survey firm Cinema Score turned in an “A-” grade for the film) put good buzz on the tornado sequel’s side.

Universal also gets second place with “Despicable Me 4,” which is projecting $23.8 million for its third weekend of release. Illumination’s animated feature will pass $250 million at the domestic box office within the next 24 hours; it ranks as the third-highest-grossing North American release of the year, gradually catching up to “Dune: Part Two” ($282 million).

Top dog for the year is still “Inside Out 2,” of course. Disney and Pixar’s cerebral sequel is ranking in third this weekend after adding $3.8 million on Friday. Now in its sixth frame, “Inside Out 2” will pass $590 million domestically today, inching closer to $600 million — a milestone that only 14 other films have ever achieved.

Neon’s satanic procedural “Longlegs” is sliding to fourth place, with rivals projecting another $11.7 million for its sophomore outing. That’d be down around 48% from its impressive opening weekend — a solid hold for a divisive horror release. The breakout indie will pass $40 million domestic on Saturday.

Rounding out the top five is Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One,” which is looking to add $5.9 million in its fourth weekend. The alien invasion prequel should hit $127 million in North America this weekend; it currently ranks as the eighth-highest-grossing domestic release of the year.

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