Twisters could whirl its way toward a $50M opening when it blows into cinemas in July

Analysts say Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters could trash the summer box office for $50M worth of first-weekend ticket sales.

When Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters opens in theaters on July 19, the reimagined version of Jan de Bont’s 1996 classic could make a $50 million debut. According to analysts, a summer heatwave is heading our way, which could bring audiences to air-conditioned theaters. Between beating the heat with a bucket of buttery popcorn and an overpriced fountain drink, walk-up business could also play a part in Twisters whipping up dollars on its first weekend at the box office.

For a while, analysts predicted a slow summer at cinemas. However, movies like Inside Out 2 ($800M) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($294M) have reinvigorated interest in returning to theaters, leading number crunchers to take another look at their box office crystal ball. While Twisters has a lot going for it, tornado warnings across parts of the United States could have people opposed to watching weather-related carnage on the silver screen. My prediction? People won’t let Mother Nature dictate their theater-going schedule, and Twisters will do just fine. Hell, Jan de Bont’s Twister banked $41M in its opening weekend, and tornado warnings were running rampant back then, too. The thrilling action film starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jami Gertz, Alan Ruck, and Lois Smith earned a domestic total of $241.7M.

Twisters is a “new chapter” for the IP, with no plans for old characters to return. Instead, Edgar-Jones will star in the project as a former storm chaser who works a desk job after surviving a disastrous tornado encounter. However, she will soon be forced to embrace the winds of change and begin the chase anew!

While Twisters will be a “new chapter” for the IP, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment were initially developing a reboot of the movie. The studios had been in talks with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski to helm the project, but he later dropped out in favor of his Formula One racing movie starring Brad Pitt. New Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung has a personal connection with destructive storms. As a child, he grew up on a farm in rural Arkansas and had plenty of experience taking cover in storm cellars when tornadoes would pass through. This personal connection was a hit with studio executives, and he became the top choice for the gig. The Twisters release date of July 19, 2024, will find the “new chapter” hitting theaters close to thirty years after the original film’s release.

Will you see Twisters in theaters during the film’s opening weekend? Do you think Twisters could be another summer box office blockbuster? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.