Twisters is our number one movie this weekend, which unfortunately means that this report is going to be filled with stupid weather puns. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but alas, it’s the law.

Alright, let’s get this over with. The forecast (ugh) was calling for a $50 million debut, but Twisters managed to blow past expectations (groan) with an opening of $80 million. Worth noting is that includes Windsday night screenings (kill me), along with Thursday “preview showings” which began at 2:00 PM, because let’s face it, we’re cheating with box office numbers these days. That being said, Twisters is still taking moviegoers by storm (you don’t have to keep reading this, I promise I won’t judge you). In a real twist (damn me!), critics loved it, and audiences are being swept off their feet (I hate myself) with an “A-” CinemaScore.

What helped Twisters rise through the ranks? (I am serious, you are really allowed to stop reading, I will still love you regardless). Clearly nostalgia for the original film, which was bunkered (fuck me) by a whirlwind romance (ack!) between Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton, played some role, but Twister was nearly 30 years ago. That movie was an absolute tornado at the box office (does that even count as a pun?), devastating the cinematic landscape (“Stop laughing at him! He’s not even making jokes anymore! He’s just demonstrating what a tornado does!”) and becoming the second-biggest blockbuster of 1996, behind only Independence Day. Since that time, the climate changed for the genre (you will be justified if you block me at this point), as we haven’t really had a big disaster flick since San Andreas, and that was back in 2015 and had The Rock to back it up.

So Universal made the bold decision to basically make Twisters a sort-of reboot. No original cast members are back for this outing (was Helen Hunt feeling under the weather?), with “Dorothy” really being the only returning element. In other words, they breezed past the usual “legacy sequel” problems (I’m not even apologizing for the puns anymore) and basically sold this as a brand new experience, and it worked, as plenty of youngsters showed up to buy tickets and gave the film a very warm reception (you know what, I’m actually PROUD of these puns! Mwahahaha!). I would normally say the sky’s the limit here as far as legs go (I’m not sure if that counts as a joke?), but Deadpool and Wolverine opens next weekend, and is bound to rain on the parade (we’re nearly done) as it is tracking for the best opening of 2024 with $160 million+. For Twisters, that really blows (how do I sleep at night? On a mattress from Mattress Firm!), but sunny days could still be in its future (it’s almost over), as it’s rated PG-13 compared to Deadpool and Wolverine’s hard R.

As for our newcomers…oh, wait, we have none. Not unless you count something called Disciples in the Moonlight, which takes place “in the not too distant future when the Bible has been outlawed,” and yeah, it’s one of those movies. Meanwhile, Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 just keep chugging along, and are a lock for $300 million and $600 million respectively.

Anyway, the top ten, via The Numbers