Universal’s “Twisters” has gone from being a film that could tide the box office over until “Deadpool & Wolverine” arrives to a bona fide American success with its $80.5 million opening. That expectation-smashing result can be attributed to moviegoers who deal in real life with the blockbuster’s deadly natural foe: tornadoes.
Lee Isaac Chung’s standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster film “Twister” performed well across the country, but data from exhibition sources shows that major cities in the central United States are contributing a larger share of the film’s opening weekend gross than for the usual summer blockbuster.