Among the standout films on the 2024 release calendar is the eagerly anticipated sequel, Twisters, starring Glen Powell and his co-stars as tornado chasers in Oklahoma. The intense footage released so far suggests high stakes and plenty of spectacle. Though the film’s release is still weeks away, early box office projections indicate it will have a massive opening weekend. Glen Powell’s enthusiastic remarks about the film’s spectacular stunts have only heightened my excitement!
Having already seen Twisters, Powell described it as “badass” and “really cool.” He seems particularly excited for audiences to witness the film’s stunts. During an interview with his castmates for Fandango’s Big Ticket, Powell recalled filming the movie’s massive storm sequence, calling it “one of the most incredible action sequences of all time”:
“We shot that in December with a rain machine. [It was] one of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced, getting dragged across a pool by a wire. I think… this was the most physical thing that I’ve ever done.”
The Texas native endured significant physical demands for Twisters, as his past comments have indicated. For instance, while portraying the chaos of a town being torn apart by cyclones, he had “a giant jet engine” blown in his face, had debris thrown at him, and was dragged around. The disaster film clearly doesn’t hold back in depicting the intensity of surviving multiple cyclones. Frankly, I can’t wait to see all of this on the big screen!
To further emphasize the film’s extreme nature, Powell discussed the stunt work, which is sure to excite audiences:
“You’re talking about humans getting sucked up into a tornado. But you’re recreating what it’s like to be hit by debris and all that stuff. So you’re watching real stuntmen getting sucked up into the sky, and you’re watching trucks move across [the field], and you’re jumping into a pool and getting dragged. It’s a fully physical experience because the investment as an actor that you have to have is like, it can’t be delicate. It can’t be tender. Tornadoes aren’t tender, and you have to put your body on the line in order to sell that experience.”
Powell’s high praise for the stunt work, glimpsed in the Twisters trailer, has made me even more eager to see it. His comments about the lack of “delicate” or “tender” moments suggest we’re in for a thrilling experience. If early box office projections hold true, many people will join in this wild ride during opening weekend.
According to BoxOffice Pro, Twisters is expected to earn between $65 million and $95 million domestically in its opening weekend. These numbers are understandable for several reasons. One, it is the sequel to the beloved Twister, the 1996 film starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton. The movie has also been compared to Top Gun: Maverick in some respects. Although the new film will need to surpass a reported $200 million budget, the projected opening numbers are promising.
Just as many people watched Maverick for nostalgia, BoxOffice Pro believes the same will happen with Twisters, as fans of the original movie will flock to theaters for its sequel. (It’s worth noting that Twister was the highest-grossing film of 1996.) The 2024 release is predicted to outperform recent disaster films like Geostorm, The Hurricane Heist, and Moonfall.
