'Twisters' spins up strong box-office start with $10 million+ in previews: What to know

The made-in-Oklahoma tentpole movie "Twisters" is spinning up a powerful start at the North American box office, where it's now predicted to storm to a domestic opening weekend haul as high as $72 million .

Ahead of its official opening in theaters Friday, the long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 blockbuster "Twister" whipped up an impressive $10.7 million from Wednesday night screenings in IMAX and other premium large-format theaters as well as from Thursday night previews, reports Deadline .

A new, contemporary chapter that follows in the path of the 1990s smash "Twister ," which also filmed in the Sooner State, the new "Twisters" stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Carter, a former Oklahoma storm chaser whose devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years prompts her move to New York City , where she studies storm patterns from the safety of a screen.

Kate is lured back to Tornado Alley by her friend, Javi ( Anthony Ramos ), to test a new tracking system. Out in the field in the midst of record tornadic conditions, they cross paths with Tyler Owens ( Glen Powell ), a charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his rowdy crew.

"This is why you make the summer blockbuster; it contains everything you need: It's thrilling. It's adventurous. It's fun. It's funny. It's directed so well, and the performances are beautiful. It's emotional. And it's about the people of Oklahoma," Powell said Monday during the Oklahoma City red-carpet premiere of "Twisters" at the Harkins Bricktown 16 theater.

With a runtime just over two hours," "Twisters" is rated PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images.

How much is 'Twisters' predicted to make its opening weekend?

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung , who previously filmed his Academy Award-winning semi-autobiographical immigrant drama "Minari" in the Tulsa area in 2019, "Twisters" was made on an estimated budget of $155 million to $200 million .

Principal photography on "Twisters" got underway in Oklahoma City on May 8, 2023. The production engaged with multiple communities statewide, including El Reno, Chickasha, Midwest City, Spencer, Kingfisher, Calumet, Hinton, Fairview, Okarche, Kremlin, Burbank and Pawhuska.

The action-packed disaster epic is being distributed by Universal Pictures domestically and by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally.

Going into the weekend, several movie industry publications and tracking services initially were forecasting "Twisters" to stir up $50 million to $55 million at the domestic box office over its opening weekend.

But box-office predictions for the popcorn movie were boosted by midday Friday after a huge first-day haul of $31 million, including previews, at 4,151 theaters across North America, according to Deadline. Now, industry watchers are forecasting the summer event movie could make as much as $72 million domestically over the weekend.

The original movie stormed into theaters in 1996 with a $41 million opening weekend, which would be $82 million in today’s dollars, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Twister" went on to become the second-highest grossing film of that year, earning more than $494 million at the global box office — the equivalent of $992 million today — making it the most commercially successful made-in-Oklahoma movie to be released to date.

Tracking for the follow-up film indicates interest in the movie across all age, gender and ethnic demographics, especially among women ages 25 and older, per The Hollywood Reporter .

"Twisters" has scored solid reviews — including from The Oklahoman — and it boasted 77% positive reviews from critics and a 93% positive audience score on RottenTomatoes.com as of Friday morning.

Internationally, “Twisters” already has earned $12.5 million from 38 international box-office markets as of Thursday, according to Deadline . The movie is touching down in 38 more overseas markets this week, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and China.

With international box-office predictions for this weekend ranging from $45 to $50 million , that means "Twisters" could storm to a mighty worldwide haul of $100 million or more by Sunday.

A strong opening weekend at the box office is important for "Twisters," as Marvel Studios' highly anticipated R-rated anti-hero adventure "Deadpool and Wolverine" opens in theaters next Friday, July 26, and could potentially post record-breaking numbers.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Twisters' spins up strong box-office start with $10 million+ in previews: What to know