‘Twisters’ tears through Oklahoma on the big screen. Moviegoers in the state are buying up tickets

Associated Press

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The blockbuster opening of “Twisters” has whipped up moviegoers in Oklahoma who are embracing the summer hit, even in towns scarred by deadly real-life tornadoes. In its opening weekend, the action-packed film generated $80.5 million from more than 4,150 theaters in North America. The film far exceeded expectations in the tornado-prone Midwest. Ironically, the top performing theater in the country was the Regal Warren in Moore, Oklahoma. That’s the same city where a real-life EF5 twister ripped through the city in 2013, killing 24 people and injuring hundreds more. The movie showed in 10 of the 17 auditoriums at the theater on opening weekend from 9 a.m. to midnight.