Return to the Suck Zone
It’s been 28 years since Jan de Bont’s Twister stormed through cinemas, grossing $496 million worldwide. While it became a staple of weekend cable TV, with audiences often enjoying its weather spectacles over its thin plot, its impact on meteorology and storm chasing is undeniable. The original movie starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton left a significant mark on pop culture.
The sequel, Twisters, endured a long development process before Universal landed on a team led by Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung and The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith. Chung’s direction, informed by the stylistic influences of his Oscar-nominated film and TV experiences like directing an episode of The Mandalorian, promises a fresh yet riveting take on the classic disaster flick.
Mark L. Smith shared,Twisters had the longest development process of any film I’ve worked on, and that’s because we wanted to get it right, we didn’t want to rush it. It seems like that time was well spent… the script is amazing.
This new iteration does not seek to directly follow the original narrative but instead introduces an independent story packed with thrilling new elements. The characters face even more intense storms, a reflection of modern climate change realities. While many meteorologists like myself understood that there were many creative liberties taken with the script, it was a movie. It is not a documentary. It is entertainment.
A Star-Studded Cast
The ensemble cast includes Glen Powell as Tyler Owens, Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, and Anthony Ramos as Javi, alongside noteworthy talents such as Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Nik Dodani, Sasha Lane, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, and Katy O’Brian. Fans will be particularly interested in seeing Powell’s dynamic performance following his success in Top Gun: Maverick.
Shooting conditions for Twisters were notably intense. Powell mentioned in interviews how the cast faced harsh filming environments including extreme heat and powerful wind effects created by jet engines.I don’t even know if I know how to act without a giant jet engine blowing in my face anymore.
Not Just Another Sequel
The underlying themes of Twisters, which envelop climate change realities and fierce tornadoes, ensure it’s more than just another run-of-the-mill sequel. As described by Smith,[Chung] did his own thing to the script a little bit because that’s what they do…it’s not a continuation of the original. But it’s just a real wild ride with some good, fun characters.
It’s clear that the teams behind both the past and present had rich legacies to work from while making unofficial nods to their pioneering predecessors.
Follow Us
