Twister Reimagined: Director's Surprising Take on Upcoming Sequel

Summary

Director Jan de Bont reveals mixed feelings about the upcoming Twister sequel, stating it's a movie that cannot be remade due to its practical effects.

De Bont was not involved in the decision-making process for the sequel and he desires for a different individual to review it beforehand, questioning whether it could achieve the unexpected triumph that Greta Gerwig's Barbie did.

The development of a Twister sequel started taking shape in 2020. The forthcoming movie holds the promise of attaining the same level of commercial success as the original.

Director Jan de Bont shares his thoughts on the upcoming disaster film Twisters, which is a sequel to his successful 1996 blockbuster Twister. The announcement of Twisters, set to be released after almost three decades, was made in October 2022. The script for the sequel was written by Mark L. Smith, known for his work on The Revenant, and it will be directed by Lee Isaac Chung. Although it is unclear if Helen Hunt will reprise her role as storm chaser Jo Harding, the cast of the sequel includes Daisy Edgar-Jones from Where the Crawdads Sing and Glen Powell from Top Gun: Maverick.

In an interview with Inverse, de Bont shared that he was not involved in the decision-making process for the follow-up and has mixed feelings about Twisters. He believes that the practical visual effects showcased in his 1996 film would not be attempted by modern studios, making his film unique and irreplaceable. Despite this, de Bont is unsure if he will watch Twisters himself but remains cautiously optimistic, drawing comparisons to Barbie's unexpected success. Read his comments below:

"When objects descended from the sky, they were tangible entities descending from a helicopter. If you capture on film a car evading a tornado amidst a barrage of hail, it was indeed genuine ice pelting towards us. It's a film that holds an irreplaceable essence... an occurrence that would never, under any circumstances, be replicated.

"I aspire for someone else to witness [Twisters] initially. It could potentially adopt an entirely distinct approach. The same applies to [Greta Gerwig] directing Barbie. No one could have anticipated her direction and the incredible success it garnered."

Why It’s Taken So Long For A Twister Sequel

Almost three decades after its blockbuster success and setting a new standard for disaster films, Twister is finally getting a sequel. Unlike other planned sequels that have struggled to get off the ground, the idea for a new Twister film started taking shape in 2020. The original film was considered a stand-alone in a genre that had lost popularity, so demand for a follow-up was limited until Universal Pictures began considering a reboot.

Initially, Universal approached Joseph Kosinski, the director of Tron: Legacy, to helm a remake. However, the studio also received a sequel script from the original star, Hunt, who had co-written it with Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. Hunt's pitch not only included her reprising her role but also taking on the directorial responsibilities. Unfortunately, the studio decided not to proceed with her vision for the project. Eventually, they settled on Smith's script, which reportedly continues the story by following the daughter of Hunt and Bill Paxton's characters from the original Twister.

With the addition of a highly praised screenwriter and a renowned director known for both foreign language dramas and recent successes with The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew in the Star Wars series, Twisters has the potential to be a remarkable follow-up to de Bont's legendary disaster film. Nonetheless, only time will reveal whether the 2024 sequel can replicate the widespread popularity of the original movie at the box office.