Twisters: The Long-Awaited Sequel to Twister

The Twisters Saga: A Long-Awaited Sequel

Twisters, the sequel to the 1996 disaster epic Twister, will follow a new story and cast of characters but promises to bring back some of that good, old dusty action. As its title suggests, the original film is set against a severe outbreak of dust storms and tornadoes in Oklahoma. Arriving at the scene is a team of passionate storm chasers who wish to deploy a research device. With its technical aspects earning immense praise, Twister also earned Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

Official poster of Twister

The Twister sequel was greenlit after more than two decades since the original 1997 release. The earliest plans for Twisters materialized in 2020 with Universal Pictures talking to Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) about directing. A year later, Helen Hunt volunteered to write and direct the sequel. However, these plans were later shelved when a legacy sequel was planned instead with Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) serving as its writer. Hoping to capitalize on the success of the cult classic, Twisters could be a modern disaster epic.

Daisy Edgar Jones in Where The Crawdads Sings and Helen Hunt in Twister

As the film gets closer, the latest news comes in the form of a clarification on the story of Twisters and what characters will be involved. Glen Powell is one of the stars of the upcoming disaster film, and in an interview, he set the record straight on whether Twisters was a direct sequel or a reboot. 'It’s definitely not a reboot.' Powell said, 'We’re not trying to recreate the story from the first one. It’s a completely original story'.

Glen Powell looking sideways in Top Gun Maverick and a tornado in Twister

Powell also went on to mention that the original cast members would not return for Twisters, meaning it would be an all-new story. However, Powell has not dispelled the rumor that Twisters is a legacy sequel and that his character along with Daisy Edgar-Jones' are somehow related to the heroes of the first film.

Daisy Edgar-Jones looking sideways with a twister behind her

Twisters Latest News

Despite the Twister sequel taking a long time to happen, the confirmation for what would be Twisters came in October 2022. This was when Universal Pictures also confirmed that Mark L. Smith would be attached as the screenwriter. Though a slew of directors were floated, the project finally settled on Lee Isaac Chung in December 2022. The Twister sequel is also confirmed to be a joint venture production between Universal, Amblin, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Kennedy/Marshall Company.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell will be leading the Twister 2 cast, though nothing is known about their characters yet. The long-believed rumor is that Powell or Edgar-Jones' character will have some sort of familiar connection to Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton's characters from the first film, though that has not been confirmed. The all-new ensemble for the Twister sequel is star-studded with some big names, including Anthony Ramos (In The Heights), Brandon Perea (Nope), and Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders).

Twisters Release Date and Story Details

Deadline reports that the Twister sequel release date is set for July 19, 2024. With principal photography for Twisters commencing in Oklahoma City in May 2023, filming was expected to wrap up by July (as per Oklahoma City-based TV station KWTV-DT) but was suspended due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Universal will be handling the movie’s American release, while the international distribution will be handled by Warner Bros.

The Twisters story will serve more as a legacy sequel than a direct follow-up. However, what connects the original and the Twister sequel is the heroine who is rumored to be the daughter of storm-chasers Jo Thornton and Bill Harding. To focus on their daughter’s adult life, the Twisters story will naturally be set decades after the first movie. And given the title, this new heroine has to be another storm-chaser obsessed with twisters like her parents.

Helen Hunt in Twister and a tornado

To fuel some character conflict, the Twisters story might also delve into a slightly troubled bond that the lead character shares with her parents. Even if she’s unwilling to drive toward and study tornadoes, her circumstances might as well turn her into a proficient storm-chaser by the end of the movie. Glen Powell’s character is again unspecified, but he could be a fellow storm-chaser to compete with the protagonist.

While Twister primarily dealt with an outbreak in Oklahoma, Twisters might up the scale with a wider network of tornadoes across even more territories. Despite the increased challenges and new characters, Twisters can add some deliberate nods to the original in its story to win over nostalgic fans. Hopefully, Mark L. Smith’s screenplay for Twisters will help in achieving this balance with a story that is as fast-paced as its source material.