Twisters: The Unexpected Sequel of 2024

The Phenomenon of Twister

Twister made nearly half a billion at the box office when it debuted in 1996, and its official follow-up, Twisters, might be 2024's strangest sequel set to release. A movie about a team of storm-chasers in the rural Midwest may sound like it remained relevant due to cult classic status, but that wasn't the case. The movie starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton was a hit from the start, earning over $495 million at the box and becoming the year's second highest-grossing movie of 1996, coming only behind Independence Day. Twister even did better than the first Mission: Impossible, which has spawned six sequels with another on the way.

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The arrival of Twisters comes 28 years after the original hit theaters. It's one of 2024's most-anticipated movies, and it also follows a trend with a year packed with sequel installments. The year will see new sequels to long-running franchises like Ghostbusters, Planet of the Apes, Bad Boys, Alien, and The Karate Kid. However, 2024 is also the year for first-time sequels to popular original movies such as Beetlejuice 2, Gladiator 2, and, of course, Twisters. Out of all the sequels and even spinoffs coming in 2024, Twisters is still the most surprising.

The Connection to the Original Twister

Considering all the other movies and franchises receiving sequels in 2024, Twisters can be regarded as the most random. It doesn't stem from an action-heavy IP like Dune or carry the family-friendly appeal like upcoming sequels for Kung Fu Panda, Despicable Me, or Pixar movies. Instead, it's a new chapter of a disaster movie, one of the most challenging genres to nail down effectively in terms of balancing visuals and character-driven narratives. Granted, the character focus is also what makes Twisters so weird when looking at how it connects to the original movie.

Before Twisters was announced, a remake of the original was considered. There was also a proposal from Helen Hunt to develop a direct sequel to Twister, where she would direct and reprise her role as Jo Harding in some capacity. The concept, which was co-created with Daveed Diggs, was meant to focus on storm chasers from an HBCU, but the studio had no interest. Instead, Twisters will feature a new cast, with Daisy Edgar-Jones said to be playing the daughter of Hunt and Paxton's characters alongside a cast that includes Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Kiernan Shipka, and David Corenswet.

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

The Success of Twisters

While there's still a loyal fandom when it comes to 1996's Twister and what it did for the storm-chasing and meteorology communities, it's difficult to predict whether Twisters will find the same success. It's a very different time from when the first movie debuted. The nostalgia needed for Twisters to succeed could rely on connections to the original rather than the new chapter of tornado research and the risks that come along. That will be difficult based on the current Twisters cast.

Hunt may very well cameo as Jo despite any announcements, especially if Twisters is centered on the character's daughter. Still, the Twister sequel will be without Paxton, who passed away in 2017. Powell clarified that Twister 2 is more of a standalone story, reiterating the notion that Twisters won't be much of a legacy sequel, which has been a powerful selling point for follow-up movies that expect to do well at the box office.