Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s upcoming film will serve as a sequel to Twister, which arrived in 1996 from director Jan de Bont. The chaotic storm-chasing film stars Academy Award-winner Hunt, alongside the late Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The classic film centers around advanced storm chasers in an incredible race to test a tornado data-gathering device by putting themselves in the path of the most powerful storm to appear in decades.
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Per Deadline, no director has surfaced as the clear front-runner to lead the creation of the developing Twister sequel, but there are several notable names in the mix, which should spark excitement in fans of the storm-chasing franchise.10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey director Dan Trachtenberg is up for consideration to lead the charge alongside Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi, who directed the Academy Award-winning documentary feature, Free Solo. Other recognizable names are also in the mix, with a decision likely to be made soon as the desired start date for filming approaches.
One notable agenda item for Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment is to bring back Hunt to reprise her role as Dr. Jo Harding from the 1996 original. The Twister sequel, which The Revenant screenwriter Mark L. Smith penned, looks to center around Harding’s daughter, who catches the storm chasing fever that captivated her mother and father, Bill Harding, played by Paxton. There is a definite desire to have Hunt a part of Twisters, but it is unclear whether the award-winning star will return for the action-adventure movie after more than two decades away from the role.
It is difficult to determine how successful Twisters will be, especially on the heels of a successful outing for the 1996 original. Twister earned over $495 million worldwide and left an impactful mark with its usage of visual effects. Finding a director to recapture the magic will be critical, but who will fill the lofty position remains unknown. Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski looked to direct but stepped away after committing to Apple’s Formula One racing film. The studios must shift in a new direction, and it will be interesting to see if their directing decision impacts Hunt’s desire to rejoin the franchise.
Twisters looks to start filming in spring 2023.
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Source: Deadline
