We’re not sure this is necessary, but Twisters, a sequel to 1996 tornado extravaganza Twister is in development at Universal, according to Variety.
Starring Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Helen Hunt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Twister followed the dangerous exploits of a group of scientists hell-bent on furthering tornado-predicting technology. Debuting in the golden era of disaster movies, the film was a global success, garnering nearly $500 million at the box office. The film was praised for its revolutionary visuals by Industrial Light & Magic, receiving Oscar noms for visual effects and sound.
While Universal states the sequel represents, “a new chapter from the 1996 movie,” it is unclear how the franchise will continue without lead Bill Paxton, who passed away in 2017. Perhaps the torch will be passed to his child, who will also be an adrenaline-junkie-scientist?
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) is set to direct a script from Mark L. Smith (The Revenant). Frank Marshall (Jurassic World, Indiana Jones) will produce under his Kennedy/Marshall banner, while Universal’s Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee production with Ashley Jay Sandberg for Kennedy/Marshall. The film will be co-financed by Warner Bros. Pictures. No word yet on who will handle the ‘disastrous’ VFX, but here’s to hoping ILM will reprise their role, flying cows and all.
Twisters swirls into theaters July 19, 2024.
Cybersecurity specialist by day, investigative journalist by night.
