Twister was unlike anything movie theatergoers had seen before when it came out in 1996. The epic disaster movie, about a group of amateur storm chasers trying to deploy tornado research in Oklahoma, featured ground-breaking visual effects that wowed audiences. The film was a smash hit, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide, and scored two Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.
It took over 25 years until it was finally announced that a long-awaited sequel film, titled Twisters, is coming out. Daisy Edgar-Jones, who rose to fame with her breakout role in Normal People, was the first major star attached to the sequel, and Top Gun: Maverick’s Glen Powell is joining the (turbulent) fun. The first trailer for the sequel came out during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.
If you feel it, chase it. #TwistersMovie is only in theaters July 19. pic.twitter.com/tvZWyKNJ8a
— Twisters (@Twistersmovie) February 12, 2024
Twister was a movie way ahead of its time, and the sequel is bound to blow audiences away when it arrives in theaters. Here’s everything you need to know about Twisters, including the release date, the cast, and more.
Twister 2 Confirmed
Initial plans for a Twister reboot from Universal Pictures began back in June 2020. At the time, Variety reported that Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski was in talks to direct the film. Over two years later, in October 2022, Deadline reported that Universal Pictures and Steven Spielberg‘s production company, Amblin Entertainment, were meeting with directors to get a start on the sequel, which was confirmed to be titled Twisters at that point. Spielberg, who was a producer on the first film, reportedly read the script for the sequel and helped get the project green-lit.
The Twister sequel was confirmed to be happening in December 2022, along with the release date announced. Lee Isaac Chung was also announced as the director, per Variety.
Release Date
Twisters is scheduled to hit movie theaters on July 19, 2024. That’s almost 30 years since the original film came out on May 10, 1996. Filming on the sequel is slated to begin in early 2023 in Los Angeles, according to a report from MovieWeb.
Cast & Crew
Cast
Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in Twisters. This comes after her acclaimed work in the Hulu limited series Normal People and the film adaptation of Where The Crawdads Sing.
On April 14, 2023, Glen Powell confirmed reports that he would be starring in Twisters. He reposted articles and tweets about his casting on his Instagram and wrote, “I love a good chase.” Glen is coming off an incredible year where he was the breakout star of Top Gun: Maverick. He played the one and only Hangman.
Glen starred in Anyone But You, his rom-com with Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney. Glen’s also known for his roles in Hidden Figures, Devotion, Set It Up, and the TV series Scream Queens. Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, and Daryl McCormack have also joined the cast.
On May 17, Deadline reported that Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, and Katy O’Brian will star in Twisters. Character details have not been revealed. Glen reposted Deadline’s announcement and wrote on his Instagram Story, “The Gang’s All Here.”
The original movie starred Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Davies, and Todd Field. Fans are hoping we get some of the original cast back for the sequel. Sadly, two of those actors — Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman — have died. Deadline previously reported that the Twisters team wants Helen Hunt back as Dr. Jo Harding, but her return has yet to be confirmed.
Crew
While Twister was directed by Jan de Bont, the sequel will be helmed by Lee Isaac Chang. Lee is the recipient of two Academy Award nominations for directing and writing the 2020 movie Minari. The screenplay for Twisters was written by The Revenant co-writer Mark L. Smith, according to Variety. Steven Spielberg’s collaborator Frank Marshall is producing the sequel.
What Will Twisters Be About?
Universal Pictures revealed the official description for the film on February 11. It reads, “Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.”