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What Will Twister Sequel Be About? Writer Says It Won't Continue Storyline from 1996 Original
Don't expect a legacy sequel featuring Jo and Bill Harding.
Twisters will not form a twin tornado with its 1996 predecessor. Recently speaking with Collider, the sequel's screenwriter, Mark L. Smith (Overlord, The Midnight Sky), revealed that the upcoming film — slated for a wide theatrical release next July — is its own swirling entity, quite disconnected from the storm-chasing exploits of Jo (Helen Hunt) and Bill Harding (Bill Paxton). With so many legacy sequels trying and failing to capture the magic of a classic property these days, opting for a brand-new angle sounds like the right move here.
"It's a separate story. It's not a continuation of the original," Smith teased. "But it's just a real wild ride with some good, fun characters. Hopefully, we can tap into what the original had because that thing is just iconic."
Twisters will not continue the story of 1996's Twister
Smith conceived of the story with director Joseph Kosinski, who didn't want to repeat himself after Top Gun: Maverick. "Joe had always kind of envisioned it as a standalone, that it wasn't connected, and probably some of that was because after Top Gun it was like, 'Okay, now let me have my original rather than just hitching on to the next,'" Smith explained.
RELATED: Twister Director Jan de Bont Explains Why His Storm-Chasing Classic "Cannot Be Remade" Today
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) inherited the project from Kosinski when the latter moved on to a high-octane collaboration with Brad Pitt. "It's so cool to have a director like Isaac taking on something like this," Smith continued. "It's just so out of his norm, and I think he's having fun. I was texting with him a couple days ago, and it's just all craziness of it."
A co-production between Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Discovery, Twisters will feature an ensemble cast consisting of Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing), Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick), Brandon Perea (Nope), Maura Tierney (The Affair), Harry Hadden-Paton (Downton Abbey), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Daryl McCormack (The Wheel of Time), Nik Dodani (Atypical), David Corenswet (Superman: Legacy), Tunde Adebimpe (Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Katy O’Brian (The Mandalorian).
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep Twisters from hitting the big screen on July 19, 2024.
Looking for more meteorological thrillers? Head on over to Peacock for 100 Degrees Below Zero, Age of Ice, Geo-Disaster, Earthstorm, and more!
