After thoroughly sifting through directors looking to whip up a natural disaster or two, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are in early talks with Minari director Lee Isaac Chung for its Twister sequel, Twisters. The script for the follow-up to director Jan De Bont’s 1996 original is by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Midnight Sky, Overlord), with Frank Marshall producing through Kennedy/Marshall.
According to Deadline, Steven Spielberg became so excited about the project after reading Smith’s script that Twisters was fast-tracked for Spring production. If all goes according to plan, the studios will court Helen Hunt on the project to reprise her role as Dr. Jo Harding. The plot for Twisters focuses on the daughter Hunt’s character had with Bill Paxton’s Bill Harding. The daughter is a storm-chaser, just like her parents. No one is taking on the lead role yet. Universal and Amblin want to lock Chung down before casting calls can begin.
Chung is no stranger to wild weather. Growing up on a farm in Arkansas, Chung avoided tornados by learning to recognize weather patterns and sheltering in storm cellars. His connection to the life-threatening phenomenon was not lost on executives looking for the sequel’s director. It’s the kind of background that sticks out, giving Chung an edge over the competition.
Ripping through theaters in 1996, Twister took the box office by storm with north of $494 million worldwide. Directed by Speed‘s Jan De Bont, audiences were dazzled by the film’s special effects and lovable cast of misfit characters. For many, Twister is a cinematic touchstone and, by all accounts, a family film. I remember seeing Twister with my family in theaters and watching it repeatedly when it hit the home market.
Do you hope Helen Hunt signs on to star in Twisters? Will Chung find a clever way to honor the late Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who played the loose canon Dustin Davis in the original film? We will be able to find out quickly, as Universal and Amblin are moving Twisters up their list of priorities. In the comments section below, let us know if you’re excited about Twisters.