Deadline is reporting that Twisters, a forthcoming sequel to the 1996 disaster film Twister, is in the works and that the studio is looking at several potential directors.
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Reportedly, Steven Spielberg flipped for Mark L. Smith’s script. Though Twisters was originally set to be directed by Top Gun: Maverick‘s Joseph Kosinski, he departed the project for a different film. As such, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are in the process of finalizing a director for the film, with Prey‘s Dan Trachtenberg, Free Solo‘s Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai, and Kubo and the Two Strings‘ Travis Knight all said to be in the running. Helen Hunt is apparently being eyed to return, with the sequel focusing on her and Dr. William Harding’s daughter — the latter of whom was played by the late Bill Paxton in the original film.
Released in May 1996, Twister centered on estranged married couple Jo and Bill Harding (Paxton and Hunt) as they’re reunited while storm chasing during a severe tornado outbreak in Oklahoma as they make efforts to deploy a research device to help improve lead times on tornado warnings.
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The film proved to be a massive hit upon its theatrical release, grossing over $495 million at the box office on its estimated $92 million budget and garnered two Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound and would continue to find audiences over time thanks to frequent showings on cable TV.