Twisters | |
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Directed by | Lee Isaac Chung |
Screenplay by | Mark L. Smith |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Dan Mindel[1] |
Edited by | Terilyn A. Shropshire[2] |
Production companies | |
Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $200 million[3] |
Twisters is an upcoming American disaster film directed by Lee Isaac Chung from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith. Produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, it is a standalone sequel to the 1996 film Twister. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, and Nik Dodani.
Twisters is scheduled to be released worldwide by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures on July 19, 2024.
In June 2020, a remake of Twister (1996) was announced to be in development from the original film's international distributor Universal Pictures, with Joseph Kosinski in early negotiations to serve as director. Frank Marshall and Sara Scott were set to serve as producers on the project.[4] In June 2021, Helen Hunt expressed interest in developing a sequel to the original film.[5] The studio rejected Hunt's plans for writing and directing it, due to her character being killed off for the sequel.[6]
In October 2022, Twisters was announced to be in the works with a script written by Mark L. Smith, and produced by Marshall, while directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Dan Trachtenberg, and Travis Knight were in talks to helm the project; there was hope that Hunt would reprise her role, and it was reported that it would focus on the daughter of her and Bill Paxton's characters.[7] The film incorporates climate change into the plot. Smith explained: "That's one of the things that we kind of tapped, and it's true. I talked to so many storm experts, tornado experts, storm chasers, and rode around with some. Even the tornado season itself, because of climate change, what used to be tornado alley going through a certain stretch. It now extends so further east, and it's moving across, and the dates are wider, and the numbers are higher, and the storms themselves are more violent. So we did use elements of that just to shine a light on it, as well, the causes and effects of climate change".[8] In December, Lee Isaac Chung was hired to direct.[9] The standalone sequel is a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and the Kennedy/Marshall Company, with Universal and Warner Bros. switching distribution positions with the former taking North America and the latter to foreign continents.[8][7][9]
In March 2023, Daisy Edgar-Jones joined the cast in the lead role.[10] Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos were cast the following month.[11][12] In May 2023, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, and David Corenswet were among those announced as new additions to the cast.[13][14][15]
On an estimated budget of $200 million,[3] principal photography commenced around Oklahoma City in May 2023.[16] Filming was to take place at Prairie Surf Studios for 40 days and in metro Oklahoma City for 50 days.[3] Other locations included Chickasha, Okarche, El Reno, Spencer, and Cashion.[3] Filming was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[17] Production resumed with the conclusion of the strike in November 2023, wrapping the following month.[18][19]
Twisters is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States by Universal Pictures on July 19, 2024, and internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures.[20]