1996 blockbuster Twister is on its path to getting a sequel as Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are on the hunt for its director. The production also hopes to get the first movie’s star Helen Hunt on board for the project. Producer for the movie is Frank Marshall. Joining Universal and Amblin is Warner Bros who will co-finance the movie.
Deadline reports that Amblin’s Steven Spielberg got so enthusiastic with Mark L. Smith’s script that the sequel is now on a fast-track to production. As movie companies nowadays are reviving past blockbuster projects and turning them into intellectual properties, Twister may just be one of these titles. The overall theme of the movie has all the potential of global awareness of planetary proportions.
Quite timely, as the world is now facing storm after storm, hurricane after hurricane, with the current always getting bigger than last. Tornados as depicted in the 1996 movie come more frequent in the recent years. The sequel to the natural phenomenon may be able to shed light into the science of the changes that Earth is undergoing.
According to the report, the production hopes that actress Helen Hunt would come back to reprise her role. In the developing story, her character Dr. Jo Harding had a daughter with the late Bill Paxton’s Bill Harding. As the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, their daughter also grew a fascination with the devastating weather formation.
Universal And Amblin Heads Twister Up For A Sequel
Image: Universal
The project is still looking for its director as Joseph Kosinski opted out of the project in favor of another under Apple. There is a list of directors that they are considering. The list may have more names on it but these are the ones the report mentioned:
The tandem helm of Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi. The director pair have proven time and again their expertise in covering documentaries with nature as one of its main features. One of their projects together is Free Solo. It’s a sports adventure documentary about Alex Honnold’s attempt to become the first person to free solo climb the steep and treacherous El Capitan.
Then Dan Trachtenberg. Hawaii Film Critics Society’s 2017 Best New Filmmaker for 10 Cloverfield Lane. His newer projects include 20th Century Studios’ Prey and Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys.
Last but not the least of the names they reported is 3-time Oscar nominee Travis Knight. Currently filming Wildwood, the award-winning director also delivered Paramount’s Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings from Focus Features and Laika Entertainment.
Universal And Amblin Heads Twister Up For A Sequel
Image: Universal
As one reads through the prospective directors, the list gives a hint as to what Universal and Amblin are looking for. Definitely, Jan de Bont’s successor at the helm would have quite a challenge ahead of him or her or them. Twister has a secure footing on disaster movies with enough drama. It had great actors that made it memorable for a good number of audiences to this day. Some admit that it would be hard to imagine a sequel without Paxton, at least they hope they do get Hunt.
We will keep an eye on this to keep you updated. In the meantime, stay safe and indoors!
