A Twister Sequel Has Touched Ground, Seeking Director And Helen Hunt

Everybody, take cover! A sequel to the 1996 blockbuster "Twister" has finally been greenlit, and it is currently seeking some very interesting names to join its ranks. Officially called "Twisters," Deadline broke the news of the sequel's existence, which will be distributed by Amblin Entertainment and co-financed with Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.

The script for the sequel was written by Mark L. Smith, and will reportedly focus on the relationship between the original film's Jo (Helen Hunt) and her daughter. According to Deadline, it was personally approved by Steven Spielberg, who helped fast-track its development under the guidance of director Joseph Kosinski. However, it stalled for some time, with the "Top Gun: Maverick" director taking on a new project for Apple in the meantime. 

Thankfully, it's getting back on track, only with the director's seat ripe for the taking.

That doesn't mean Amblin isn't looking, however. Among the potential candidates for the position are Travis Knight ("Bumblebee") and the duo of Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi ("Free Solo"). The latter, in particular, could be an inspired pick for the project; their Oscar-winning documentary featured some extremely intense aerial shots that could be replicated in a narrative framework. However, no decisions or offers have been made as of yet. Dan Trachtenberg ("Prey") was rumored to be in the running for the gig, but confirmed via Twitter that he was not, in fact, "making a TWISTER."

Director isn't the only job that Amblin is courting for "Twisters." Deadline also claims that the company is wanting to bring back Hunt as storm-chaser Jo, but her involvement is not yet confirmed. It is also not yet clear how the film plans to handle the absence of the late Bill Paxton, who portrayed Jo's estranged husband, also named Bill. Needless to say, it's shaping up to be similar to the original film in that it is both a domestic drama and an epic disaster movie.

These plans are pretty different from the ones originally speculated when news of a "Twister" revival began in 2020. /Film previously reported that the film would be a reboot, potentially focusing on new characters but staying in the world laid out in the original. It is unclear when the shift from a reboot to a sequel was made, but this was probably an effective change, especially if focuses on a mother-daughter relationship.

"Twisters" likely won't enter the filming stage for some time, but here's to hoping we get more news on this sequel soon.