One of the first lessons in Romance Movie 101 is that typically, “the guy gets the girl.” Regardless of gender, two leads typically have been pursuing each other are expected to get that climactic grand gesture of satisfaction, leading to a satisfying kiss. So of course some fans of Twisters were shocked that Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’s characters didn't lock lips at the end - a decision that still echoes into the 2025 movie schedule.
The decision was supposedly at the behest of executive producer Steven Spielberg, at least that’s the story that was told when promoting the Twister continuation. Almost a year later, director Lee Isaac Chung has cleared the air on this matter, and as it turns out the Jaws director wasn’t the true force behind that cut.
How Steven Spielberg Was Rumored To Have Killed Twisters’ Big Kiss
If you’re a Peacock subscription holder who hasn’t gotten around to watching Twisters, this technically isn’t a spoiler. Even if you’re just a run of the mill movie fan, you’d expect Tyler (Glen Powell) and Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) to kiss after making it to the end of their adventure. Only that didn’t happen, as the two storm chasers are seen leaving the airport to chase another tornado.
So where did people get the idea that Steven Spielberg was behind Twisters’ romantic moment? Well, that came from an interview promoting the picture, in which Daisy Edgar-Jones brought up the possibility that it was Mr. Spielberg’s decision to enact that twist of fate.
Naturally people have opinions about how Twisters' legacy as one of 2024's best sequels could have changed if this tweak wasn't made. But if you're still looking for someone to blame, it wasn't the hand of Spielberg that did it. In actuality, it was a different combination of forces that had this final say.
The True Culprits In Twisters’ Lack Of Romantic Closure
At a screening of Twisters held by the Toronto International Film Festival, Lee Isaac Chung revealed that the Jurassic Park mastermind was in the clear when it came to Tyler and Kate’s kiss. Per a video shared to Twitter by someone in attendance, here’s the true story:
Somebody said that [Steven] Spielberg was the reason. But that was not true, Spielberg wanted the kiss. We shot it, Spielberg wanted the kiss too, he was like, ‘I hope this works.’ We tested it, we tested the film, and we were just finding that it was super polarizing to have the kiss in there. … So this other ending was something that I shot because there was a lot of internal questioning about whether we should have a kiss or not. But it was not Spielberg, he’s a romantic like I am.
Before you ask, the only footage anyone has of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell’s tender moment is from set videos that constantly float around social media. As we saw with Twisters’ physical media release details, the original conclusion was not in the package of special features included with the picture. So aficionados of lost media may have found a new holy grail in this deleted scene.
We got even more clarity on why even that choice was made, as the Miniari helmer gave us even more background on who was involved in this decision behind the camera. Here’s the rest of Lee Isaac Chung’s story:
Normally I want to say, ‘Don’t be a coward, you don’t have to give the people what they want,’ but this one was a tough one. There was a giant team involved, the studios, everybody, and there were quite a lot of people who were doubtful about whether there should be a kiss in this movie. And I think that ultimately swayed everybody to say, ‘Ok, let’s go with this other ending.’
In “The Case of the Cut Kiss,” the true culprits were polarized test audiences and a cadre of decision makers who listened to those results. It may be tempting for people who want that Glen Powell/Daisy Edgar-Jones smooch to see the light of day to curse these people for preventing its release.
But on the plus side, if Twisters ever gets a sequel, that just means the next chapter in Tyler and Kate’s potential love story might develop into something even more beautiful as a result. It’s what any good romantic would want, especially considering how one of the best sequels nobody asked for leaves it open to chase such feelings.
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