Despite the fact that the late Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman wouldn’t be able to participate, the internet still really wants a Twister 2 to grace the silver screen at some point in time. And now it looks like the next best thing might be happening. Because while that sequel looks about as viable as those first couple tests with the Dorothy probe system, a reboot has now officially been announced by Universal Pictures.
Variety landed the news that Universal, the studio who co-produced the original Twister with Warner Bros, is moving forward with a new spin on the 1996 weather disaster classic. What’s more, director Joseph Kosinski, whose Top Gun: Maverick is still on the tarmac to debut this December, is being courted to take the director’s chair on this new generation of destructive thrills. Writers to craft the project's story are still being sought after, with the help of producer Frank Marshall, who will help shepherd the project alongside Universal's Senior VP of development, Sara Scott.
While it’s not exactly the sequel that everyone was hoping for, the classic summer blockbuster that saw Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton chasing each other’s hearts (while also chasing some scientific glory) is a hard act to follow. Written by Jurassic Park mastermind Michael Crichton, Twister became the second highest grossing film of its year, with only Independence Day standing in its way to the top. So naturally, with a film that succeeded that well in its time to remain a fan favorite after all this time truly means the film still has some purchase with the moviegoing public.
Even something like Jurassic Park itself has proven that it’s still a viable candidate for future mining, as the Jurassic World series has made money hand over fist itself. Not to mention, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 legend has recently topped the box office yet again, as a drive-in favorite of late. While Jurassic World: Dominion is still anticipated to be bringing in the bacon sometime next year, it’s savvy of Universal to try and double their money with a hot commodity from a brand they can trust.
The hiring of Joseph Kosinski as the director is an even more ingenious decision, as his star has been steadily rising after his debut on 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Familiar with the Universal family himself, as he brought his original IP Oblivion to their shop back in 2013, with modest success resulting in that film’s release. Cut to the current moment, where Kosinski has been trusted by Tom Cruise to revive the Top Gun brand with a decades later legacyquel, and you’ve got another key player for what could be Twister’s daunting second act.
It’s not always easy to revive a brand like Twister, but if any person and studio combo could do it, it’s Joseph Kosinski and Universal. We’ll have to wait and see what happens next, as there’s no specific release date or production schedule planned for the as of yet unwritten Twister reboot. But as soon as those details start to drop, CinemaBlend will update you on those developments as they happen.
