Over 20 years after the original Twister was released into theaters, there’s been talk from all over about bringing the Helen Hunt/Bill Paxton starring franchise back in one way or another. But apparently, one huge possibility that no one had heard a thing about would have seen Hunt returning. What's more, it could've featured Hamilton star Daveed Diggs along for the ride in a remake of that first film. Unfortunately, as Helen Hunt herself recently discussed, that movie isn’t happening as it’s apparently been shot down by the studio involved.
During an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live!, Hunt revealed that she was apparently involved in a Twister reboot project of her own. With a story that would have seen “a rocket science club” at a historically Black college looking to “shoot the rockets into the tornado,” Helen Hunt had a concept she was really excited about. But what makes this supposedly stalled version of Twister all the more exciting is that she had Daveed Diggs and another Blindspotting collaborator on board in the following capacity:
I tried to get it made. With Daveed [Diggs] and Rafael [Casal] and me writing it, and all Black and brown storm chasers, and they wouldn’t do it. I was going to direct it.
As Helen Hunt went on to describe her Twister reboot and its failure to launch, it looks like this variant was separate from the one Universal apparently had in the works last summer. Judging by Hunt’s June 2020 time frame she provided for the story she told, it feels like this was a competing concept that was growing around the same time that Universal announced a reboot looking to hire Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski was in the works. Ultimately, it sounds like Helen Hunt’s new spin on Twister’s beloved story is the one that ended up in the dust.
With this newly discovered pitch for a Twister reboot/remake, one has to wonder if the property is still in development at all in Universal’s halls, or if they’ve called it quits on the project entirely? As the prospect of a sequel without the late Bill Paxton or Phillip Seymour Hoffmandoesn’t sound like a popular idea to move ahead, it ultimately comes down to whether or not there’s a good enough idea to rechristen this Michael Crichton created idea for a new generation to enjoy. So far, that doesn’t sound like it’s the case just yet, at least according to the powers that be.
Hearing that the concept Helen Hunt described for a Twister remake is dead is something that’s ultimately disheartening. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal’s story, along with Hunt’s directing and knowledge of the original film, sounds like the absolute pinnacle of what should be done when remaking a blockbuster classic. Maybe Universal will change its mind if there’s enough of a public outcry, but only time will tell on that front.
At least there’s the bright side of audiences who are into this rejected pitch can console themselves with the Blindspotting series, which sees Diggs and Casal’s feature film of the same name expanded, with Helen Hunt in the cast. You can catch that show on Sunday nights, only on Starz. And don’t forget to check out our 2021 release schedule, to see what awaits at a theater near you.
This poll is no longer available.
