As the 2024 movie juggernaut known as Deadpool & Wolverine continues to rage on in theaters, nature has found a way to stay in the hearts and minds of moviegoers. This weekend’s Twisters’ 4DX return has shown that people still aren’t over Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’ adventures, so it kind of feels like we should be expecting sequel news any day now.
I’m really hoping we’ll get more from this particular universe, but if I’m totally honest, I’m not just talking about a sequel. Rather, it’s time for Universal Studios to improve upon one of its most iconic attractions, so a new generation can Ride It Out!
If You’ve Never Experienced Twister: Ride It Out, You Truly Missed Out
Walking around the collection of Universal Studios Florida’s rides, the current spot that houses Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon used to be the amazing attraction that was Twister…Ride It Out. My friends, it was a seriously good attraction, as it basically put you into the world of the 1996 original, through both a walkthrough and special effects demo experience.
Operating from 1998 until 2015, the Universal Studios attraction even had custom videos of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton laying out the background of Twister’s eventful production. And if you thought that Twister’s real villain was Paxton’s Bill, the awkwardness of those separate videos isn’t going to help dispel that notion any.
Culminating in the center piece moment where you see a practical recreation of the drive-in set piece from Twister, it was one of the last attractions to embody Universal Studios Florida’s “see the stars, and ride the movies” attitude of the past. I think it’s time to get back to that, and the runaway success of the Glen Powell/Daisy Edgar-Jones starring legacy-quel is the doorway to making it happen.
There’s Already Fantastic Potential For A Twisters Attraction At Universal Studios
So what would a Twisters attraction look like? Well, not to reinvent the wheel, but I think Twister…Ride It Out is the perfect template for what should be done. Even in a world where CGI plays a huge part in what made director Lee Isaac Chung’s film look so dangerous, there’s a way that magic could be included into the mix.
Thanks to a recent promotional experience for Twisters’ home release, there’s already a prototype for how that could work. For reference, take a look at this reel from that press day:
Right there is what the new Twisters ride should be, in its basic form. With a recreation of Tyler Owens’ truck, built to scale depending on where/how this hypothetical attraction would go, you can put the audience right into a moment from this summer’s crowd pleaser.
With a combination of fans, sprinklers and the gigantic LED screens known as “The Volume,” you can replicate an up close and personal thrill ride, similar to actor Anthony Ramos’ ”wild” Twisters experience. Which, coincidentally, was the inspiration for this pitch.
Universal Studios Florida Has Prime Locations Where Twisters Can Set Up Shop
Now with a brand-new Twisters experience needing a potential home, where could we hypothetically build this baby on the Universal Studios Florida park campus? Well, there are two spots that seem primed for overhaul, though then it becomes a matter of whether an existing attraction will have to cease operations or not.
If we’re looking at a vacant space, then the previously closed Fear Factor Live theater could house a custom build for whatever Twisters thrill ride the park brass would want to build. It’s a decently-sized area, and there’s plenty of room for a walkthrough portion to take shape as well, kind of like how Twister: Ride It Out let you walk through Aunt Meg’s house before the main event.
However, if we’re looking for a smaller scale attraction that could still pack some bang for the buck, there’s only one place to look. My apologies to anyone who’s a fan of Fast & Furious: Turbocharged, as I believe the existing ride system could be retrofitted to make a Twisters based experience come to life.
Also, it’d be kind of fitting to return that area of Universal’s Orlando park to a special effects themed thrill, as that’s where Earthquake: The Big One and Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! previously offered that sort of fun.
Universal Studios Is Going To Need Something To Offset Epic Universe’s Massive Opening
I know some of you out there are probably asking, “But Mike, why are we thinking of a new Universal Studios Florida ride when Epic Universe is on the way?” Well, my friends, it’s something I’ve also considered as part of my hypothetical plans for a Universal Islands of Adventure refurb/expansion: crowd control.
As Epic Universe’s ticket freak outs are looking to limit who’ll be able to jump in once the summer 2025 opening has commenced, people are still going to need things to do at other Universal parks. People are going to want to still make the most of their trips to this Orlando destination, and while Dreamworks Land’s perfection in land updates may be commendable, that only really works for the kids.
Adult parkgoers are going to need some distractions until the Epic Universe chaos wears off as well. With prime opportunities for real estate in play, and a killer concept married to a huge box office win, Twisters could be the key to helping keep Universal Studios Florida in play as the location’s third gate gets underway.
I mean, what better way to tap into both box office and theme park nostalgia than with a creative reimagining of a legacy IP’s legacy attraction? Building a Twisters ride is a strong feeling, if you ask me, and if Universal Parks and Destinations is open to this idea, they know what they have to do!
Though there are no plans to open a Twisters attraction in either of the Universal parks, there’s a way you can kind of live that experience today. That's through heading to your local 4DX theater, to see Twister and/or Twisters in this fully immersive format. It’s just a thought, really.
