Fans were decidedly lukewarm on the news that Tron: Legacy and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski had signed on to direct a Twister reboot. After all, the 1996 original holds a special place in the hearts of a certain generation, hauling in $495 million at the box office and wowing audience with its combination of practical stunts and cutting-edge visual effects.
One of the most entertaining aspects of Twister isn’t the set pieces, but the work of the ensemble cast. Instead of leaning on star power, director Jan de Bont populated the roster with talented character actors capable of doing a lot with what was admittedly very little on the page, with recognizable names such as Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck and more all giving their characters distinct personalities and foibles.
De Bont revealed he was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of his biggest hit being retooled for modern viewers. And in a new interview Hunt dropped the bombshell that the very same month Twister was announced to be coming back to our screens, she’d pitched the studio a direct sequel focusing on a diverse group of storm chasers that she wanted to direct herself.
“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. We could barely get a meeting, and this is in June of 2020 when it was all about diversity. It would have been so cool.”
The Academy Award winning actress does have experience behind the camera, having helmed feature films Then She Found Me and Ride, while also tackling episodes of numerous TV shows including Californication, Life in Pieces, House of Lies, and The Politician. But a mega budget blockbuster sequel isn’t an arena she’s too familiar with. Instead, her pleas were ignored, and we’ll be getting what will no doubt be a primarily effects-driven extravaganza whenever Kosinski’s Twister eventually comes together.