A sequel to the 1996 disaster film twister is now in development, and final word on the project is that filming is slated to begin in early 2023. Recent reports suggest that a director is currently looking for the film, simply dubbed twisters. It’s also been reported that producers want original star Helen Hunt to return, no doubt inspired by the recent success of legacy sequels, but otherwise not much has been revealed about the plot.
While Hunt may or may not return, some fans may be wondering about some of the other characters. Sadly, Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman have since passed away and cannot reprise their respective roles in the film. Others in their troupe of storm chasers may appear to be joining Hunt, but so far there’s no indication that other original actors are getting involved.
An actor who appeared in the original film was Sean Whalen as assistant navigator Allan Sanders. Because it is asked about him twisters many times since the recent press update, Whalen took to Instagram to provide a statement. He says that while he’d love to be involved in the sequel, Whalen notes that he doesn’t know anything about it, though he adds that he couldn’t admit it if he did. In any case, the actor remains grateful that he was part of the original film, whether or not he has a spot in twisters. From the Instagram post:
“TWISTER SEQUEL: I am so grateful to have been a part of this original film. It has helped me travel to places I would never have been and meet hundreds of people I would never have met. That said, there’s no need to keep asking if I’m involved in the sequel I wouldn’t know for months and if I was involved they probably wouldn’t let me tell you anyway I guess they might be a few original people will choose and I may or may not like any of them. Sure, I’d love to be a part of it, but it’s all good. I’m just happy to be a part of the original Twister.”
Twister finally gets a sequel
twister was a blockbuster when it was released in 1996 and managed to become the second highest-grossing film that year. Still, it didn’t get an official sequel, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Last year Helen Hunt told Mitch Cohen on his show Watch live what’s happening that she personally pitched a new sequel that would follow a new, diverse group of storm chasers. She says the idea was rejected at the time.
“I tried to get it made. With Daveed [Diggs] and Rafael [Casal] and me writing it, and all the 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 2020 when it was all about diversity. It would have been so cool.”
twisters has no release date yet. Perhaps when the film arrives, it will have Hunt’s involvement, given the interest she had in making a new film. And maybe Whalen can also return for a special performance.