After 26 years, Twister will have a sequel premiering in movie theaters. It was previously reported that a follow-up film, dubbed Twisters, is currently in development. Variety now reports that Universal Pictures has given the sequel a theatrical release date of July 19, 2024. The studio clearly has some confidence in how the movie will perform, as its premiering against the animated Transformers movie, Transformers: A New Generation, with Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts hitting the screen the following week.
The original Twister was a smash success at the box office when it hit theaters in 1996, pulling in almost $500 million in ticket sales. This made the film the second highest-grossing movie of the year, and that was in addition to its acclaim, including two Oscar nominations. These days, it's also becoming easier for legacy sequels to get greenlit after Top Gun: Maverick became 2022's biggest film, scoring more than $1.4 billion at the box office with its theatrical run. Time will tell if Twisters can reach such numbers when it hits theaters in 2024, but that's obviously the goal.
Frank Marshall (Indiana Jones) is producing the film. The screenplay comes from Mark L. Smith (The Revenant). It was recently reported that Minari helmer Lee Isaac Chung is in talks to direct the movie. No cast members have been announced at this time, but previous reports have suggested that the plan is to get Helen Hunt on board to reprise her role as Dr. Jo Harding. It remains unclear if she has either accepted or rejected such an offer to sign on.
Will Twisters Match the Success of Twister?
Even with Hunt potentially involved, watching Twisters may be difficult for some fans skeptical about its success without the original's other lead star. Bill Paxton, who also starred as Dr. Bill "The Extreme" Harding, sadly passed away in 2017. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who had a memorable role as a fellow storm chaser in Twister, also died in 2014. At least one cast member has expressed a desire to return for the new movie, however, with Sean Whalen stating that he'd be happy to appear, but couldn't say yet if that would be the case.
"I am so grateful to have been a part of this original movie. It has helped me travel to places I never would’ve gone to and to meet hundreds of people I never would’ve met," Whalen said in an Instagram post. "That said, there is no need to keep asking if I am involved in the sequel. I wouldn’t know for months and if I was involved they probably wouldn’t let me tell you anyway."
He added, "I am assuming they will pick maybe a few original people and I may or may not be one of them. Obviously, I would love to be a part of it, But it’s all good. I’m just happy to be part of the Twister original."
Twisters will be released in movie theaters on July 19, 2024.