Glen Powell wants to continue his impressive streak of hits at the box office with ‘Twisters,’ a disaster film in which he stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos. After appearing in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Anyone But You,’ Powell leads this legacy sequel to the iconic 1996 film… But is it really necessary to watch the first one?
The original ‘Twister,’ released in 1996, was directed by Jan de Bont, who also helmed Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves’ classic ‘Speed’ (1994). It starred Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton as an estranged couple of scientists who were chasing the biggest tornado in Oklahoma.
While the sequel follows a similar formula, connections between the two movies are, as far as we know, loose. At least, judging from the trailer and synopsis, it’s not necessary to watch the first film (available on Max). However, there are some references to the original in the sequel. Here’s what to know.
The connection between ‘Twisters’ and ‘Twister’
‘Twisters’ have been described as a “new chapter” in the franchise, rather than a true sequel. In the new movie, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, Edgar-Jones plays Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser who, after an almost deadly encounter with a tornado, now studies storm patterns in New York City.
However, she is convinced by her friend Javi (Ramos) to come back to the field in Oklahoma to test a new tracking system. Amid an unusually intense storm season, she will clash and then team up with Powell’s Tyler Owens, a reckless social media star who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures.
So, what are the connections between the stories? Well, fans of the first film noted that in the trailer for ‘Twisters’, Edgar-Jones’ character uses a similar technology to the one that the protagonists of the original develop to track the storm, the “Dorothy.”
While in the first film it was a “groundbreaking technology,” it seems like the device that Bill and Jo pioneered is now well-established storm-hunting tech used to gather data. However, we’ll have to wait and see if there’s a deeper explanation in the film.
Could Helen Hunt make a cameo?
While Hunt isn’t involved in ‘Twisters,’ she was interested in developing a sequel, even writing it and directing it. According to ScreenRant, she pitched the idea to the studio in 2020, but it was rejected.
Her vision included a diverse cast of Black and Brown characters, and she would have killed her character Dr. Jo Harding in the first scene. However, there are still hopes that she appears in a little cameo in the sequel.
