Following the casting of Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones, Variety brings word that Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell has entered negotiations to join the cast of Universal Pictures and Amblin’s Twister sequel. Described as a “new chapter,” the project, titled Twistersis reportedly not being developed as a direct sequel to the 1996 film.
Twisters is being directed by minari filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, who recently helmed an episode of The Mandalorian Season 3. Edgar-Jones is portraying the role of “a former storm chaser who works a desk job after surviving a terrifying tornado. However, she will be forced back out onto the field.” Production is expected to begin this coming spring, with the movie scheduled to hit theaters on July 19, 2024.
The film is being written by Mark L. Smith (Returning), with Steven Spielberg attached to executive produce through his Amblin Entertainment banner. It is being produced by Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley. Universal’s Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project along with Kennedy/Marshall’s Ashley Jay Sandberg.
Directed by Jan de Bont, the first installment follows storm chasers Bill Harding and Dr. Joanne Harding, who are in the midst of finalizing their divorce. The pair reunites during a severe tornado outbreak in Oklahoma, where they’re able to test their weather-tracking device that would improve lead times on tornado warnings.
Twister was both a critical and commercial success, with a worldwide gross of over $495 million at the box office. It also starred Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Todd Field, and more.