#Twister Reboot Is Happening with Top Gun 2 Director Joseph Kosinski

A 90s blockbuster is getting the reboot treatment. Universal Pictures is developing a new take on Twister, the 1996 disaster movie that focused on storm chasers hunting down tornados. The new take is in the early stages but Joseph Kosinski, who most recently directed Top Gun: Maverick, is in talks to direct the movie. No writer is currently attached but a search is underway for someone to pen the screenplay.

According to a new report, Frank Marshall will produce the Twister reboot. Plot details remain under wraps for the time being. It is worth noting that it is being described as a reboot and not a remake currently. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, a reboot could mean that this will be in some way tied to the original. Though a direct sequel would be challenging, to say the very least. Bill Paxton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who both starred in the original, have since passed away.

Joseph Kosinski is no stranger to big budget action flicks. The filmmaker is perhaps best known for Disney’s Tron: Legacy. Kosinski was also behind the Tom Cruise sci-fi movie Oblivion. Cruise later asked Koskinski to take the helm for Top Gun 2, which had been in development for some time. That gave the director’s profile a big boost. Originally, the long-awaited sequel was supposed to arrive in theaters this month. However, Paramount decided to delay its release until December, given the movie theater closure in the U.S. which began back in March. Be that as it may, it seems Kosinski may have lined up his next big project.

Twister was directed by Jan de Bont, of Speed and The Haunting fame, and was produced by Steven Spielberg. The movie centers on a group of storm chasers led by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. They are pursuing the most destructive weatherfront to sweep through Tornado Alley in 50 years. They are hoping to launch electronic sensors directly into the storm in the hopes of obtaining enough data to create an improved warning system. To do so, they must get dangerously close to the ferocious storm. The movie proved to be a huge hit in its day, grossing $494 million at the global box office against a $92 million budget.

There is no word on casting currently for the reboot. Though, since a writer hasn’t been attached yet, it appears to be in the very early stages. Remakes and reboots, both on the big and small screen, have been all the rage in recent years as studios look for any sort of competitive edge in getting people’s attention. That has made everything old new again, as the thinking seems to be that anything familiar will have a better shot in the marketplace than something new. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news comes to us via Variety.

Topics: Twister