The news hit yesterday. And that news is absolutely terrible:
Universal Pictures is looking to reboot the classic tentpole “Twister,” and looks to have found a director to weather the storm.
Sources tell Variety that Universal Pictures is developing a reboot of the 1996 blockbuster and is in negotiations with “Top Gun: Maverick” helmer Joseph Kosinski to direct.
Frank Marshall will produce the pic and the studio is currently meeting with writers to pen the script.
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO.
While I understand that Hollywood has completely run out of original ideas as to how to make new movies from new ideas, but there is one thing we do NOT need to do, which is to reboot the classics.
And yes, Twister is a classic.
What really is the point of remaking Twister? How can you remake the perfect tornado chasing movie?
1990’s-era CGI? Check.
Questionable weather science that is easily disproven by even amateur meteorologists? Check.
A future co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks in a supporting role? Check.
Cary Elwes as a villain? Check.
The late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Paxton? Check.
Inspiring t-shirt companies to create t-shirts regarding the movie? Like this one. And this one. And this one. And this one. This entire line based on the fictional college from the movie? Check.
A museum dedicated to the movie that I desperately need to visit one day? Check.
A Facebook page dedicated to Bill Paxton’s truck in the movie? Check.
Classic lines? Ones that easily lend themselves to gifs? Check.
Look, I get it. Not everybody loves Twister. For people like me who love 90’s action movies or are weather nerds though, it’s right up our (tornado) alley.
The science doesn’t have to be great. The action doesn’t have to be realistic. It’s great for what it is. And yes, it inspired an entire generation of people who went on to be tornado chasers, meteorologists, or just weather geeks to become who they are.
There has also been an explosion in tornado-related media. Discovery Channel ran the awesome Storm Chasers show for five years. Sean Casey released the Tornado Alley IMAX movie after years of intercepts with his Tornado Intercept Vehicles. Dr. Reed Timmer launched an entire brand around his extreme meteorology and his line of Dominators. Shows like Weather Brains and Storm Front Freaks popularize discussions about severe meteorology and its effects.
But storm chasing itself has changed. Yes, there are still large, scientific tornado operations that go out into the field. But the barrier of entry for chasing is not what it once was. Whereas you used to need heavy equipment, satellites, laptops, and road maps, all you really need now its a modern smartphone loaded with Google Maps and an app like Radar Scope or Radar Omega.
How do you make a realistic movie set in modern times about storm chasing with those parameters? Just chasing I could just as easily grab a GoPro, get in a car, and drive to Kansas and make that movie.
(Coming soon to The Duckpin: Chaser Nerds, starring Brian Griffiths and JC Braz)
The mere existence of a Twister reboot as a plausible idea is an indictment on Hollywood itself, just as offensive as the idea of a Casablanca remake starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez was.
(And Twister was a better movie than Casablanca was. Fight me).
I understand that Hollywood is struggling thanks to the pandemic. But Hollywood was struggling with new ideas long before 2020, which is why Batman and Spiderman have been rebooted so many times. Why can’t Hollywood make movies anymore that are original ideas? Between reboots and sequels, it seems that’s all we get anymore. Why do we need Indiana Jones 5 after the disaster that was Crystal Skull? Who knows, but we’re getting it anyway.
In a world where we are already buried in reboots, we need to avoid the suck zone. A rebooted Twister will have none of the charm of the original one. Hollywood should steer clear of this one.
The Honest Trailer for the original movie, however, is fantastic and highly recommended.
This is my favorite of your articles so far. I have a soft spot for twister too. The reason nobody makes original movies is that movie goers are lazy. They don't go see them. Hotel Artemis was an original idea that I really enjoyed. Nobody saw it. John Wick was an original idea almost nobody saw in theaters. This feels like another email column in the future.
Also, I hope you didn't hear about the Princess Bride remake...