Is Twisters a sequel or reboot? Director Lee Isaac Chung has his own take – and also shares reaction to Tom Cruise’s surprise premiere appearance

Twisters is set to storm into cinemas imminently, but how is it connected to the 1996 disaster movie, Twister? That film was the second highest-grossing film of the year when it was released, and was an early showcase for the potential of digital VFX. Considering Twister’s success, it’s surprising it’s taken almost three decades for another film set in that world to be released.

But is Twisters – which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos – a sequel? A reboot? On the Inside Total Film podcast, director Lee Isaac Chung explains how he sees the connection between the two films. “I studied science in university, so this is probably a nerdy answer,” he says. “I see it as a new science experiment. [It’s the] same world. We don’t have the same characters but it’s a new experiment. There are a lot of nods to the original.

“But I hope I’ve made it its own thing as well. That’s what I found invigorating about making this movie – the chance to do something new with that first story that I really loved, to do a new chapter, if you will.”

Unlike most ‘legacy sequels’ you see these days (Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World: Dominion, Blade Runner 2049 et al), Twisters does have entirely new characters, as Chung says, and the only returning name is ‘Dorothy’, the tornado-measuring tech from the first film.

When asked if there was ever a possibility that Twisters would’ve been more closely connected to the old characters, Chung says that the focus was always on a fresh start the whole time that he’s been involved. “That decision was kind of made before I got on board,” he says. “The studios and everybody involved really wanted to run with this script that Joe Kosinski and Mark L. Smith – Mark L. Smith being the primary writer – had developed. I think they liked this idea of a direction where it’s a whole new story.

“So I kind of came into it during that process, and I’ve kind of generally hoped to share it with the past cast, if they’re interested, and also [Twister director] Jan de Bont, who I haven’t been able to chat with. I hope that we’ve honoured the work that they’ve done.”

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

And while there’s already something of a Top Gun: Maverick connection through Kosinski’s story credit and star Glen Powell, that was heightened further when Mav himself, Tom Cruise, showed up Twisters’ European premiere in London, grabbing a photo with Powell before the film started. “I didn’t know he was going to be there,” laughs Chung. “He was very kind. He said hello before the film, and I was able to say hi to him. I could just see how much affection he had for Glen in that moment, when we were all backstage. It seems like there’s a real, genuine, deep friendship there. So that was really beautiful to see.”

Of course, it’s hard to completely relax into the movie when you know Cruise is there… “I kept on watching Tom, I’ve got to admit, as I’m watching the film,” says Chung. “I was just curious how he’s reacting to the movie. And I would see that he keeps on leaning forward and touching somebody. And I was like, ‘Who’s that?’ And then I realised he’s actually patting Anthony Ramos on the back in various scenes. I was really touched by that. He was being so supportive and loving to other fellow actors, and really acknowledging the work they were doing. So it was really cool. I gained a lot of newfound respect for him.”

Twisters opens in UK cinemas on July 17, before opening in the US on July 19. For more from Chung, check out the new episode of the Inside Total Film podcast, which is out now.

For more upcoming movies, check out our list of 2024 movie release dates.