Twister 2 Has Cast Helen Hunt’s Replacement
Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in Twister 2.
With the success of Tom Cruise‘s Top Gun: Maverick, many filmmakers are looking at returning to classic franchises to find commercial success. Now, it seems like one such franchise is getting a whirlwind revival with a star at the eye of the storm. According to an article from Deadline, Daisy Edgar-Jones is slated to star in the upcoming Twister 2 film, a sequel to the 1995 tornado thriller Twister.
Twister 2, officially titled Twisters, will in some ways pick up where the original film Twister left off. Written by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) and Anne-Marie Martin (Halloween II), and directed by Jan de Bont (Speed), the original featured Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in lead roles. It was the second highest-grossing film of the year, earning more than $494 million internationally at the box office when it was released in 1996.
The original film focused on a team of storm scientists led by Jo and Bill Harding (Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton) who have built a cutting-edge data-gathering device to track one of the most powerful storms in decades. Twister 2 picks up years later, and Edgar-Jones is reported to be playing the daughter of the Hardings who has grown up and become interested in tracking storms just like her parents. As of the time of this writing, Daisy Edgar-Jones is the only name that’s been announced for the cast so far.
Because Twister 2 seems to be in some ways a continuation of the original, it is very possible that we could see some familiar faces from the original reappear. Although Paxton and Hoffman have unfortunately both passed away, Hunt could be a possible choice for reprising her role. It will be interesting to see how/if they address Paxton and Hoffman’s characters, as they were integral parts of the initial movie.
Twister 2 star Daisy Edgar-Jones burst onto the scene with the success of the Hulu drama series Normal People. Starring alongside Paul Mescal, it was her debut in a major role. Critics loved the tense romantic drama and her performance in the series based on Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name.
Edgar-Jones also recently starred in the film Where the Crawdads Sing based on the novel of the same name by Delia Owens. Edgar-Jones played the starring role of Kya, a reclusive young woman who gets drawn into a web of unraveling secrets when she is accused of murdering a young man. Despite some controversies surrounding the book and the author, the Twister 2 star stole the show again with her performance and proved herself a talented young actress on the rise.
Outside of her work on those films, Edgar-Jones starred opposite Sebastian Stan in the dating horror film Fresh, as well as in the drama series Under the Banner of Heaven alongside Andrew Garfield, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In addition, the Twister 2 star is currently filming On Swift Horses starring opposite Euphoria star Jacob Elordi.
Twister 2 is being directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who may best be known for his semi-autobiographical award-winning drama film Minari in 2020. He also directed Munyurangabo, Lucky Life, and Abigail Harm. Mark L. Smith, known for the Leonardo DiCaprio-led The Revenant, was tapped for the script.
Chung’s work is known for being emotionally gripping, while Smith is known for tense man vs. nature drama, so their combination makes sense here and should work perfectly for a film like Twister 2. Mixing together their respective talent, Daisy Edgar-Jones’ compelling acting, and a revisit of a 90s classic film seems like the perfect storm for a potential hit. As of now, viewers can expect Twisters to hit theatres in 2024.
