Lee Isaac Chung In Talks To Direct ‘Twister’ Sequel For Universal And Amblin

EXCLUSIVE: Following an extensive search that had a number of top directors chasing the job, sources tell Deadline that Oscar-nominated Minari director Lee Isaac Chung is in early talks to helm Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Twisters, the sequel to the blockbuster Twister. Warner Bros., which released the 1996 pic, will co-finance. Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) penned the script, with Frank Marshall producing through his Kennedy/Marshall banner.

Deadline first reported in October that execs and producers on the project, especially Steven Spielberg, flipped for the script Smith delivered to the studio and ultimately fast-tracked the pic for a spring start. At the time sources said that the hope was to bring Twister star Helen Hunt back for a drama that focuses on the daughter she had with the character played by the late Bill Paxton, who has caught the storm-chasing bug her parents had.

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Insiders add that no one is in talks to star as the focus is to close Chung’s deal, which is still in negotiations.

Best known for his Oscar-nominated work on the A24 drama Minari, this project marks Chung’s first venture into the big-budget tentpole genre. He grew up on a farm in rural Arkansas and has his fair share of experience with taking cover in storm cellars when a tornado would hit land. This personal connection hit with execs, and after one last in-person last week, Chung became the top choice to land the job.

The original Twister starring Hunt and Paxton was a massive hit in 1996, scoring more than $494 million at the worldwide box office, thanks in no small part to the film’s groundbreaking special effects. It was helmed by Speed director Jan de Bont and executive produced by Spielberg, with a screenplay by author Michael Crichton.

EVP Production Sara Scott and creative executive Jacqueline Garell will oversee for Universal Pictures, and Ashley Jay Sandberg will oversee for Kennedy/Marshall.

Smith most recently penned the upcoming drama Boys in the Boat, which George Clooney directed. He also wrote the script for the Netflix pic Midnight Sky, which Clooney also directed and starred in.

Chung is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Smith is repped CAA and Syndicate Entertainment.

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