'Twisters' Super Bowl trailer generates excitement, but will it include Iowa scenes?
Almost thirty years after the whirlwind success of the movie "Twister" in cinemas worldwide, the cult classic film is getting a reboot set to be released in July. However, unlike the original film, the new addition does not feature any Iowa landscapes.
The trailer for Universal's highly anticipated update, "Twisters," premiered during a Super Bowl ad slot.
The reboot was originally announced in October 2022, but had to stop filming this summer during the SAG-AFTRA strike. After the strike, production continued and the film wrapped in November.
Is Twisters a sequel or a remake?
The 1996 film, starring Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes, and Bill Paxton, grossed almost $500 million worldwide and became one of the year's highest-grossing films. The movie follows a group of storm chasers led by a tornado-obsessed meteorologist who reunites with her estranged husband during a chase to deploy a revolutionary weather sensor but also confronts personal and professional challenges like rivals and childhood traumas.
Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos star in the new chapter.
Powell told Vogue in December that the film wasn't a reboot.
"We’re not trying to recreate the story from the first one," he told the magazine. "It’s a completely original story."
Two-time Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung, the filmmaker behind "Minari," is directing the film with a script from Mark L. Smith, who co-wrote "The Revenant." The film is centered on a pair of storm chasers who risk their lives in an attempt to test an experimental weather alert system.
In 1996, "Twister" became known for its groundbreaking special effects after its release. The 2024 film is anticipated to be entirely new and updated to today's methods and techniques of tornado hunting and scientific analytics.
Which "Twister" scenes were filmed in Iowa?
"Twister" titular scenes were filmed in Iowa, including the "Twister Hill scene" in Boone and the final scene of the F5 tornado in Ames, respectively.
From the archives: Iowa farmhouse played key role in 'Twister' blockbuster
Where was "Twisters" filmed?
No Iowa farmhouses were destroyed in the making of the 2024 version. "Twisters" was filmed primarily in Oklahoma and Los Angeles.
Several scenes were filmed in downtown Oklahoma City. Other locations in the state included Chickasha, El Reno, Okarche, Midwest City, Yukon and Cashion.
“Twisters” is scheduled to be released worldwide by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures on July 19.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Was 'Twister' remake also filmed in Iowa?
