Twister was a banger of a film when it dropped in 1996. It followed the fate of a group of itinerant storm chasers who wanted nothing more than to unravel the secrets of the mighty tornado. As far as Hollywood properties go, it’s perhaps only underappreciated because it didn’t get a raft of sequels in the years that followed. That’s all changing, though, with Twisters set for a 2024 release. Oh, and just like the original, there’s plenty of quality truck porn for the price of admission.
Movie buffs will tell you that Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt were the stars of the original film. Car enthusiasts will instead point to the mighty 1995 Dodge Ram as the hero of the piece. In fact, the movie’s use of Dodge product was a coup for Chrysler, which beat out Ford’s attempts to get the 1997 F-150 cast in the film.
In a nod to the film’s past, the new film will similarly rock a great deal of Rams. Yes, it’s kind of like a commercial, because that’s how car casting is done in Hollywood—just like how Barbie was a big ad for GM.
Based on the trailer, the film seems to follow a similar storyline to the original, in that it centers around deploying scientific equipment into the heart of a tornado. It’s a compelling plot device that creates plenty of high-stakes action and risk. We see a “DOROTHY V” pod on the back of a truck, similar to the “DOROTHY” sensor pods from the original movie. There’s also mention of an attempt to “destroy a tornado,” so this movie might be more about anti-tornado combat rather than mere research.
Naturally, the story influences the vehicles, too. Protagonist Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) is at the helm of a rugged Ram that appears to have large screw-drive diggers to help root it into the ground for getting up close to rogue twisters. It’s also got an exoskeleton cage, dualies at the rear, and a large sticker reading “I’LL SEE YOU IN HAIL” on the back. The truck was spotted out in public during filming, well ahead of its reveal here.
The hero truck for Twister 2 has made an appearance. If you remember it was also a red Dodge Ram in the first movie. pic.twitter.com/EEBM0kdflO
— CodyL (@codylusnia) May 13, 2023
It’s not the only Ram in the film, either. Where Owens rocks a very workaday farm truck, another team appears to be getting around in a white Ram TRX. It wears a “Lion” badge, which first made me question if this was a sneak peak at an upcoming EV, but no. Instead, it’s likely a reference to The Wizard of Oz, as per the “Dorothy” equipment deployed by the protagonist.
It’s likely you haven’t thought much about Twister in recent years. While it was the second-highest grossing film of 1996, it didn’t have a lot of lasting cultural capital. Even so, it has a dedicated fanbase nonetheless. Down in Oklahoma, there’s a small but dedicated Twister The Movie Museum on Main Street that has a variety of props and memorabilia from the film. Fans have also built their own replicas of the hero truck, too, like this brilliant example nicknamed The Paxtonmobile. Most go with the Ram 3500 V10 badging as seen in the film, even though the 1996 production actually used a number of 1500 and 2500 examples. You can see the number of wheel lugs changing throughout the film.
My Twister Ram and Dorothy build. https://t.co/a8lMNJINjC. #Twister pic.twitter.com/OYlGg2SLle
— Meliorra Roswell (@notpapaemeritus) March 27, 2023
If the new sequel is similarly adored, the same thing could happen again. As seen in the trailer, the exoskeleton looks becoming on the Ram dually, as does the beefy bar work and horned tornado emblem on the front end. It wouldn’t be too hard to replicate on your own, and could make a neat vehicle to cruise up to movie car meets.
Really, though, with the new film, it looks pretty clear as to what we’re going to get. It looks set to deliver a bunch of fast-tempo action sequences with Ram trucks going absolutely ham on good ol’ Oklahoma farmland. If it’s done well, that should be worth the ticket price and a box of popcorn. And, much like the original film, it’s sure to win Ram a few more diehard fans in the process. You’ll just have to wait until it hits theaters on July 19, 2024.
Image credits: Universal Pictures via YouTube screenshot
All I want to know: Will it have a killer soundtrack?
Unless they call upon a necromancer to bring Van Halen back from the dead, doubtful.
IDK. There was some scenery chewing going on. I hope it’s not an over-the-top buffet of such. I loved the original so I hope this one is just as good.
Also, the CGI airplane looked CGI. It’s 2024. Do better.
“That’s a very pretty truck.”
No.
You have full coverage?
Liability only.
[grins] Don’t even think about it…
Lol. I haven’t seen the movie in 2 years and I can still remember all the lines. Not much cultural impact my rear! Speaking of which, tornado season is here again. Maybe time for a rewatch.
I was heavily into meteorology at the time, having taken a college course with an eye on it as a possible career (which I ultimately did not pursue — too much theory). So this movie could not have come out at a better time for me.
— And yet, it ended up being my girlfriend’s (now wife) favorite movie! She has watched it beginning to end dozens of times, and seen it partially (coming across it on TV or whatever) countless more times. Which means that I have also seen it approximately that many times as well, lol.
Every time I have seen it brought up out of context in any type of forum, people respond with quotes and memories. It is definitely a cultural touchstone for people who saw it back then.
Now that I live in Arizona, I use the movie to pull people’s legs when they say the plains are boring. And I drive truck, and take a load from Phoenix to Tulsa once a week, so I have fun at my boss’s expense since all he knows of tornadoes comes from that movie. Then again, it almost bit me in the rear. He seriously considered ending the contract after the Shawnee, OK tornado last year. I was riding the northeast edge of that storm as it was dropping twisters. Even worse was the fact it was dropping 1 inch hail, I was in a brand new $250k semi, and the storm was slowly catching me… Needless to say, I needed a new drivers seat after that trip.
I love the original and want this to be good, but given the track record of the remakes and requels of 80s and 90s movies I will be setting my expectations so low they would survive an F5 tornado.
Wait, there was an attempt to get the jellybean 97 f150 in Twister?
Also, I’m not crazy, and the Ram actually was a half ton in many scenes?
Anyways, I like Twister, and I’m planning on painting my j10 to be like the Twister one.
And that 4th gen dually looks terrible, as does a plot about destroying a tornado.
Knew a guy who was a first responder in Joplin. Said you can’t possibly imagine.
The director of this is a wild choice – his previous film was Minari, which was outright excellent and one of my favorites of that year, but was probably the opposite of Twister.
Honestly, I’m all about giant monster movies and Twister was actually a pretty credible giant monster movie – the monster was weather, but still a monster.
I’m also tired of the “every remake is bad” crowd at this point. Sometimes fresh eyes can do really cool things with old properties – Godzilla Minus One was among my favorite movies last year and that showed you can still do something fresh with a 70 year old series. There are really old examples of remakes or revived series’ being excellent films – The Thing was a remake, for example – and more modern ones – All Quiet on the Western Front, Dune.
I’ve always liked the original–I know it’s not super accurate or the most engaging film in the world, but it’s fun to watch, and I’ve always been morbidly fascinated by tornadoes.
That said…what really bums me out about this new movie is talk of destroying the tornado. I know the original wasn’t exactly a picture of meteorological accuracy. But the idea of destroying a tornado just means I have to work a lot harder to suspend my disbelief, since that’s something that absolutely cannot be done. I know it’s fiction and they can do whatever they want with it, but idk, for some reason that part really turns me off.
In mother Kansas, tornado destroy you! (Said in bad Russian accent)
Just watched the trailer, and yup. It is going to be even more inaccurate than the first. Gonna watch it and root for the tornadoes. But without my hero Dusty, I’m rapidly loosing interest
“Foood!”
Can we go back to the whole just because you can does not mean you should mentality with film making? The question is not about whether the iconic Red Ram should be starred in the film, it is more along the lines of should the movie even have been made….This along with Road House and Fall Guy should have never been green lit.
As a fan of the original Twister, I agree completely. No need to ruin it with a sequel
No need to see it. Until it’s on TV in a double feature with Twister which runs about every other day.
I’ll reserve judgment until I see it. Twister was an effects film, a giant monster movie where the monster is weather, so there’s no reason that it shouldn’t have a revival.
I told my wife I’ll go see it with her, but I’m gonna cheer every time a twister destroys stuff. They are the real heros.
I see the jeep truck has been mentioned below, but will they have an equivalent to the decade-old Ford LTD wagon or the truck with the in-bed camper barely holding on when bashing through fields?
the fact that this is named like a sequel but doesn’t seem connected at all, really bothers me and not excited about it, I’ve got reboot fatigue.
Sure, I’ll watch a Twister sequel…
when cows fly.
Did you see my cows out front?
…cow
Another cow…
Actually I think that was the same one.
You made my day
Came here for this. Leaving satisfied.
I am decidedly NOT here for it. I’m tired of all the fuggin’ remakes. Make something new, or kiss my ass. If I wanna watch Twister, I’ll bust out the DVD and watch the real thing.
Needs more shark
The original Twister is one of the best car movies that isn’t technically a car movie.
I disagree with the premise that it lacked cultural capital, though. It was replayed on television all the time; it still shows up from time to time.
I’m from Kansas, and I can tell you it has had a huge cultural impact out there. Storms start brewing, we start quoting. Plus many of the current storm chasers were inspired by the film. All that being said, we view it as a comedy, due to knowing how inaccurate it is
Also in Kansas, can confirm.
When I saw the preview I was dumbfounded they would remake a recent movie.
What’s that, 1996 you say? I better find my Depends before this Metemucil kicks in. Stupid clouds!
I remember seeing Twister in the theater back in ’96. We didn’t have a theater in the town I grew up in, so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, a movie ticket cost a fiver, and in those days, fivers had pictures of bumblebees on ’em. ‘Give me four bees for a twenty,’ you’d say. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah! The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.
Didn’t like the original and no interest in the sequel. If the cast of “Twisters” is as mediocre as “Twister,” and the plot is just as dull, the vehicles aren’t enough of a draw to get me into a theater. Plus, if I want to watch idiots racing around in oversized brodozers and SUVs, I can just sit by the side of any road in America. Hard pass.
I read this comment in horror and ran to google evidence to show you that Twister was an absolutely beloved instaclassic. Imagine my shock to find that the film received middling reviews from critics and audience!
I was 12 when this came out and absolutely LOVED it. Why isn’t anyone cataloging kids’ movie reviews??
I think you’ve hit upon the crux: Twister was probably more of hit with the under thirty audience. For what it’s worth, I didn’t like Independence Day or Mission Impossible either, the two films that bracketed Twister at the top of the box office that year.
I was 15, and loved all three of them.
Watch it as a comedy and root for the tornados. It becomes fun.
Oh you did not just call Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes and Philip Seymour Hoffman mediocre.
Yes, yes I did.
This guy’s a monster!
Jami Gertz getting rained on made a man of me…
“anti-tornado combat”
Well give me a cold Mountain Dew and let me crack it open to watch this fascinating new franchise reboot pick up where Sharknado left me hanging.
The original had a J-truck, so you’d think I’d want a Gladiator in the sequel. You would be mistaken. Please don’t make me see a Gladiator hero car. If one is on screen and gets destroyed, though…
The J-truck was there to show how poor Helen Hunt was… it was a jalopy in 1996.
Maybe an old rusty Dakota or something as a stand-in?
Oh, love that idea. Make it one of the last generation that is hideous to look at. Kind of a “no one with money would ever buy this” vibe.
Yeah the 2nd gen Dakota was cool but that 3rd gen was something not even a mother could love
Bill Paxton was underappreciated…
“How about a nice, greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?”
“Hey, maybe you haven’t been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked, pal!”
His game was over way too soon.
Twister had a good soundtrack. Chock full of 90s pop/alt/rock goodness. And a cool Van Halen tune, too.
I have low expectations for the sequel’s music selection.
It looks like the LION team might also have Durangos as support vehicles (from one shot of a door). It’s a step down from the amazing NS-generation Grand Caravans, but it’ll do.
But will they fly as well (or rather poorly) as those Caravans did?
Na, it was the jeep, chevy, and ram that flew. The Ltd had airtime too.