Glen Powell’s ‘Twisters’ Celebrates Thrill of the Chase

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are set to mesmerize audiences in the upcoming film “Twisters,” which opens in theaters this Friday. Produced by Universal Pictures, “Twisters” is part of the modern chapter of the iconic 1996 film “Twister,” although it is not a direct sequel or remake. The movie is set in Oklahoma and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, known for “Minari.”

Glen Powell stars as Tyler, a character he describes as a “hillbilly with a YouTube channel.” Tyler, along with Daisy Edgar-Jones’ character Kate, shares a passion for storm-chasing but pursues it in his own unique style.

Powell explains that Kate, portrayed as a scientist, went through a traumatic event five years earlier that led to the loss of several friends due to a tornado. “This is Kate’s story,” Powell shared in a Zoom interview. “She used to love storm-chasing, and my role is to remind her why the weather and the thrill of the chase are so exciting.”

Daisy Edgar-Jones, known for her role in “Where the Crawdads Sing,” portrays Kate. Initially, Kate is hesitant and tries to dismiss Tyler, but she soon recognizes his scientific prowess. “At the beginning of the film, Kate is full of joy, fun, and adrenaline but loses it after her friends’ tragic demise,” Edgar-Jones said. “When she meets Tyler, she thinks of him as someone careless who doesn’t respect the force and danger of storms. Over time, however, she realizes that they are more alike than different.”

The evolving relationship between Tyler and Kate reaches a turning point when they attend a rodeo together. “I call her ‘city girl,’ thinking she’s an outsider,” Powell noted. “But once I see how she reads the wind and sky, I understand she’s not just another urban academic. She’s an outdoor girl who appreciates the same things.”

Powell further describes Kate as her own kind of tornado, one that his character is trying to understand. “Their dynamic is a competitive element that adds life and fun to the movie. It’s a battle of wits and instincts,” he added.

“Twisters” follows the adventures of two storm-chasing teams. Kate’s team is high-tech and well-coordinated, while Tyler’s team is a makeshift group of cowboy scientists using vehicles and drones patched together with duct tape. “Chasing storms requires both scientific knowledge and personal instincts,” Powell remarked.

Powell shared an interesting detail about real-life storm-chasers they met during the film’s production. Many of them improvise their equipment because commercially available alternatives don’t exist. “When we visited the National Weather Service Center, we asked how they equipped their trucks. The response was, ‘I built it.’ Storm chasers have to be very handy, especially since there’s no service to call if gear breaks down in the middle of a storm,” Powell explained.

The original “Twister,” released in 1996, starred Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cary Elwes. Bill Paxton sadly passed away in 2017, but “Twisters” honors his legacy by featuring his son, James, in a cameo role. “It was really special; James is wonderful and shares great stories. He’s a lovely person and a brilliant actor,” Edgar-Jones said.

Serendipitously, both Bill and James appeared in Powell’s first significant movie, “Spy Kids” (2001), although they didn’t share any scenes. “That movie changed my life,” Powell recalled. “I later worked with Bill on another film called ‘Red Wing.’ We became close friends, and he was a great spirit, a kind guy. ‘Twister’ was a movie he was incredibly proud of, and it changed the way he looked at the sky.”

“Twisters” aims to bring the same thrill and excitement as its predecessor while offering a fresh perspective on storm-chasing and the unyielding human spirit.

Source: UPI