Steven Spielberg Yelled at ‘Twister’ Director After Crew Rebellion

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In the lead up to the release of “Twisters,” the original stunt coordinator from the 1996 movie “Twister” spoke to The Independent about the chaotic scenes that unfolded during its production. Mic Rodgers reminisced about a significant incident involving the film’s director, Jan de Bont, which almost caused the crew to abandon the set temporarily.

According to The Independent, one of de Bont’s most infamous outbursts nearly derailed the entire production. While filming in a ditch, de Bont allegedly shoved a camera assistant who then fell. When de Bont refused to apologize, the camera crew walked off the set, closely followed by the audio team and the wardrobe department.

Rodgers explained that tensions had been simmering for a while. The situation became so dire that executive producer Steven Spielberg flew to Norman, Oklahoma the next day to address the turmoil.

“The ramp came down on the Learjet and Spielberg walked down it and he never touched the ground,” Rodgers shared. “He just stood there yelling at Jan. He never even got off the plane. He was just yelling, pointing his finger, screaming. I don’t know what he said to him, but he barked at him for about 15 minutes and then left.”

Despite the hiccups, the production resumed. However, the shoot remained fraught with drama and numerous injury scares. Helen Hunt got struck in the head during filming, while co-star Bill Paxton was temporarily blinded by electronic lamps. Nonetheless, the hard work paid off as “Twister” became one of the biggest blockbusters of 1996, amassing $495 million globally and ranking as the second-highest-grossing film of the year.

More recently, de Bont reflected on the challenges of making “Twister.” He told Variety that the shoot was physically grueling and unpredictable. “We never knew if it was going to rain or be sunny, so we often had to change location in the middle of the day,” he said.

De Bont mentioned that the ongoing fluctuations in weather made things even more complicated. “Because the movie takes place in one day but shooting occurs over multiple months, in the beginning everything is barren, and then slowly the corn comes up and the trees start to grow. We had to keep finding new locations that matched the old ones. It was very difficult,” he explained.

“Twisters” is now playing in theaters across the country. Readers can find the full interview with Rodgers on The Independent’s website.

Source: Variety, The Independent