A long-awaited follow up to the 1996 tornado blockbuster "Twister" is in the works, a representative for Universal said on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are developing the sequel, "Twisters," and Warner Bros. Entertainment will be co-financing the film.
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"Twisters" will have viewers chasing the storm again with a screenplay written by "The Revenant" screenwriter Mark L. Smith, according to Universal.
Frank Marshall is also set to produce the film, according to Universal, though the film does not yet have a director.
Deadline, which first reported the news of the sequel searching for a director, also reported husband and wife Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (both of "Free Solo") and Travis Knight ("Bumblebee") were among the short-listed directors.
Deadline also named Dan Trachtenberg as a possible contender, though he denied the news in a tweet, writing, "To whom it may concern. I am not making a TWISTER."
Jan de Bont directed the original film, which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, and Stephen Spielberg executive produced. "Twister" was a massive success, selling more than $494 million at box offices worldwide and featuring other cast members like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Todd Field.
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The movie followed Hunt's character, Dr. Jo Harding, and a team of students preparing to test a new data-gathering device in a powerful tornado. It was lauded for its groundbreaking special effects and inspired a theme-park ride at Universal Studios.
Universal did not say if Hunt has signed on for the sequel. Paxton died at age 61 due to complications from heart surgery in 2017, and Hoffman died in 2014 at 46.
Universal did not give any details on what the sequel would center around, though Deadline reported the sequel will focus on Hunt's character's daughter, who has the same storm-chasing bug as her parents.
Universal and Amblin are hoping to start filming "Twisters" in spring 2023, according to Deadline
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