The sequel to Tornado is set to release on July 19, 2024, and is directed by an acclaimed director and assembled a new cast of exceptional actors. The sequel promises to deliver a rollercoaster ride that continues the thrilling action and immersion of 1996's disaster classic Tornado.
Summary:
Tornado 2, the sequel to the cultural classic Tornado, promises the same thrilling action and immersive experience with an all-new story and cast of characters. The original "Tornado" director said that the sequel may not be able to replicate the live-action shooting style of the original, but is still open to a new approach. The confirmed cast and production details of Tornado 2 indicate that the sequel is in high profile, and its success is significant for multiple producers, with a release date set for July 19, 2024. Tornado 2, the sequel to the 1996 disaster blockbuster Tornado, will tell a new story and a new set of characters, but promises to retain some of the classic dusty scenes. Although many other disaster movies have sprung up after Tornado, the film, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunter, remains one of the classics of culture.
As the name suggests, the story takes place against the backdrop of a severe dust storm and tornado in Oklahoma. A passionate storm-chasing team rushed to the site in the hope of deploying research equipment. Receiving great praise for its technical aspects, Tornado was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects.
The Tornado sequel received the green light after the original was released in 1997 more than two decades. The original "Tornado 2" project sprouted in 2020, and Universal Pictures talked to "Top Gun: Independent Special" director Joseph Kosinski. A year later, Helen Hunt volunteered to write and direct the sequel.
However, these plans were shelved in 2022 and a sequel was planned instead, with Mark L. Smith (Survival in the Wilderness) as the screenwriter. Steven Spielberg reportedly enjoyed Smith's script so much that Tornado 2 was backed by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Now, Lee Isaac Chung of Mini** is the director of Tornado 2, which makes the sequel even more appealing.
The latest news on Tornado 2
The latest news about the sequel to Tornado 2 comes from the original film director, who gives an interesting take on the new approach. When asked what he thinks, Jane de Bont was neither optimistic nor negative about the new sequel in response to Tornado 2. First, de Bont insisted that the style that helped "Tornado" succeed in 1997 is now a thing of the past.
He explained, "When something falls from the sky, it's the real thing that falls from ***." If you shoot a car fleeing a tornado in a hail storm, it's all real ice coming towards us. However, de Bont doubted that modern studios would allow such a thing to happen, insisting that it "will never happen again".
When asked if he plans to release Tornado 2, De Bont said, "I want to let others see it first. While he's unsure about the content of the new film, he admits that he might be amazed by the new approach, and also points to Barbie's recent success, which carries some promising prospects. "It's the same as Greta Gerwig's Barbie," he said. No one would have thought she would direct that movie and be so successful. ”
Overall, de Bonte's view is both realistic and enlightened. The live-action shooting style of Tornado really creates an immersive experience for the audience. Completely replacing this style of filming with green screen and CGI could rob the sequel of its excitement. However, the comparison with Barbie could be a source of hope, with de Bonte noting that taking a new approach could make Tornado 2 a special and valuable sequel.
Confirmed information for Tornado 2
Although the production of Tornado 2 took a long time, confirmed information about Tornado 2 was not announced until October 2022. This is when Universal Pictures confirmed that Mark L. Smith would be the writer, but at that time the director had not yet been finalized. Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Wasakhriyi, Dan Trachinberg, and Travis Knight are all potential directing candidates before a director is identified. Finally, the director of Tornado 2 was confirmed in December 2022 as Lee Isaac Chung. The "Tornado 2" sequel is also confirmed to be co-produced by Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures, and The Kennedy & Marshall Company. With so many high-profile companies backing it, there's a lot of expectation for Tornado 2.
Tornado 2 release date
According to reports, the release date of Tornado 2 is scheduled for July 19, 2024. With the main camera shoot for Tornado 2 starting in Oklahoma City in May 2023 and filming then ending in July (according to Oklahoma City TV), filming was also affected by a strike by the Screen Actors Guild at the time. Universal Pictures will be responsible for the film's U.S. distribution, while the international distribution will be handled by Warner Bros.
The cast of Tornado 2
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glenn Powell will star in Tornado 2, their first collaboration with Lee Isaac Chung. Edgar Jones, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her 2022 thriller "Normal People," also proved her potential as a leading actress in this film. As for Powell, he has had a tight schedule since he played the pilot Hangman in Top Gun: Independent. "Tornado 2" is one of his high-profile projects, and the yet-to-be-untitled romantic comedy co-starring with Sydney Sweeney is one of them.
Although the roles of Edgar Jones and Powell have not been revealed, it is said that Edgar Jones may play the daughter of Helen Hunter and Bill Paxton's characters from the original Tornado. Due to Paxton's tragic death in 2017, it is certain that his character, Bill, will not return. As for whether Helen Hunter will return, the cast of Tornado 2 has not yet been confirmed. Tornado 2's all-new lineup is still star-studded, including Anthony Ramos (Heart Heights, Transformers: Rise of the Power Warriors), Brandon Perrea (Foresight, No), Darryl McCormack (Detective Suspicion, Good Luck, Leo Grande) and more.
With Ramos and Perea having performed well in previous big-budget films (Transformers: Rise of the Power Warriors and No, respectively), their joining is even more important. Perea's character in "No" even chases an alien spaceship disguised as a mysterious cloud, much like the protagonist of "Tornado" chases a tornado.
Other cast members joining Tornado 2 include:
Mora Tierney ("ER," "Affair")Harry Harden Payton ("Downton Abbey," "The Crown")Sasha Lane ("Loki," "How to Detonate the Pipeline")Kiernan Shipka ("Mad Men," "Sabrina's Amazing Adventures")Nick Darney ("Atypical," "Dear Evan Hansen")David Colenswaite ("The Politician," "Pearl") Tonde Adebimpe ("Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Idol)Katie M. O'Brien (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Mandalorian). Tornado 2 story details
The story of Tornado 2 is more like a legacy sequel than a direct sequel. However, it is the heroine who connects the original and Tornado 2, and it is expected that she will be the daughter of storm chasers Joe Thornton and Bill Harding. At the end of Tornado, Joe and Bill reconcile and decide to continue their relationship. In order to focus on her daughter's adult life, the story of Tornado 2 is naturally set decades after the first film. Considering the film's title, the new heroine of Tornado 2 must be a storm chaser who, like her parents, is obsessed with chasing tornadoes. Since Bill aims to deploy more advanced tornado detection methods in Tornado, the protagonist of Tornado 2 is likely to continue his footsteps.
In order to create some character conflict, the story of "Tornado 2" may also ** the slightly complicated relationship between the heroine and her parents. Even though she's reluctant to drive a vehicle to chase and study tornadoes, she may end up being a skilled storm chaser due to her environment.
Lee Isaac Chung has previously proven his ability to direct conflict-filled family stories with "Mini**" and his ** work "Munarangabo". Glenn Powell's role has not yet been clarified, but he will most likely play one of the heroine's fellow storm chasers, competing with the heroine. Powell has already stood out in the role of Hangman, the on-screen rival to Miles Teller, in Top Gun: The Independent Special.
While Tornado primarily tells the story of an outbreak in Oklahoma, Tornado 2 is likely to expand in more areas with a broader tornado network. Despite facing more challenges and new characters, Tornado 2 may deliberately pay homage to the original in the story to win the hearts of nostalgic fans. If the box office success of Ghostbusters: Death/Death, the Jurassic World franchise, and Top Gun: Indie proves anything, it's that if done right, legacy sequels can win the hearts of audiences old and new. Hopefully, Mark L. Smith's script will help Tornado 2 strike that balance in a story that's both fast-paced and as exciting as the original.