The nearly 20-year gap between “Twister” and its upcoming sequel, “Twisters,” hasn’t dampened the excitement. The 2024 release has already received positive feedback from critics and fans who were lucky enough to catch early screenings. Interestingly, some of the highest praise hasn’t come from critics or fans, but from the film’s lead actor, Glen Powell. On the release day of his latest project, Powell took a moment to honor Bill Paxton, the original film’s beloved star.

Powell, whose career has skyrocketed in the past two years, took to social media on Friday to pay tribute to Paxton. Along with his tribute was a heartfelt photo of him and Paxton taken during the filming of their 2013 film “Red Wing,” where the two actors first met. It’s just one of many tributes to Paxton that have continued to appear since his passing in 2017.

A particularly moving tribute occurred shortly after Paxton’s death. About 200 storm chasers gathered in and around Oklahoma City to form Paxton’s initials, “BP,” on a map with red tracking blips. It was a fitting tribute to an actor whose connection to storm chasing became iconic thanks to his role in “Twister.”

Paxton was known and loved for his many roles throughout his career. Although he often played character and supporting roles, “Twister” was one of his rare leading roles in a major theatrical release. Directed by Jan de Bont and produced by Steven Spielberg, “Twister” gave Paxton the opportunity to showcase his talent on a grand scale.

In “Twister,” Paxton portrayed Bill Harding, a storm chaser turned weatherman who heads to Oklahoma to finalize his divorce from his estranged wife, Jo Harding, played by Helen Hunt. As fate would have it, he is swept up in another storm chasing adventure to deploy a tornado research device named Dorothy. The adventurous plot takes the couple, Jo’s team, and Bill’s fiancée Melissa across Oklahoma. Their goal? To successfully deploy the device while avoiding life-threatening weather and defeating their rival, Jonas Miller, played by Cary Elwes.

The original “Twister” was a huge success, grossing approximately $495 million worldwide at the box office, making it the second highest-grossing film of 1996, behind only “Independence Day.” The film was also nominated for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects at the 69th Academy Awards, further cementing its legacy in cinema history.

The sequel, “Twisters,” picks up nearly 20 years later and introduces a new group of storm chasers navigating a record-breaking tornado season in Oklahoma. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Kate Carter, a former storm chaser working for NOAA who is pulled back into the field by her boyfriend, Javi, played by Anthony Ramos. Their mission? To test a device that could disrupt tornadoes. Opposite Kate is Tyler Owens, played by Glen Powell, a social media star nicknamed the “Tornado Wrangler” who arrives in Oklahoma with his team to document the tornado outbreak.

The excitement is building as fans eagerly await the release of “Twisters.” Bill Paxton’s legacy continues to be celebrated and the sequel promises to be an exciting continuation of his work. “Twisters” is set to hit theaters soon.

Source: ClutchPoints