Daisy Edgar-Jones, who broke through with British miniseries Normal People, is in negotiations to star in Twisters, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s reboot of the 1996 tornado adventure movie, Twister.
Minari helmer Lee Isaac Chung is going full studio tentpole with this project, which has a script by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant).
Frank Marshall, known for the outsize Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises, is producing via his banner, Kennedy/Marshall Company. Marshall’s wife, current Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, was a lead producer on the original.
Twister starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as romantically estranged storm chasers facing rival storm chasers, a host of tornadoes, and their feelings for each other.
Jan de Bont directed the original, which grossed almost $500 million worldwide and featured ear-vibrating, floor-shaking THX sound design. Steven Spielberg was an exec producer, and author Michael Crichton wrote the screenplay.
The new story is not a sequel, nor is it expected to bring back old characters. The studio is describing it as a “new chapter.”
Edgar-Jones will star in the project as a former storm chaser who, after surviving a disastrous tornado encounter, now works a desk job. However, she will soon be forced to — you guessed it — go out into the breach once more.
Executive vp production Sara Scott and creative executive Jacqueline Garell will oversee for Universal Pictures. Ashley Jay Sandberg will oversee for Kennedy/Marshall.
The film will be co-financed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Edgar-Jones may be best known to North American audiences for starring in last year’s adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing from Sony. She gained notices for Normal People, a limited series seen on BBC and Hulu in which she starred with Paul Mescal. The drama earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She also co-starred in Hulu limited crime series Under the Banner of Heaven, which also earned her a Golden Globe nom.
The actress is currently filming the feature adaptation On Swift Horses directed by Daniel Minahan, starring opposite Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter and Diego Calva.
Edgar-Jones is represented by UTA, Hamilton Hodell in the U.K. and Sloane Offer.
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