Twisters Movie Used Real Neighborhoods Destroyed by Tornadoes

Twisters stars Sasha Lane and Brandon Perea reveal how the set used neighborhoods impacted by real tornadoes.

By Timothy Adams

Two of the cast members of Twisters discuss how the disaster film incorporated real homes and neighborhoods impacted by tornadoes. The 2024 Twisters is a sequel to the 1996 film and features an ensemble cast led by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. It's an understatement to say this new Twisters is a success, with the movie smashing box office expectations to the tune of an $80 million-plus haul. It would appear audiences are excited about seeing destruction on screen, but what's surprising to learn is how real-world damage was used as set pieces for Twisters.

ComicBook spoke to Twisters stars Sasha Lane and Brandon Perea ahead of the movie's theatrical release, where they were asked about the destructive nature of storms and witnessing it on set. "It looked horrible," Lane said. "Growing up where there are a bunch of hurricanes and tornadoes and seeing what that destruction does... growing up with [Hurricane] Katrina and having people come to our high school from New Orleans, it's so real. And you get in awe of nature. I remember looking out the window and seeing tornadoes go by and watching the weather. But it's a reminder that just because it missed your house, but two houses over, it's destroyed. So it's a reminder of why people chase storms in the first place, so they can then help."

Perea then went into detail on how Twisters used homes impacted by tornadoes, and talking to the residents for a firsthand reaction. "We were in actual neighborhoods where a tornado hit. The buildings around us weren't set pieces, they were actual buildings that got destroyed by a tornado and never got fixed," he said. "There were people that lived in that neighborhood when we were talking and said, 'Oh man, that's crazy the set that they built,' and they were like, 'Well, they added the stuff on the street, but those buildings actually got hit by a tornado that just missed my house. They haven't been able to fix it up yet but it's been there for awhile.' It's crazy that we were shooting in the heartland of where tornadoes actually occur."

Related:

What is Twisters about?

In Twisters, after surviving a devastating encounter with a tornado, former storm chaser Kate Cooper monitors extreme weather from behind a computer screen. When an opportunity arises to test cutting-edge equipment, Kate heads to the Midwest to track twisters, putting her on a collision course not only with the deadly phenomena, but also with social-media star Tyler Owens. As the storms in Oklahoma intensify, the pair must unite and combine their unique skills to survive the most extreme weather imaginable.

Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, Katy O'Brian, and Maura Tierney. Lee Isaac Chung directed the sequel from a script by Mark L. Smith. Twisters released in theaters on July 19th.

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