Summary
A new image reveals that way thatTwisterswill pay homage to original star Bill Paxton. TheupcomingTwistersis a standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster movie, which starred Paxton (who died at age 61 in 2017) and Helen Hunt and became the second highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide. The new movie is not set to feature any meaningful connections to the storyline of the original hit or any legacy characters, instead featuring a new cast led by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos.
Entertainment Weeklyhas confirmed that the movie will still pay homage to the lateTwisterstar Bill Paxton, revealing how via an exclusive image from the new movie. Check it out below:
The image shows Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens and Daisy Edgar-Jones' Kate Cooper seemingly arguing with a worker behind a counter while accompanied by the character Cody, who isplayed by Paxton’s son, James Paxton. James describes his role as a “cameo” and says it is “an Easter egg for the fans of Dad.” Read his full quote below:
It’s really a cameo, so it’s an Easter egg for the fans of Dad and the original. I did this one for Dad.
I wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success because I know he would be. I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him. And I realized there’s a lot of amazing people involved in this that I would love to get to know. And so it ended up feeling like the right thing to do, to be representative of Dad there.
James Paxton’s Twisters Cameo Honors A Longstanding Hollywood Tradition
There are many different ways that major movie franchises handle the death of their stars. This can range from digital recreations of their characters, like the appearance of Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin inRogue One: A Star Wars Story,to entirely recasting them, like whenHarry Potterreplaced Richard Harris with Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. However,quite frequently, family members of the original stars become involved in their franchisesin various capacities, including in situations requiring stand-ins, as was the case with the brothers of the late Paul Walker being brought into complete scenes inFurious 7.
How Twisters Is Honoring Helen Hunt & Bill Paxton’s Original Characters
Even though Twisters follows new characters, there are still ways it could incorporate Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt’s Bill and Jo Harding from Twister.
James Paxton appearing in theTwisterscastis part of another longstanding tradition, namely featuring family members of the deceased onscreen. This has happened in situations including Caitlin Reilly paying homage to her father, John Reilly, on a 2021 episode ofGeneral HospitalandMichael Gandolfini stepping into the role originally played by his father, James Gandolfini, in theSopranosprequel movieThe Many Saints of Newark. While Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd had already held a small role in the previous twoStar Warsmovies, her appearance inThe Rise of Skywalkerlikewise gave her space to pay tribute.
This form of tribute is a relatively common practice because the children of actors often explore careers in the industry as well. For instance, James Paxton has appeared in more than two dozen projects on both the big and small screens before his cameo inTwisters. This includes playing Sophie’s son on 30 episodes ofHow I Met Your Father,in addition to various roles in such projects asSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over,Velvet Buzzsaw,Eyewitness,The Fanatic, andAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Twisters
Cast
A follow-up to the 1996 original film Twister, Twisters is a sequel set years after the original, said to be fast-tracked by Steven Spielberg and Mark L. Smith, with Frank Marshal as producer. Little details exist about the film, but Helen Hunt is expected to reprise her role as Jo, with the film likely to pay homage to the late Bill Paxton.
