Helen Hunt won't appear in 'Twister' sequel after studio rejected her creative pitch for 'shady' reasons
Helen Hunt was allegedly told 'there was no role for her — since in the new script, her character Jo Harding is dead'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A sequel to the 1996 disaster film 'Twister' will be released in theaters in the summer of 2024, but insiders say original star Helen Hunt will not be lining up to buy a ticket.
An insider said the studio had their own project in mind - "one that would make it a big hit with younger audiences," as reported by RadarOnline.
Helen Hunt was informed that 'there was no role for her' in sequel
Furthermore, the National Enquirer reported that Hunt was allegedly told "there was no role for her — since in the new script, her character Jo Harding is dead."
Hunt, who co-developed the movie with Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, had a creative pitch for a sequel. However, she revealed on 'Watch What Happens Live' in 2021 that she was unable to persuade the studio to proceed with her idea.
The 'What Women Want' actress also wanted to direct the movie. Hunt said at the time, "I tried to get it made, With Daveed and Rafael and me writing it, and all Black and brown storm chasers, and they wouldn't do it. I was going to direct it."
She added, "We could barely get a meeting, and this is in June of 2020 when it was all about diversity. It would have been so cool."
Daveed Diggs says the industry is very 'shady'
In an interview with Insider almost two years later, Diggs offered his personal thoughts on the film's rejection. He said, "All I'll say, is there was an opportunity where we were talking about that, and it didn't happen, and the reasons that it didn't happen are potentially shady."
He added, "But shady in the way that we know the industry is shady."
Actor Glen Powell from 'Top Gun: Maverick' and actress Daisy Edgar-Jones from 'Normal People' are currently working on it; Hunt will not be returning to work with Dorothy.
With over $494 million in global box office revenue, the original movie, which starred Hunt and the late Bill Paxton as two storm-chasing scientists, was a blockbuster hit. It subsequently garnered Oscar nominations for sound and visual effects.
