Released on this 19th, Twisters is getting great reviews! Critics are loving its exciting story, the impressive visual effects, and the way it tackles climate change with smart, detailed visuals. But making those effects was quite a challenge! Twisters tells the story of a group of storm chasers who are trying out a new weather prediction system, featuring exciting tornado scenes.
Did you know that actors filming a scene in the movie had to hold it for a staggering eight hours straight? This wasn’t in the script but happened because of the scene’s intense commitment to realism.
Twisters Scene So Extreme Cast Couldn’t Use Restroom
In a pivotal moment in the Twisters, the cast keeps driving down the same bumpy dirt road over and over — trying to catch up to a huge tornado. Glen Powell, who plays one of the storm chasers in the film, recalls the tough experience of driving back and forth on the dirt road for eight hours non-stop. As the 35-year-old put it in an interview with Esquire UK:
Post not foundI remember this dirt road that we were driving around during this section we had to just keep going back and forth and it’s really crazy for about 8 hours at a time no bathroom breaks. You get pretty close with your cast. There’s no boundaries. When you’re in truck for 8 hours in hot Oklahoma.
The scorching Oklahoma heat and the tiny truck made bathroom breaks a no-go. This anecdote reveals just how committed the cast and crew were—they braved the discomfort to make sure the storm chase scenes felt truly authentic.
Twisters Stars Pelted with Dirt and Ice in the Oklahoma Storms
Twisters stepped up its game by using real-life special effects. Director Lee Isaac Chung chose to film in Oklahoma during the peak tornado season. Stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones experienced the real thing, getting hit with “dirt, wind, and ice” during filming. The director wanted the movie to feel authentic, so he used huge fans and even jet engines to create strong winds. The Minari filmmaker told Empire:
This is an elemental story, so I wanted us to go as practical as possible. We really tore things up. We had jet engines blowing. We had fans so massive you’d lose your hearing without earplugs. We were pelting our cast with everything – dirt, wind, ice.
Even Top Gun: Maverick star asserted to the same outlet that the movie respects the original Twister while offering something fresh. He also teased incredible drone footage of real tornadoes! Although it caused some delays, it showed audiences something they’ve never seen before.
Twisters is currently screening in theatres!
Frequently asked questions
Why couldn’t the Twisters cast take bathroom breaks during filming?
While filming a tornado-chasing sequence, the cast had to repeatedly drive back and forth down the same bumpy dirt road for roughly eight hours straight. The scorching Oklahoma heat and the confined space of the truck made stopping for breaks impractical, so the actors reportedly went without bathroom relief for the entire stretch of filming that scene.
What did Glen Powell say about filming the extreme truck scene?
Glen Powell described the experience in an interview with Esquire UK, recalling the continuous back-and-forth driving in hot Oklahoma conditions with no relief breaks. He reflected that spending such an intense, extended stretch of time crammed together in the truck actually helped forge deep bonds among the cast members despite the discomfort.
How did director Lee Isaac Chung achieve realistic tornado effects in Twisters?
Director Lee Isaac Chung prioritized practical effects over CGI, filming during Oklahoma’s actual peak tornado season. He told Empire magazine that jet engines were used to create powerful wind gusts and massive fans required hearing protection on set. Stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones were reportedly pelted with real dirt, wind, and ice for authenticity.
