'Minari' Filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung In Talks To Direct 'Twister' Sequel

Lee Isaac Chung, the Oscar-nominated director of “Minari,” is in talks to direct the sequel to the 1996 blockbuster “Twister,” a person with knowledge of the project tells IndieWire.

If his deal goes through, Chung will be working from a script by 'The Revenant' writer Mark L. Smith, and the individual adds that Chung was just one of many top directors drawn to working on the film. Additionally, "Twisters" is looking to begin fast-paced filming this spring.

There is currently no talent in talks with the star, and it is unknown if Helen Hunt, the star of the original film, would be among those who will return.

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are developing the sequel titled "Twisters," which Steven Spielberg is executive producing. Warner Bros. Pictures cofinances.

Frank Marshall ("Jurassic World Dominion") is attached to production through his company Kennedy/Marshall.

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While Chung and the lyrical, intimate, family dynamics he explored in "Minari" may seem unusual for a big-budget tornado movie, Deadline, which first broke news of the Minari's involvement, claims Chung has a lot of experience sheltering in place in storm cellars as tornadoes swept through his native Arkansas, so there's an unexpected personal connection there. And admirers of "Minari" should remember how a storm even plays a role in the plot of this film.

Chung also flirted with the idea of ​​a bigger-budget property in the wake of “Minari,” as he was originally set to direct a live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime “Your Name” that J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot was growing, although he left the project.

The original "Twister" was no slouch on the pedigree either. Although it grossed $494 million at the worldwide box office, the film had groundbreaking special effects via director Jan De Bont, a screenplay by Michael Crichton, and starred both the late Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour. Hoffman in one of his early breakout roles and even "TÁR" director Todd Field.

Executive Vice President of Production Sara Scott and Chief Creative Officer Jacqueline Garell will oversee "Twisters" for Universal Pictures, and Ashley Jay Sandberg will oversee Kennedy/Marshall.

Next up for Chung is an untitled project taking place at MGM's United Aritsts which will also reunite him with his "Minari" producers at Brad Pitt's Plan B. He is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.

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