Summary
The success of the Glen Powell-ledTwistersproves thatTop Cruise: Maverickcould have also succeeded without Tom Cruise.Top Gun: Maverickwas a box-office smash when it debuted in 2022, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as hotshot pilot Peter Mitchell. The movie also boasted an impressive cast of modern and rising stars, including Glen Powell and Miles Teller in crucial roles. The film was heavily stepped in nostalgia for the original, and effectively served as a direct sequel to the priorTop Gunfilm.
However, being a direct follow-up wasn’t the only wayTop Gun: Maverickcould have been a financial success. Powell is the star of another legacy reboot/sequel in the form ofTwisters. Largely unconnected to the original,Twistershas proven to be one of the big hits of the summer season, despite lacking any of the returning stars or stories from the original. This proves an effective reboot of a premise likeTwistersorTop Guncould still work just fine without too many direct connections between the movies.
Twisters' Success Changes How I Look At Glen Powell & Sydney Sweeney’s $220 Million Hit
Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney delivered a $220 million hit last year, and Twisters' success changes how I think of the film’s performance and impact.
Twisters Built On The Original Movie But Still Rebooted The Franchise
TwistersProves Franchises Reboots Can Still Work As Standalone Stories
Twistersworks as a stand-alone film that nevertheless built upon cinematic history,highlighting how other legacy sequels likeTop Gun: Maverickcan work without returning characters or storylines. AlthoughTwistershappens in the same universe as 1996’sTwister, it features an entirely new cast of characters who are largely removed from the story of the original. However, the film still feels like a successful follow-up to the original, and even functionally works as a reboot of the premise. BothTwisterandTwistersare character-driven narratives, with the external threat of life-threatening twisters giving the drama a definitive danger to overcome.
Twistersactually benefits from not having to shoehorn in elements of the original movieinto the story. It still has the vibes of the earlier movie, especially when the twisters come into play and force the characters to scramble survive. It effectively serves as a modern take on the old premise. Notably, the film was a critical and commercial success. It didn’t need too many overt lore connections or returning stars. Audiences were excited to see a new take on a familar concept, thanks to a compelling cast and strong direction.
6 Ways Twisters Sets Up A Sequel
Twisters is a hit, so the studio might not wait 28 years for another sequel – and the movie has plenty of interesting setups for more stories.
Twisters Proves A Top Gun Sequel Could Have Worked Without Tom Cruise
Peter Mitchell Didn’t Need To Return ForTop Gun: MaverickTo Work
This highlights the reality thatTop Gun: Maverickcould have likely still been a success even without Tom Cruise stepping back into the lead. Actors like Glen Powell and Miles Teller brought new energy toTop Gun: Maverick, even while clearly recalling characters and dynamics from the previous film. This gave the film an element of continuity with the original that still allowed room for new character arcs and storylines. Without Cruise naturally stealing the spotlight in his return to one of his most foundational roles, the characters could have become the driving force of the film.
IfTop Gun’s sequel had followed the trajectory ofTwistersand approached a similar concept from a new perspective,it could have still been a huge success likeTwisters. Joseph Kosinski, who directedTop Gun: Maverick, was at one point set to directTwistersand took part in the development for the project. If the fresh swing ofTwistersworked for that film, a similar approach could have benefitedTop Gun: Maverickand helped differentiate further it from the original. While it may have been tricky to doTop Gun: Maverickwithout Tom Cruise,Twistersproves it was possible.
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.
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film’s events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick’s late friend, forcing him to confront his past.
