Twisters’ connections to the original movie are subtle but important

Twisters might be a distant relative to the 1996 original movie, but there are still some connections and Easter eggs that link the two disaster flicks.

If you were hoping for cameos or references to the original in the Twister sequel, you might be disappointed. Twisters, for the most part, stands on its own two feet, putting a modern spin on the story and introducing new characters and new storms to face.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some deep-rooted references that tie the two action movies together. In fact, Twisters’ Easter eggs are very subtle, but they an important part of their shared history.

So, without further ado, here are all the Twister connections and Easter eggs we found in Twisters. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

Dorothy returns

In both movies, the instrument created by Jo and Bill Harding to study tornadoes is used by the storm chasers.

The uses are slightly different, however; in the original, they use Dorothy to study the tornado and hope to develop an advanced warning system with the information they learn. In Twisters, the usage is the same, though Kate wants to also “tame” the tornadoes and subdue them, too.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Dorothy works by sending up hundreds of small tracking devices into the funnel of the twister, which scans the storm from the inside out. In the finale of Twister, Jo and Bill have to attach small metal wings to the trackers in order for them to be swept up.

In Twisters, it appears as though this technology is now standard for storm chasers, since Kate and her friends in the opening sequence are using it in the hopes of getting a grant for their research. (Curiously, the machine they use is “Dorothy 5”, even though the original mentions that Jo and Bill only made four.)

Kate also pairs Dorothy with her own invention – barrels of a powder substance specifically designed to influence the moisture levels inside the storm and make it dissolve.

Although Jo and Bill aren’t mentioned by name when the new characters refer to Dorothy, it’s a great reference that suggests their research not only continued, but thrived.

Sixth sense about Tornadoes

Both the original movie and updated version carry the same theme of corporate vs. maverick storm chasers, led by characters who can “sense” storms coming.

In the original, Bill Paxton’s character had a sixth sense of sorts about when and where twisters would appear, earning him the nickname, “The Extreme.” (That, and his adrenaline junkie attitude.)

Warner Bros. Pictures

One scene even shows him picking up dirt from the ground and using it to influence his decision making in where the tornado could strike.

In Twisters, there’s very much a similar arc. Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate also has an eerie sense about twisters, able to predict when they’re going to show up. In a similar scene, she grabs a dandelion and makes a judgement depending on where the wind blows it.

There’s also the underlying conflict between Glen Powell‘s tornado team and Anthony Ramos’ corporate suits. Both are tacking and chasing tornadoes, but Powell’s side is more inclined to help people, while the wealthy science team are quick to buy up destroyed land for a profit.

Bill Paxton’s son has a cameo

Although none of the original cast appear in the new movie, there is a tribute to the late Bill Paxton, who played Bill Harding. Paxton died in 2017, and his son James plays a cameo role in the sequel 28 years later.

Universal Pictures

He plays Cody, a motel guest who is reluctant to run from the oncoming tornado. Initially, he and his girlfriend doubt there is one, until it comes ripping into the building. When they run outside, they make the rookie error of getting into their car, and the twister sucks them up.

Speaking about the role, Paxton admitted that the experience was an emotional one.

“It took me a little bit of time to process it, just given the context of my dad and his significance in the original and him not being here,” Paxton told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s an emotional thing. It wasn’t something that I could really decide immediately, It took a little time just to process it, just the magnitude of it.”

He also noted that he “wanted to be a conduit” for his father’s spirit on set, and “cheer everyone in this production onto success because I knew 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.”

Twisters is out in the UK now, and coming to theaters in the US on July 19. For more, check out our Twisters review. You can also find out what’s on the Twisters soundtrack, as well as how to watch Twisters, so you don’t miss the new movie.