Prey director Dan Trachtenberg debunks report that he’s on the shortlist of candidates to helm Twister 2. 1996’s Twister tapped into audiences’ primal fear of tornadoes and scored at the box office to the tune of $495 million worldwide. But fans who loved the original Twister’s then-groundbreaking tornado action have sadly not yet been treated to a sequel.
Now over 25 years on from the first Twister’s release, things are finally looking up on the Twister 2 front. According to a new report, Universal and Amblin Entertainment are currently rounding up directorial candidates with an eye toward beginning production on Twister 2 in spring of 2023. The shortlist of potential directors is reported to include Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi (Free Solo), Dan Trachtenberg (Prey), and Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings).
But at least one of the directors on that Twister 2 shortlist has already spoken out to debunk the notion that he’s up for the job. On Twitter, Prey helmer Trachtenberg offered a flat denial that he’s interested in taking on Twister 2. “To whom it may concern. I am not making a TWISTER,” he tweeted. See his tweet in the space below:
Could This Mean Trachtenberg Will Be Busy With Prey Sequels?
Trachtenberg certainly has the action movie chops to make an intriguing Twister 2, given his work on the franchise films 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey. But it’s entirely possible that he’s not available to make the Twister sequel, because he’s too busy working on sequels to his own 2022 Predator franchise entry. Prey indeed seemingly sets up a direct sequel, as its mid-credits scene shows a native pictograph depicting more alien ships descending on the plains. This teaser certainly seems to indicate that Naru and her fellow Comanche will soon have multiple predator aliens to deal with. It’s also been suggested that Prey sequels could travel to different time periods to depict an array of interesting human vs. Predator showdowns.
Trachtenberg for his part has indicated that he’s seen people’s Prey 2 ideas, but says fans have not yet stumbled on what he thinks is the best idea of all. The director also recently said in an interview that when he wrote Prey, he was already thinking about continuing the story, allowing the “nerd” in him to look as far ahead as he could. This all certainly seems to point toward Trachtenberg having strong interest in continuing the tale of Naru and her people’s battle against their alien enemies. Of course, it’s important to remember that Prey 2 has not yet been confirmed. But a Prey sequel does seem like a strong possibility given its solid performance on Hulu. And if Trachtenberg is indeed busy planning his Prey sequels, then he certainly won’t have time to work on Twister 2.
Source: Dan Trachtenberg/Twitter