‘Twisters’: Director Lee Isaac Chung Talks Making The Leap To Blockbusters, Raising The Stakes & His Love Of ‘Star Wars’ [The Playlist Podcast]

Released almost 30 years ago, “Twister” has stood the test of time to be a favorite among film fans. Now, decades later, we finally get a sequel to the original, titled “Twisters.” And filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung has joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about it.

For those not familiar with Chung, the filmmaker really broke out thanks to his work on the film, “Minari,” which won a slew of awards after its release. He’s gone from that beautiful, intimate family drama to the world of blockbuster filmmaking with “Twisters.”

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“Twisters” is the spiritual sequel to the ‘90s disaster movie “Twister.” How is it a spiritual sequel and not a real sequel? Well, this doesn’t do the whole legacy sequel thing, but instead tells a new story in the world of Twister, with very little crossover between the films. So, if you’re someone who hasn’t watched the original, you can still see “Twisters” with zero prep. But if you’re a rabid fan of the original there’s plenty there to put a smile on your face. 

The interview starts with Chung explaining how he went from such a beloved indie drama like “Minari” to directing a massive blockbuster like “Twisters.”

“I had wished I could make an action movie,” he said. “And when the opportunity came to do a big blockbuster film, that just felt like something I’d love to do. Knowing that not too many people are afforded that opportunity, I thought I should try to take that leap.”

READ MORE: ‘Twisters’ Review: Some Visceral Thrills, But Predictable Storms & Soggy Cliches Overwhelm

He also talked about how the stakes are somehow even bigger in “Twisters” than in the original, especially in terms of how the film shows people actually dying during the events. This is a film that doesn’t hold back.

“I was hoping to raise the stakes in that way,” Chung explained. “That was already in the script when I came on board, and I felt that was important and stuck to it. I knew those moments were really important for [this film]. I feel like once you see those deaths, you really see the stakes. That these tornadoes can cause a lot of violence.”

Chung also talked quite a bit about the casting for the film, which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell as the leads. Not only that, the filmmaker also talked quite a bit about his love of “Star Wars” and why he directed episodes of “The Mandalorian” and the forthcoming ‘Skeleton Crew.’ 

“Twisters” arrives in theaters on July 19. You can hear the full interview below:

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