It was the summer of 1996 when the Twister storm-chasing film hit the silver screen and exploded in popularity—with a budget of around $90 million, the motion picture grossed out at over $495 million, only being surpassed by Independence Day in the year’s charts. And while the latter has followed the blockbuster tradition of receiving a sequel, Twister has yet to return. However, the epic disaster-type movie continues to influence generations of artists, with this lifted Dodge Ram truck rendering, which focuses on the automotive side of a potential Twister 2 being the latest example of the sort.
When facing disaster with plans to defy nature’s worst caprices, one needs a sturdy vehicle to rely on. And Twister director Jan de Bont cast a second-generation Dodge Ram truck in that role.
The late Bill Paxton, who plays Dr. William “Bill/The Extreme” Harding in the movie, faces an F5 tornado—the most intense type there is—behind the wheel of 1996 Dodge Ram featuring a Dorothy device in its bed. The said hardware is a fictional weather monitoring piece the 4×4 truck needed to plant at the heart of the tornado.
Having recently enjoyed the production, digital artist Timothy Adry Emmanuel (aka adry53customs) took the sequel matter into his own hands.
As such, the Indonesian 26-year-old, who often imagines otherworldly American machines, came up with an updated hero car for the imaginary Twister 2. In fact, he went one step further and created the fan art that is the movie poster you see above.
A hardcore off-roading conversion for an already badass truck
Of course, the Dorothy device is back in the bed of the ’96 Dodge Ram, but the truck is now better equipped to face the windy mayhem.
So, while the original seemed to ride on the factory wheels and tires, this one sports custom wheels shod in super-sized, all-terrain rubber. And, to make sure the debris remains low, the classic body of the pickup now sports meaty overfenders.
Underneath, the whole suspension has been revamped, featuring goodies such as beefier axles, heavy-duty shocks—two for each wheel—and a steering stabilizer.
And, judging by the increased weight (those skidplates aren’t exactly scale-friendly), the firepower has also been upgraded. All we can see is the side exhaust, though.
Helen Hunt came up with a concept for Twister 2 two years ago, but it got rejected
Helent Hunt, who plays Dr. Jo Harding, an eccentric meteorologist and storm-hunter in the motion picture, came up with a plan for a sequel and introduced this to movie execs back in 2020.
She would’ve directed the movie, while also writing alongside Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. And, as she explained in a “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” segment that isn’t online anymore, the idea was to feature a truly diverse cast.
Her character would’ve made a comeback in “elder, tired, haggard” form, but she would be killed by a tornado in the very opening scene of the movie.
The executives said no—it’s not clear what studios she approached, but we’ll return to that below—and while their reasons remain unknown, a Twister sequel is said to be in the works.
Note that while Warner Bros. produced and distributed the 1996 original, back in 2020 reports about Universal Pictures handling a reboot started to emerge. Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is said to be at the helm of the project, but no fresh news has surfaced on the matter, so we can merely rely on hopes and dreams for the time being.
