When the summer blockbuster “Twisters” blows into theaters this week, don’t hold your breath for any climate change references … as the director says he’s purely focused on entertaining.
Director Lee Isaac Chung insists despite directing one of the most anticipated natural disaster flicks in ages, he’s not about making it preachy … telling CNN he doesn’t believe movies should be about heavy-handed messages.
The movie, ft. Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones is a fresh take on the 1996 classic. It centers on a retired tornado chaser who gets roped back into the action in Oklahoma, teaming up with a new squad and some fancy tech to chase storms again.
So, in theory, the movie has plenty of chances to dive into climate change … and in one scene, a local farmer even says storms and floods are becoming more common. But, there’s no direct mention of widescale changes being observed in Earth’s climate, at all.
And while Lee acknowledges IRL things are definitely changing in the world, he says he just wanted the movie to focus on the gritty reality of what’s happening on the ground.
TBH, scientific research backs the exclusion, as well. National Geographic recently stated, “There is no real evidence that tornadoes are happening more often,” so that link hasn’t exactly been nailed down yet.
So for now, viewers can expect only tornadoes and thrills — and no real-world talking points when the movie hits theatres.