The natural disaster cult classic is back — but this time with a new plot featuring a meteorologist, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and a social media star, Glen Powell, who are on the hunt for the biggest tornadoes.
It was a production Prairie Surf Studios CEO and Founder Matt Payne knew would leave a mark.
“Sitting on my couch during the Super Bowl — the highest-priced advertising spot that there is — and seeing a trailer for Twisters among those ads really lets you know how significant a project was created in your facility,” Payne said.
Prairie Surf Studios, currently located in downtown Oklahoma City, helped house a space for Twisters production and offered external logistical production support.
Hagan Hunter, Executive Vice President of Studio Operations, explained the special effects and creation of elements inside their space pushed the bounds of what the state’s film scene has been able to produce. To further his point, he detailed examples of pelting rain, hail and EF 5-level winds, which were recreated using jet engines.
“One of the most fun things was seeing how many elements that were being created inside of the studio,” Hunter said. “To really see what these Oklahoma crew members, alongside Hollywood industry veterans, are building and to the scale they're building inside of our studios.”
Recently, more productions have popped up in the state, including Killers of the Flower Moon, Reservation Dogs and Tulsa King.
Payne said these recent productions have put Oklahoma on the map for the film industry.
“Because of the size of the projects that we've had and the acclaim and success of the projects that have been here, we've sort of fallen on the radar,” Payne said. “So Hollywood's looking at Oklahoma now as a very viable film destination.”
Twisters is set to touch down in Oklahoma theaters in time for the weekend.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
