Benjamin Wallfisch to Score Lee Isaac Chung’s ‘Twisters’
Benjamin Wallfisch (It, The Flash, Shazam!, Blade Runner 2049, Hidden Figures, The Invisible Man) has been hired to score the upcoming disaster movie Twisters. The film is directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Nik Dodani and Kiernan Shipka. The sequel to Jan de Bont’s 1996 feature Twister (scored by Mark Mancina) follows two competing teams of stormchasers who find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives. Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) wrote the screenplay based on a story by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion). Frank Marshall (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sixth Sense) and Patrick Crowley (Jurassic World, The Bourne Identity) are producing the Amblin Entertainment production. Twisters will be released in theaters nationwide on July 19, 2024 by Universal Pictures.
It's going to be very hard if not impossible to even come close to Mark Mancina's score in my opinion. But if he uses the original themes somehow, I'll be a happy camper. (Wishful thinking)
It's going to be very hard if not impossible to even come close to Mark Mancina's score in my opinion. But if he uses the original themes somehow, I'll be a happy camper. (Wishful thinking)
Mancina’s Twister is a top 5 score to me. It’s got just the right blend of rip-snort action and emotional heart and several very hummable themes. That’s actually what made the original movie so good; it has a huge heart under all the action.
But of course movies aren’t made with heart anymore. This looks like a cheap cash grab; an overly sensationalized remake of the original by people acting as if they pounded a quart of Red Bull before every line. I’m sure the score will be loud and doomy with none of the heart. I hope I’m proven wrong but I’m cynical here.
Not very hopeful for the movie judging by the trailer. It looks more like a remake and not a proper sequel indeed.
Wallfish is not a bad composer, his scores are good/functional but I do not have hope he will deliver a score as good as Mancina’s score for the original Twister.
In fact I don’t expect he will deliver a score as good as my ‘second favorite’ score for a movie about twisters. The underrated Brian Tyler’s score for the 2014 twister whannabe “Into The Storm”. If you’re not familiar with it check it out. Great action tracks and some good themes/emotinal moments.
My low expectations were lowered significantly from that trailer. The first movie was all about the characters with the spectacle bolstering their story.
This looks like its all about the noise and how many computer operators they could get to program increasingly absurd situations for our soulless characters to end up in.
A frothy, popcorn adventure, rife with hilarious comedic elements, endearing diverse dramatic scenes, superb performances by all, and unique computer generated special effects that dazzle the eyes and senses.
Wallfisch's score is a complex, multi layered thematic experience, incorporating avant-garde elements for the twisters and a gorgeous string orchestra 'love' theme, as well as bracing mixed-meter action scoring that will bristle your blood pressure, and call back (in a good way) to the best of Goldsmith's classic action music.
Aside from Mancina's thrilling and tuneful score and some neat VFX, I was never really a fan of the original film. I found most of the characters smug and annoying* and I was bored beyond the few episodic set-pieces. This one looks pretty much the same, but with worse (video game like) FX. I like Wallfisch but wonder how much leeway he will have been given amongst all the yee-hah redneck songs.
I have a soft nostalgic spot for the original. I was 18-19 when it came out, so perfect target audience. Unlike Hurdy, I liked the gung ho group and their personalities. Also beautifully shot by Jan de Bont as the master cinematographer that he is. Mancina's score is brilliant, of course, one of his best. BUT, I also agree that the replay desire isn't that great. Unlike other disaster films with great replay value, it has a relatively limited scope. I mean, even if there are multiple twisters in play, it's fairly limited in terms of how many setpieces you can have, and how much is at stake.
I'm curious how they'll be able to stage all this in the sequel - cheapo direct-to-video aesthetic or not.
Aside from Mancina's thrilling and tuneful score and some neat VFX, I was never really a fan of the original film. I found most of the characters smug and annoying* and I was bored beyond the few episodic set-pieces. This one looks pretty much the same, but with worse (video game like) FX. I like Wallfisch but wonder how much leeway he will have been given amongst all the yee-hah redneck songs.
*and I usually dig Bill Paxton in anything.
Agreed. Love Paxton but he was never leading man material. Also in this day and age of the Weather Channel who needs a movie about a CGI twister? We already got the ultimate Twister score, this will be pointless.
This will probably be the only film I'll see in 2024 in the cinema (3 small kids). I will try to not get my expectations too high.
I remember seeing the original when I was 14 in cinema and being completely blown away by it (pun totally intended). The score is still one of my absolute favorites and plays regularly in the car.
Cinema has reached an impasse, a turning point. I feel shaming, people like me, longing for....entertainment or GOD forbid, decent pop art in and from the States, and not shaming-redirecting us to foreign cinema, which I often love, but does not wholly speak to my culture, life, understanding or aesthetic.
I love it when folks here scold us sorry yanks, when we complain about the death of mainstream cinema...go watch some foreign films! Seek symphonic VGM! Ok, fine, it works for me sometimes.
But degrading a "William's born US pop cinema" person to "just go find VGM or foreign cinema" because the music is so much better, is rotten.
It took me a long & winding road to appreciate foreign films. I do....but recent works tend to fall into safe patterns, akin to US cinema. You can only play old Goldsmith, Rota, Horner or Morricone works so much...
Everyone is playing it safe. I'm beyond checked out. More power if anyone can defend this shite, that will be TWISTERS. See my mock review and diss (sorry Thor, really, I mean it. Odds are I'm close though. I am apologetic to you however for being a real asshole). I'm laying it out, calling this garbage prior to (likely never) viewing. Wooooo. Scared, kids??
In seriousness, you could be right, of course. It COULD be shite. But for now, it looks kinda fun. Sometimes a film can be both shite and fun at the same time. Let's wait until it's actually out.
