When a popular movie or TV series gets remade or rebooted, getting actors from the previous version to appear in the new project has become somewhat common. They might have significant roles or they may just appear in cameos but, one way or another, they’re often there. Unfortunately, one of the stars of Twister, Bill Paxton, passed away, so there was no way to make him part of the upcoming sequel, Twisters, which is set to be released at the end of the week. Instead, Bill Paxton‘s son, James, will be there in his place, and his involvement in the 2024 movie release sounds very emotional.
James Paxton — an actor and musician — will have a small role in Twisters. He tells EW it’s just a cameo but, while Paxton the younger’s appearance in the film may be a nod to his father, it sounds like it could have been more than that. Paxton actually auditioned to appear in the sequel to the movie his dad made, though he admits when he was called and offered a part, it took him some time to come to terms with the idea. He explained…
It took me a little bit of time to process it, just given the context of my dad and his significance in the original and him not being here. It’s an emotional thing. It wasn’t something that I could really decide immediately, It took a little time just to process it, just the magnitude of it.
It’s unclear if the role James Paxton was offered was what he auditioned for. If this role is only a small one, he may have tried out for something else. However, perhaps in auditioning, he gave the filmmakers the idea to have him appear as a tribute to his father.
While some have balked at calling the Twister follow-up a sequel, the story does indeed take place after the events of the original movie. However, due to the long gap of time between installments, there’s a cast of new characters. The basic premise of the film is the same and, in the Twisters trailer, fans have seen elements in the sequel that will tie back to the original. It’s possible that, had things been different Bill Paxton could have appeared in the new film as a way to tie the two movies together.
James Paxton believes that however his father might have done it, he would have been supportive of the sequel, which is why the son ultimately chose to appear in Twisters. He wanted to represent his dad in the small way he could as a way of cheering on the sequel. Paxton continued…
I wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success because I know he would be. I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him. And I realized there’s a lot of amazing people involved in this that I would love to get to know. And so it ended up feeling like the right thing to do, to be representative of Dad there.
Expectations are that success for the new movie is only a matter of time. Twisters is projected to have a solid opening weekend, in what has already become one of the better summer movie seasons in recent memory. Check out the film when it opens on July 19th, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for James Paxton’s cameo. And, if it proves to be sentimental, don’t be surprised if you get a bit misty-eyed.
