One of the biggest 2024 movies lighting up the big screen this weekend is the Twister sequel, Twisters, starring Glen Powell. As the movie hits theaters and stands to be the next summer blockbuster of the year, its main man paid tribute to the lead of the original 1996 movie, Bill Paxton.
Glen Powell’s Sweet Tribute To Bill Paxton
Powell took to Twitter on Friday to share a photo of him with Bill Paxton (both donning cowboy hats) with a touching message to the late actor. In his words:
As we release Twisters into the world today, I just wanted to look up and tip my hat to the legend that is Bill Paxton. A great friend of mine who saw poetry in the natural world. His boots are impossible to fill, but this life is all about chasing the greats. 🌪️❤️🌪️❤️🌪️
Bill Paxton died at the age of 61 back in 2017 due to a damaged aortic heart valve. However, he leaves a longstanding legacy through his various iconic film projects over the years, including his role in 1996’s Twisters which he starred in alongside Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cary Elwes.
Paxton was from Texas, just like Glen Powell is, and prior to Twisters even being a twinkle in the Anyone But You star’s eye, he had the chance to develop a friendship with the lead of the original movie. Powell’s words are a sweet tribute to the first Twister leading man.
Glen Powell’s Connection With Twister Actor Bill Paxton
But, how did the two actors’ paths cross? Well, Glen Powell and Bill Paxton actually starred in a movie called Red Wing back in 2013 together. The photo Powell shared next to the tribute was from the set of that film, which was a western about an orphan who got taken in by a couple living on a farm. No… it’s not about Superman.
Powell plays the orphan who eventually ends up working under a rancher played by Bill Paxton. Check out a still from the movie:
Considering the movie was made a decade prior to the release of Twisters, it’s all a coincidence, but a very cool one considering the position Glen Powell is currently in with the summer movie. The sequel is getting great reviews, including in CinemaBlend’s Twisters review where Mike Reyes says the new flick captures “the feeling that the ‘90s hit stood for.”
While Bill Paxton could not be in the sequel, his son James Paxton is part of the movie as a fun nod to the original film. Certainly, as Twisters becomes a hit this weekend, more people will be watching Bill Paxton in the original movie for the first time – which is streaming for those with a Max subscription. It’s sweet to see Glen Powell and Bill Paxton’s connection as Twisters blasts its way into theaters.