When a popular film or TV series is remade or rebooted, it has become common practice to bring actors from the previous version into the new project. They may have significant roles or appear only in cameos, but they are often there in one way or another. Unfortunately, one of the stars of Twisters, Bill Paxton passed away, so there was no way to cast him in the upcoming sequel. Twisterswhich is set to hit theaters later this week. Instead, Bill Paxton’s son James will be in it in his place, and his involvement in the film’s 2024 release sounds very emotional.
James Paxton – an actor and musician – will play a small role in Twisters. He tells EW it was just a cameo, but while the younger Paxton’s appearance in the film could be a nod to his father, it sounds like it could have been more. Paxton actually auditioned for the sequel to the film his father directed, but he admits it took him a while to come to terms with the idea when he was called and offered a role. He explained…
It took me a while to process that, just given the importance of my father in the original and his absence. It’s an emotional thing. It wasn’t something I could make a decision about right away. It took me a while to process that, just the magnitude of it.
It’s unclear if the role James Paxton was offered was the one he auditioned for. If it’s a small role, he may have auditioned for something else. But perhaps he gave the filmmakers the idea at the audition to have him appear as a tribute to his father.
While some were reluctant to Twisters to make a sequel, the story actually takes place after the events of the original film. However, due to the long time span between the parts, there is a cast of new characters. The basic premise of the film is the same and in the Twisters Trailers have given fans a glimpse of elements in the sequel that tie in with the original. It’s possible that if things had gone differently, Bill Paxton would have appeared in the new film to tie the two movies together.
James Paxton believes that his father, however he may have done, would have supported the sequel, which is why the son ultimately decided to play a role in Twisters. He wanted to represent his father in his own small way and cheer him on for the sequel. Paxton continued…
I wanted to be there as a voice for his spirit and cheer everyone on in this production to success because I know it would be him. I wanted to do something that would really honor his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him. And I realized there are a lot of great people involved that I would love to meet. And so in the end, it felt like the right thing to do to represent my dad there.
It is assumed that the success of the new film is only a matter of time. Twisters is expected to have a solid opening weekend, in one of the better summer movie seasons in recent memory. Check it out when it opens on July 19, and be sure to look for James Paxton’s cameo. And if it turns out to be sentimental, don’t be surprised if you get a little misty-eyed.
