By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
It was like a scene for a movie. Literally. Cinematically.
Yes, the spot south of Okarche was the scene and yes, it is in the new movie “Twisters.”
The opening scene of the blockbuster summer movie is just south of town.
That movie scene was filmed at Northwest Expressway and U.S. 81. The overpass was closed during the film work, and traffic rerouted for a spell, a spell that is on the big screen in theaters nationwide now.
During the film shooting over a year ago, locals noticed. Some were even extras.
At the Tower Café and Bakery in Okarche, 412 S Main, owner Craig Hubbard said he did not notice an uptick in business during the filming. No economic impact.
Film crews had food trucks set up in the parking lot of the old Mainer Ford Dealership. A spokeswoman at Eischen’s in Okarche said there may have been a few extra orders of their famous chicken during filming, but not much of a business boom. She had not yet seen the movie but heard a local person is also seen, in a scene.
A publicity photo for the movie shows the Okarche area scene at U.S. 81 and Northwest Expressway with actress Daisy Edgar-Jones standing in the. It was filmed partly at the U.S. 81 junction with Northwest Highway, the publicity sheet in the media kit for the movie reads. A photo was provided by Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment media kit.
“Twisters” is a sequel to the original 1996 “Twister” a summer blockbuster the original 1996 movie saw Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton chasing storms in Oklahoma.
“Twisters” 2024 reportedly grossed $80.5 million at the box office during the opening weekend and is on track to be the biggest disaster movie money-maker ever.
