TWISTER stunt coordinator recalls producer Steven Spielberg flying to Oklahoma to yell at director Jan de Bont

The summer blockbuster The tornadoes is now in theaters, but nearly 30 years ago, the franchise began with the fan-favorite film Tornado. The original film has remained a staple for genre fans, and every time I watch it, I am reminded of the magic the film had when it first came out in theaters when I was a kid. But it wasn’t all magic behind the scenes.

In a recent interview with The Independent, the film’s stunt coordinator, Mic Rodgerstalked about the chaos that ensued during the production of the original film. Rodgers recalled Tornado director John of Bont who allegedly had a nervous breakdown on set one day, which led the crew to temporarily abandon production. He explained:

“De Bont’s most famous outburst nearly wrecked the entire production. One day the crew was filming in a ditch when the director pushed aside a camera assistant, who tripped and fell into the ravine. After the director refused to apologize for the incident, [the] the entire film crew stormed off the set, followed soon after by the sound team and then the costume department.”

“It was boiling,” Rodgers told the publication about the tension on set. According to Rodgers, none other than executive producer Steven Spielberg arrived the next day in Norman, Oklahoma, to chat with the director about the chaotic production. Spielberg apparently never made it to the set, and de Bont met him at the airport.

“The ramp came down on the Learjet and Spielberg walked down it without ever touching the ground. He just stood there yelling at Jan. He didn’t even get off the plane. He was just yelling, pointing at him, screaming at him. I don’t know what he said to him, but he barked at him for, like, 15 minutes and got back on the plane. The plane took off without him even getting off.”

That’s pretty crazy! But the scolding and pep talk must have worked, because the crew came back and the film was shot. Jan de Bont made a great film, but I hope he learned a lesson about how to treat his crew.

via: Variety