Twisters" Director Defends Omission of Climate Change Message

Director Lee Isaac Chung says his new film, "Twisters," does not explicitly address climate change because he believes films should not be "message-oriented." His comments have drawn criticism from some who argue that the film missed an opportunity to raise awareness about the issue.

Lee Isaac Chung, the director of the new film "Twisters," has defended his decision not to explicitly address climate change in the film, saying that he does not believe films should be "message-oriented."

In an interview with CNN, Chung said that he wanted to make sure that the film "doesn't ever feel like (it) is putting forward any message."

Twisters" Director Defends Omission of Climate Change Message

"I just don't feel like films are meant to be message-oriented," he said.

"Twisters," which is a sequel to the 1996 hit film of the same name, follows a group of storm chasers as they track a series of tornadoes. The film stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos.

Twisters" Director Defends Omission of Climate Change Message

While the film does not explicitly mention climate change, Chung said there is a scene where a local farmer complains about storms and floods becoming more frequent and driving up the price of wheat.

"I think what we are doing is showing the reality of what's happening on the ground ... we don't shy away from saying that things are changing," the director explained.

Twisters" Director Defends Omission of Climate Change Message

"I wanted to make sure that we are never creating a feeling that we're preaching a message, because that's certainly not what I think cinema should be about," he added. "I think it should be a reflection of the world."

Chung's comments have drawn criticism from some who argue that the film missed an opportunity to raise awareness about climate change.

"It would have made sense if ‘Twisters’ — a film about storm chasers studying a spate of unusually powerful and destructive tornadoes — worked climate change into its story," The Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore contested.

"[W]hen you consider how scientists have found that the conditions that create tornado-producing storms are more likely in a warming world, ‘Twisters’’ avoidance of the phrase ‘climate change’ feels like shying away and then some," his report continued.

A writer for The Hollywood Reporter also argued that data showing that tornado patterns are changing could've been worked into the film.

"But to hear director Lee Isaac Chung tell it, even such a throwaway reference would be like beating red state moviegoers over the head with a DVD copy of 'An Inconvenient Truth,'" THR's James Hibberd wrote.

"Twisters" star Glen Powell has also rejected the idea that the move should send a political message.

"First and foremost, because if you’re telling people what to think, you’re not allowing them to feel. You can’t put people into that heightened state if they’re thinking, ‘Hmm, do I or do I not agree with this message?’" he recently told The Telegraph.

"Of course, you might want to have con­ver­sations about those other things later," Powell added, "but that’s not what our movie is about. It’s man and woman versus nature; finding out who we really are in the face of the storm."

Progressive groups have pushed for Hollywood to insert more messages about climate change into entertainment. A recent study suggested movies and television shows should incorporate at least one line about climate change into the dialogue to acknowledge "climate change is our reality."

Chung's decision not to include a climate change message in "Twisters" highlights the ongoing debate about the role of politics in entertainment. Some argue that films should be used to raise awareness about important social issues, while others believe that films should simply entertain and escapism.