“Everybody wants the cow,” Chung told the outlet, before correcting himself: “They think they want the cow. But I promise you, you would be disappointed if there was a cow.” The director explained: “Any time I talk to anyone about that original ‘Twisters’ they would say, ‘Oh yeah, the big flying cow movie.’ I felt like I would hate to make a movie, update it, and just hear, ‘Oh yes, you made the new flying cow movie.'” Ironically, by opting out of making “the new flying cow movie,” Chung may have made what those same people will now call “the movie without the flying cow.” Still, he has a point: the tornado-stricken cow became a focal point of conversations around the original film, even appearing front and center on a Blu-ray edition of the film. “We got cows,” the cover’s only pull quote says, quoting Jami Gertz’s character from the movie.

While Chung’s ambivalence towards the “Twister” cow only serves to make me love it more, it’s true that the flying animal embodies the deeply ’90s aesthetic of the original, which was corny even upon release. In 2024, IP sequels tend to lean more self-serious, and even though some early reviews indicate that “Twisters” walks the fun-silly line set out by its predecessor surprisingly well, a repeat of the movie’s most recognizable gag may have been a bridge too far. Based on the new film’s delightful marketing campaign, which has so far been filled with storm-ravaged posters, suck tubes, and a technically-unrelated-but-still-cute red carpet puppy, “Twisters” still has a sense of humor about it to match the original. Indeed, without giving too much away, we have it on good authority that another farm animal gets caught up in the film’s tornado action at some point.

“Twisters” spins its way into theaters this Friday, July 19, 2024.