Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung helms summer blockbuster 'Twisters'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- "Twisters" churned up a storm at the box office, taking in over $81 million its opening weekend; the third biggest debut at the movies so far in 2024.

It's helmed by Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung, who said the story reminded him of his childhood, when his own home was often threatened by tornadoes.

"One of my first memories of moving to Arkansas is us getting into a pickup truck and trying to run from the tornado, I think it's just been in my system and in my mind since that happened at a young age," he said.

The original "Twister" left a lasting impact on him as well.

"I think the first scene of that movie - it's a family running from a tornado at night - and I remember telling my parents - that reminds me of us," Chung said. "Everybody knows what it's like to deal with something much bigger than them, out of their control. To come up close and personal to something quite awe-inspiring."

Chung was nominated for an Academy Award for "Minari" not long after he considered quitting the business altogether.

"That was honestly pretty wild; maybe two years before that happened, I was thinking of maybe quitting filmmaking because things just weren't panning out and I started teaching jobs," he said. "All of the sudden, to be at the Oscars with my wife was just insane."

Now Hollywood powerhouse Steven Spielberg has taken him to blockbuster status.

"Steven Spielberg has been so great in this whole process," Chung said. "He loves the original 'Twister' that he executive produced and he's been great in working with me and coming into the editing room.

He loves tornadoes, he's a personal hero for me so it was a dream come true."

And far from the small independent films he'd directed before, this time he had a blockbuster budget to work with, too.

"It did feel pretty giant. It feels like a roller coaster ride that I just have to help design for an audience to go through, and every step, you've got to do a loop, you've got to do a quick turn, so my mind was constantly working in that way. It was a big challenge, but it was a lot of fun," he said.