Note: This story contains very mild spoilers for “Twisters.”
One of the lesser-known factoids finally making its way out into the world as the movie “Twisters” hits theaters could mean great things for the town of Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
That’s because Kate Carter, the female lead character in the sequel to the hit tornado flick from the 1990s—played by British Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones, confesses in the movie that she’s originally from Sapulpa.
The revelation comes through an interaction between Carter, who is now working as a meteorologist in New York City, and internet celebrity storm chaser Tyler Owens, played by Glen Powell.
At the start of their working relationship, Owens calls Carter “city girl,” believing that she’s originally from the Big Apple. Later in the movie, Carter confesses that she’s actually from a town in the very state they’re chasing tornadoes—the seat of Creek County with a population of 20,000 called Sapulpa. Upon finding this out, Owens stops calling Carter “city girl,” and begins calling her “Sapulpa.”
Was the movie filmed in Sapulpa?
It’s unfortunate that despite Sapulpa’s certification as a “film-friendly city,” none of the scenes in the movie were shot in Sapulpa. Even the scenes from Carter’s childhood home on her mother’s farm were not shot in Sapulpa, but rather in Howe, Oklahoma—a tiny community in LaFlore County with less than 700 people.
That doesn’t mean that the Sooner State misses its moment. According to the Tulsa World, “all of ‘Twisters’ is shot in Oklahoma, even brief scenes that take place in New York City.”
Those scenes involving a National Weather Service regional office and a coffee shop were shot at locations in downtown Oklahoma City.
Even though Sapulpa is only referenced in the movie and not shown, it doesn’t mean that the city could not benefit from being mentioned. Sapulpa still gets attention and tourism thanks to 1984’s “The Outsiders,” which had several scenes recorded here. Director Francis Ford Coppola’s follow-up movie “Rumble Fish,” was predominantly shot in Sapulpa, and became such a cult classic that Sapulpa renamed one of its famous film locations “Rumble Fish Alley.” Last year, Coppola said “Rumble Fish” was his favorite film to have directed.
Twisters is in theaters now and showing at both Sapulpa Cinema 8 and the Tee Pee Drive-In. Watch the trailer for Twisters here:
