All the Oklahoma Filming Locations ‘Twisters’ Passed Through

After surpassing the $100 million mark in less than a week, Whirlwinds, the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Whirlwind, has been a real storm at the box office. That’s all thanks to the whirlwind romance between lead actors Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones and of course all those exciting tornadoes.

While special effects played a big part in the film, the movie, which is set in Oklahoma, was actually filmed in the Sooner State. So all those stormy skies and wide-open spaces are actually authentic. And anyone who lives in Tornado Alley is all too familiar with the forces of nature, including Ree Drummond.

Ree once wrote of a storm at Drummond Ranch: “Along the bottom of the forming funnel cloud was a roaring sea of rotation – and as I stood there looking up at the sky my stomach turned over from the power in those clouds. There’s nothing like watching a tornado in its early stages, especially one of this size. Since they’re often west of our house (i.e. coming right at us, so we’re under the house) or covered in rain, it’s rare that we get a chance to just sit down and watch one form.”

Those fictional storm chasers from the movie couldn’t agree more! But where exactly was Whirlwinds filmed in Oklahoma? Well, we’re taking a look at the spots based on real locations. So the next time you’re planning a trip to Drummond Ranch in Pawhuska, you can even take a tour of the towns that were filmed.

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Where was Whirlwinds filmed?

What do you get when you take CGI tornadoes and mix them with the roaring backdrop of Oklahoma? Well, you get one hell of a movie setting! Although parts of the film were filmed in Los Angeles, many of the tornado-ravaged cities seen in the film can be attributed to real southern rural areas. In fact, several scenes in the film that take place on the busy streets of Manhattan were filmed in downtown Oklahoma City, just over two hours from Ree’s home.

According to IMDB, other filming locations in the state include Chickasha, Okarche, Midwest City, Yukon, Cashion and more. Chickasha takes over the life of a small town called Crystal Springs and is one of the first areas hit by a major storm. Another major location is Howe, home to Kate Cooper’s (Daisy Edgar-Jones) childhood home.

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You’ll also see shots of Stillwater, featured in the film as the location for a rodeo that Kate and Tyler Owens (Glenn Powell) attend. Fun fact: Stillwater is also home to Bryce Drummond’s college, Oklahoma State University! As for the biggest tornado in the film, it bulldozes through the real-life town of El Reno, Oklahoma, which was actually hit by a major tornado in 2013.

How was Whirlwinds filmed during storms?

Since these Tornado Alley cities are no strangers to extreme weather, the cast and crew had to deal with some really bad weather during filming. In an interview with Vanity FairDirector Lee Isaac Chung explained that the storm season was great for realistic landscapes, but not so great for finishing the film. “I didn’t really think about how much we were going to be shut down by the weather… It just happened all the time. I got to the set and the first thing we did was have a lightning delay,” Chung said. There were even a few times when everyone on set had to take shelter to wait out an approaching storm.

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Chung also notes, “We’re filming these guys running up the bridge (to take shelter from a tornado), and we have to shut down: That storm ended up spawning a tornado. We all had to find shelter and get out of there.” He adds, “We kept finding ourselves filming beautiful skies, but then we’d get shut down after 30 minutes.”

With all that work in the stormy weather, it’s no wonder the film is leaving audiences in awe. And it goes without saying that fans aren’t the only ones!

Catch Whirlwinds now in theaters or coming soon to streaming services.

Macie Reynolds is the Assistant Editor of E-Commerce and SEO for The Pioneer Woman.

All the Oklahoma Filming Locations ‘Twisters’ Passed Through

Where was Whirlwinds filmed?

How was Whirlwinds filmed during storms?