CHICKASHA – The temporary closure of four blocks of streets here for production on a feature film will extend for two more weeks beyond the original deadline.
The City Council on June 5 authorized the closure of two blocks of S. 17th Street, between W. Iowa Avenue and W. Dakota Avenue, and two blocks of W. Minnesota Avenue, between S. 16th and S. 18th Streets, for almost four full weeks: from June 6 through July 1. Last week the council approved an extension of the closures through July 14.
Dirt Road Films is producing “Twisters,” an update of the 1996 disaster epic “Twister” co-written by prolific author Michael Crichton and starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The lead actors in “Twisters” are Glen Powell, who portrayed Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” and co-starred in the film “Devotion,” and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who starred in “When Crawdads Sing” and the miniseries “Normal People.”
Perhaps 300 to 500 personnel will be on the set at one time or another during the six-week period, city officials were told. Presumably many of them have been eating and sleeping in Chickasha at some point during that month and a half.
Councilmember Georgianne Hebblethwaite asked Police Chief Goebel Music and Fire Chief Tony Samaniego to ensure that first responders (police officers, firefighters, and EMTs) can enter the restricted areas if an emergency arises.
Chickasha is able to host the movie production because the state Commerce Department has designated the Grady County town “a film-friendly city.”