Into the Storm (2014 film)

Into the Storm
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2014; 12 years ago
Founder	Steven Quale (director), John Swetnam (screenwriter)
Products	Film
Website	www.warnerbros.com/movies/storm

Into the Storm is a 2014 American found footage disaster film directed by Steven Quale, with a screenplay by John Swetnam. The cast includes Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Arlen Escarpeta. The narrative centers on a sequence of tornadoes wreaking havoc on the imaginary town of Silverton, Oklahoma.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 8, 2014, the movie was produced on a budget of $50 million and earned $161.5 million globally. Critical reception was mixed; while the special effects received commendation, the screenplay and casting choices were met with criticism.

Plot

Pete, an experienced storm chaser, operates Titus, a specialized Tornado Intercept Vehicle, aiming to document tornadoes but has yet to succeed this season. Upon discovering an emerging storm system, his crew travels to Silverton, Oklahoma, in hopes of capturing tornado activity. When they arrive, the storm initially weakens but soon intensifies abruptly, generating hail and a tornado that endangers a local high school.

Students take shelter inside as the tornado inflicts damage on the school structure. Vice-principal Gary Fuller embarks on a mission to save his son Donnie and Donnie's friend Kaitlyn, who are trapped inside a collapsed paper mill. Meanwhile, Pete’s group encounters another tornado near Silverton; Gary rescues meteorologist Allison Stone. The team consents to assist Gary in reaching the mill but confronts several tornadoes along the way, including a devastating firenado that results in cameraman Jacob’s death. Conflicts arise as Pete prioritizes data collection over safety until Daryl confesses he pressured Jacob into filming.

At the mill, rising floodwaters threaten Donnie and Kaitlyn until Gary and Allison manage to rescue them. Above Silverton, two tornadoes merge into an EF-5 tornado poised to obliterate the town. Residents take refuge at the school; however, Pete’s team finds the storm shelter insufficient. Unable to contact staff via mobile phones, they hurry to provide aid. During evacuation, some buses and vehicles become trapped due to a fallen transmission tower.

The group seeks shelter in a storm drain at a nearby construction site, but damage caused by a truck compromises their refuge. To protect others, Pete entrusts his research hard drives to Gary and maneuvers Titus to secure the grate using towlines attached to the truck. When Titus’s equipment fails to hold, Pete is lifted by the tornado and dies as Titus crashes. The EF-5 tornado subsequently dissipates.

Following the disaster, Silverton begins its recovery process. Trey and Donnie record messages for a time capsule expressing their renewed appreciation for life. Allison pays tribute to Pete’s sacrifice and commitment to science. Footage reveals that two local thrill-seekers caught in the tornado have survived.

Cast

Richard Armitage as Gary Fuller, vice principal of Silverton High School
Sarah Wayne Callies as Allison Stone, meteorologist on Pete's team balancing career and family
Matt Walsh as Peter "Pete" Moore, seasoned storm chaser and team leader
Max Deacon as Donnie Fuller, junior at Silverton High and son of Gary Fuller
Alycia Debnam-Carey as Kaitlyn Johnston, Donnie’s girlfriend and junior at Silverton High
Nathan Kress as Trey Fuller, sophomore at Silverton High and younger son of Gary Fuller
Arlen Escarpeta as Daryl Karley, camera operator
Jeremy Sumpter as Jacob Hodges, novice camera operator
Lee Whittaker as Lucas Guerrette, camera operator
Stephanie Koenig as Marcia
Kyle Davis as Donk, a reckless stunt enthusiast
Jon Reep as Reevis, Donk's friend and stunt videographer
Scott Lawrence as Principal Thomas Walker
David Drumm as Chester
Brandon Ruiter as Todd
Kron Moore as Mrs. Blasky
Patrick Sarniak as High School Teacher (uncredited)

Production

On October 28, 2011, Deadline revealed that New Line Cinema had obtained the "found footage" natural disaster spec script penned by John Swetnam, with Todd Garner producing under Broken Road Productions. The concept for the script originated from Garner. Steve Quale was announced as the director for the untitled tornado thriller on January 5, 2012.

By April 24, 2012, Variety confirmed that New Line had officially approved the project centered on an Enhanced Fujita scale EF6 tornado—surpassing the existing EF5 classification—and intended to commence filming on July 9 in Detroit. During filming in Detroit on August 23, 2012, the project was named Black Sky. Later, on September 24, 2013, New Line renamed it Into the Storm and set its release date for August 8, 2014.

Casting

A public casting session was held on May 19, 2012, in Pontiac, Michigan. Alycia Debnam-Carey was cast as a female lead on May 24. Subsequently, Arlen Escarpeta joined the cast on June 1, followed by Sarah Wayne Callies on June 22 to portray Allison Stone. Nathan Kress was added on July 2 as a brother searching for his sibling. Richard Armitage signed on July 11 to play Gary Fuller, a widowed father striving to save his son from tornadoes; principal photography began July 23 in Detroit. Max Deacon joined the ensemble on July 13 as Donnie, a reserved teenager harboring a crush, while comedian Matt Walsh was cast as Pete on August 1.

Filming

Principal photography started in July 2012 in Detroit. Filming shifted to Rochester, Michigan on August 13, 2012, approximately two weeks after wrapping up in Detroit. Additional shooting took place at locations including Oakland Charter Township, Oakview Middle School, and Oakland University.

Music

Brian Tyler composed the film’s score, which was released alongside the soundtrack on August 5, 2014.

Visual effects

The visual effects were produced by Digital Domain, Moving Picture Company, Cinesite, Method Studios, Prime Focus World, Scanline VFX, and The Third Floor, Inc.. Supervision was provided by Jay Barton, Guillaume Rocheron, Simon Stanley-Clamp, among others, with additional support from Hydraulx and Rhythm and Hues Studios.

Release

Warner Bros. Pictures announced on September 24, 2013, that the film would premiere on August 8, 2014.

Home media

The movie became available on Digital HD starting October 28, 2014, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases through Warner Home Video on November 18, 2014.

Box office

Into the Storm earned $47.6 million domestically and $113.9 million internationally, accumulating a worldwide total of $161.5 million against its $50 million production budget.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 21% based on 160 reviews with an average score of 4.28/10. The critical consensus reads: "Poorly written and featuring unremarkable characters, Into the Storm delivers little beyond its impressive special effects." On Metacritic, it has a score of 44 out of 100 from 32 critics, reflecting "mixed or average" reviews.

Scott Foundas of Variety described it as "(a) feature-length VFX demo reel that makes one pine for the glory days of Jan de Bont." Meanwhile, Scott Mendelson from Forbes complimented its visual effects as "virtually flawless," labeling it a successful modernization of the disaster genre tailored for the YouTube generation and emphasizing its grand tornado visuals and spectacle.

External links

Official Site