How Sharknado put films in a spin
Published: 2013 August 13 16:59:55 (5674 Views)
So-bad-it's-good epic 'Sharknado' has become a social media phenomenon.
The made-for-TV film swiftly got a sequel after breaking SyFy's ratings record that was previously held by... 'Jaws'.
It will be called 'Sharknado 2: The Second One' - following a Twitter poll.
The original 'Sharknado' didn't blow in from nowhere. It's the brainchild of The Asylum Studios, a low-budget film operation that specialises in either ridiculous disaster movies or (what could be called) cynical cash-ins designed to trick people at their local garage bargain bin.
'Sharknado' falls into the former category, and is the natural progression from the likes of 'Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus', 'Megapirahna', 'Mega Python vs. Gatoroid', 'Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus' and the recent epic '2-Headed Shark Attack'. These are real films.
According to an interview in The Guardian with Jack Perez, the director of 'Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus', budgets are kept to under a million dollars, with production wrapped up in a couple of weeks.
Despite the small budgets, 'Shark vs. Octopus' made a splash back in 2009 for the same reasons that 'Sharknado' did; a self-knowingly awful title, and a trailer that showcased the movie's low budget CGI.
The trailer, which became a viral hit, featured the shark eating Golden Gate Bridge, then leaping out of the sea to attack a plane.
The other slightly more dubious side to Asylum is what they'd describe as 'tie-in' movies, but many dub 'mockbusters'.
The latest to hit the shelves was 'Atlantic Rim', a companion piece to Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim'.
Down the years they've also created 'Transmorphers', 'AVH: Alien vs. Hunter', '2012: Doomsday', 'Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls' and many more.
For a few years studios seemingly shrugged off these cash-ins, but in 2008 Fox finally threatened Asylum with legal action after they released 'The Day the Earth Stopped' around the release of Keanu Reeves' 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' remake.
Universal went further in 2012, actually suing Asylum over their 'Battleship' rip-off 'American Battleship'. Asylum were forced to change the name to 'American Warships', as well as the suspiciously similar cover art.
They got into trouble again for 'Age of the Hobbits' (see above), set for release the same month as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', but temporarily shelved and renamed 'Clash of the Empires' after a lawsuit from Warner Bros.
The studio successfully argued that there was a "likelihood" of consumer confusion with the film.
Despite the legal setbacks, The Asylum's success with 'Sharknado' means they have more fans than ever, and a grateful home on SyFy. 'Sharknado 2: The Second One' will land in July 2014.
- Yahoo
The made-for-TV film swiftly got a sequel after breaking SyFy's ratings record that was previously held by... 'Jaws'.
It will be called 'Sharknado 2: The Second One' - following a Twitter poll.
The original 'Sharknado' didn't blow in from nowhere. It's the brainchild of The Asylum Studios, a low-budget film operation that specialises in either ridiculous disaster movies or (what could be called) cynical cash-ins designed to trick people at their local garage bargain bin.
'Sharknado' falls into the former category, and is the natural progression from the likes of 'Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus', 'Megapirahna', 'Mega Python vs. Gatoroid', 'Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus' and the recent epic '2-Headed Shark Attack'. These are real films.
According to an interview in The Guardian with Jack Perez, the director of 'Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus', budgets are kept to under a million dollars, with production wrapped up in a couple of weeks.
Despite the small budgets, 'Shark vs. Octopus' made a splash back in 2009 for the same reasons that 'Sharknado' did; a self-knowingly awful title, and a trailer that showcased the movie's low budget CGI.
The trailer, which became a viral hit, featured the shark eating Golden Gate Bridge, then leaping out of the sea to attack a plane.
The other slightly more dubious side to Asylum is what they'd describe as 'tie-in' movies, but many dub 'mockbusters'.
The latest to hit the shelves was 'Atlantic Rim', a companion piece to Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim'.
Down the years they've also created 'Transmorphers', 'AVH: Alien vs. Hunter', '2012: Doomsday', 'Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls' and many more.
For a few years studios seemingly shrugged off these cash-ins, but in 2008 Fox finally threatened Asylum with legal action after they released 'The Day the Earth Stopped' around the release of Keanu Reeves' 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' remake.
Universal went further in 2012, actually suing Asylum over their 'Battleship' rip-off 'American Battleship'. Asylum were forced to change the name to 'American Warships', as well as the suspiciously similar cover art.
They got into trouble again for 'Age of the Hobbits' (see above), set for release the same month as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', but temporarily shelved and renamed 'Clash of the Empires' after a lawsuit from Warner Bros.
The studio successfully argued that there was a "likelihood" of consumer confusion with the film.
Despite the legal setbacks, The Asylum's success with 'Sharknado' means they have more fans than ever, and a grateful home on SyFy. 'Sharknado 2: The Second One' will land in July 2014.
- Yahoo
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