By Betsy Galchutt, Entertainment Reporter
What better way to celebrate Discovery Channel’s Shark Week than to relive your favorite Sharknado memories?
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host, Kim Horcher, were invited to interview Thunder Levin, screenwriter of the unstoppable Sharknado during everyone’s favorite fish phenomenon, Shark Week. Check out our exclusive interview below to get an insider’s perspective on the sci-fi sensation.
The campy thriller made waves last month when it premiered July 17 on Syfy, and its reception was so strong that it was even granted a limited theatrical screening through Regal Cinemas. Sharknado sold out theaters on August 2 for a special midnight showing and it will next re-air on SyFy on Thursday, August 22.
A Sharknado sequel has already been ordered and is set to take place in New York City amongst a flurry of flying sharks. There’s no official word yet if original stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid will appear, but the sequel is slated to air on SyFy in 2014 and will be produced by the same company as its predecessor, The Asylum.
Sequel Scoop
Officially titled Sharknado 2: The Second One, Syfy urged fans to help name the sequel via Twitter. Fans tweeted their subtitle suggestions to @SyFyMovies using #Sharknado and the network selected their favorite of the submissions.
Sharknado currently holds a “fresh” 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics such as Audrey Peeples of The Onion’s AV Club have said, “Every so often, something comes along that puts a skip in your step, makes your heart flutter, and sets your imagination ablaze with possibility…. If you’re really lucky… it’ll be a swirling mass of bloodthirsty sharks.”
With all of the exposure and fan frenzy, is there any worry that the Sharknado franchise will, in fact, jump the shark?
According to Thomas Vitale, Syfy’s Executive Vice President of Programming and Original Movies, the best is yet to come. “Every once in a while, there is a perfect storm–on television,” Vitale said. “The fans are clamoring for a sequel. Or perhaps it will be a prequel. What we can guarantee is that Sharknado 2 will be lots of fun. We’ll be announcing more details very soon. But we didn’t want our fans to worry they wouldn’t get their fill of more shark fin, I mean, fun next year.”
In the meantime, there’s always repeat airings on Syfy and a slew of drinking games to tide fans over. Check out one of our favorites below and add your own suggestions in the comments.
Take the Bait
For more Syfy scoop, check out the official site and connect on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Tweet your #Sharknado musings to @SharkNadoFilm and check out some of our favorite Sharknado 2 title suggestions here.
