Cult Classic Action Series Returns After Nearly a Decade

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

That may have been the famous tagline for the Jaws sequel, but a different shark series is returning after a many year absence. Sharknado, the B-movie series that became a cult sensation in the 2010s, is coming back with a seventh film, Sharknado Origins.

The Asylum, the studio behind Sharknado and other low-budget "Mockbusters," broke the news to Variety on Friday afternoon. Anthony Ferrante, who directed all six previous Sharknado films, will return for Sharknado Origins. Production is slated to begin later this year with the goal of releasing the movie in the summer of 2026. No casting announcements have been made yet.  

The movie will be a prequel to the original Sharknado, which was a surprise sensation when it debuted on SYFY in 2013. The upcoming movie will feature teenage versions of the original's main characters, Fin and April (originally played by Ian Ziering and Tara Reid). They meet on the beach, fall in love, and Fin's ready to give April a promise ring… until a giant waterspout forms that's full of sharks, as tends to happen in this franchise.

“Nothing says young love like airborne predators,” the official description reads. 

The sequel announcement came with a poster for the upcoming film. 

The Sharknado Movies Were a Guilty Pleasure Cult Classic

The first Sharknado became a surprise success when the film premiered on SYFY on July 11 2013. Because of how gleefully, knowingly stupid and absurd the concept was, the cheaply made action flick garnered a ton of buzz online. The first sequel, Sharknado 2: The Second One, was an even bigger hit, bringing in a series-record 3.9 million viewers. 

The series would continue, featuring fun cameos and appearances from celebrities like Olivia Newton-John, Al Roker, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jerry Springer, Ann Coulter, and David Hasselhoff.  After The Second One, there was Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, and The Last Sharknado: It's About Time. 

The Last Sharknado came out in 2018. The joke had worn out a bit and there were diminishing returns. However, 8 years might be just enough time for audiences to want to get back in the Sharknado waters. Though, come to think of it, that's not the right expression because the whole point of Sharknado is that the sharks are in the freakin' air.