Go Behind-the-Scenes of Sharknado & an Early Look at Sharknado 2!!

That’s right; there’s already enough info out there to get a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming SHARKNADO 2.  We are, remember dealing with The Asylum and when the iron is hot they’re gonna strike hard!!  The mind (??) behind the phenomena that is SHARKNADO is writer Thunder Levin.  I’m sure Levin is more than happy to take all the credit for SHARKNADO, but truth be told he didn’t even come up with the idea.  In a recent chat with The Wrap, Levin talks candidly about SHARKNADO, his involvement with it, and even talks a little about SHARKNADO 2.

The actual title, “Sharknado” comes from another Asylum classic, LEPRECHAUN’S REVENGE (my review).  Here, “Sharknado” was a throwaway joke that wasn’t really given any attention.  But with the amount of viewers SHARKNADO is getting each time it’s aired, well this is no throwaway film for sure.  When it premiered, SHARKNADO got 1.4 million viewers.  On it’s second viewing it got 1.9 viewers.  Then on it’s third viewing it got 2.1 million viewers!!  MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS didn’t even pull in these numbers!!

But as Levin explains to The Wrap, The Asylum first approached him to write the script for a film called SHARK STORM which was exactly what it sounds like:  Sharks attacking people during a storm.  Levin passed.  So what changed his mind?  Read on:

A month later, The Asylum brought a different title to Levin: “Sharknado” — a film about a tornado full of sharks, which makes far more sense.

Levin was in, under one condition: He told Asylum, “It has to be ridiculous, it has to be over the top. We have to have fun with it.”

A month later the script was written and ready to be shot but Levin then found himself out of the SHARKNADO scene due to him working on another project.  Levin, in fact, didn’t even see the final version of SHARKNADO until it’s premier on SyFy!!  Overall he was pleased but there were a few things he wasn’t crazy about.

writer-director Thunder Levin

At one point, the survivors are set to break into a flight school supply store (a Home Depot in the script) and a glorified extra’s lips move — but no words come out. It’s a short but noticeable clip where the other characters react, but there is no audio, no explanation.

When asked about the strange, blink-and-miss-it moment, Levin was surprised. He didn’t catch it. Most people probably didn’t.

So while on the phone with TheWrap, Levin popped in his DVD copy and fast-forwarded. He grabbed the original script and thumbed through it. After a few minutes, Levin was able to match the moment up.

The character says, “This can’t be a very sturdy building with a roof this big. What are we doing here?”

(You’re welcome, world.)

Levin has no idea why the audio was cut out. Nor why the pointless few seconds of video itself was not cut. The character has other lines in the film.

And if you’re wondering, about that final scene with Ian Ziering being swallowed whole by the flying shark and then cutting his way outta said shark … well, that was all Levin!!

Since Levin is signed on to write (and possibly direct) SHARKNADO 2, what does he have in store for us?  As you can imagine, Levin isn’t giving away too many details but does drop that he envisions a shark impaled on the spike of the Empire State Building and

“Sharks in the subway, and something with the Statue of Liberty.”

The options are endless!!  It sounds as though Levin is keeping the rules on part 2 the same as part 1:  “It has to be ridiculous, it has to be over the top. We have to have fun with it.”  Sounds like a solid approach to SHARKNADO 2!!

Stay Bloody!!!