Seven years have passed since The Asylum decided to wrap up their Sharknado franchise with the sixth entry in the series, The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time. Now, the company has decided that it’s about time to revive the franchise, and they have hired Anthony C. Ferrante, director of all six of the existing films, to bring it back. Ferrante is on board to direct Sharknado Origins, which is expected to begin filming later this year, aiming for a summer 2026 release.
Ferrante used to write for Fangoria magazine back in the day, and has directed twenty feature films over the course of his filmmaking career. Since the Sharknado series wrapped up, he has directed two more shark thrillers for The Asylum: Blind Waters and Great White Waters.
Scripted by Thunder Levin, the original Sharknado has the following synopsis: Nature’s deadliest killer takes to the skies in the ultimate gill-ty pleasure as a group of friends try to save the Santa Monica coast from shark-infested tornadoes. The film starred Ian Ziering and Tara Reid as characters named Fin and April. The prequel Sharknado Origins will be introducing viewers to teenage versions of those characters. According to Variety, the two cross paths during a perfect beach summer, where sparks immediately fly. But just as Fin is about to seal the moment with a promise ring, the sky darkens, a massive funnel cloud forms, and — you’ve guessed it — sharks dramatically erupt from the ocean. Thus, the very first Sharknado is born — because, as the description reads, “nothing says young love like airborne predators.”
Sharknado first aired on Syfy on July 11, 2013, and its initial airings caught enough attention and viewers that it spawned a franchise. Sharknado 2: The Second One followed on July 30, 2014, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! on July 22, 2015, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens on July 31, 2016, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming on August 6, 2017, and The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time on August 19, 2018. Along the way, Ziering appeared in the 2015 movie Lavalantula as his Sharknado character, and there was a faux documentary spin-off called Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness. There was also a nod to Sharknado in the 2022 Asylum release 2025 Armageddon.
Are you glad to hear the Sharknado franchise is making a comeback? Share your thoughts on Sharknado Origins by leaving a comment below.
