Sharknado (film series) (2024)

Sharknado is the name of a series of disaster horror comedy sci-fi films released by Syfy starting in 2013. It has since been expanded into video games and comics. A spin-off film, Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness, was released in 2015.

The series stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid as Fin and April Shepard, a husband and wife who continue to encounter "sharknadoes", tornadoes filled with sharks, wherever they go.

Films[]

Sharknado (2013)[]

Main article: Sharknado

A freak cyclone hits Los Angeles causing man-eating sharks to be scooped up in water spouts and flood the city with shark-infested seawater. Bar-owner and surfer Fin (Ian Ziering) sets out with his friends to rescue his estranged wife, April (Tara Reid), and their teenage daughter, Claudia, before the "sharknado" reaches them.^[2]

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)[]

Main article: Sharknado 2: The Second One

While Fin and April are in New York City to promote April's book, How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters, about the Los Angeles sharknado, the city is hit by a severe storm causing new "sharknadoes" to emerge.

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015)[]

Main article: Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!

Following the events of the previous film, Fin and April have remarried and are expecting another child. For his heroics in the "sharknado" battles in Los Angeles and New York, Fin is in Washington, D.C. to receive an award from the president. However, when he is there he encounters a new "sharknado" which begins to make its way down the "Feast Coast" to Florida.^[3]

Sharknado: The 4th Awakens (2016)[]

Main article: Sharknado: The 4th Awakens

Sharknado 4 was confirmed to follow upon Sharknado 3's premiere.^[4] Sharknado 3 concludes with a cliffhanger regarding whether or not April is killed by falling wreckage. An ad after the film promotes a Twitter campaign offering fans the chance to decide her fate with the hashtags "#AprilLives" or "#AprilDies", with the results revealed at the start of Sharknado 4, which first aired on Syfy on July 31, 2016.^[5] Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Ryan Newman, and David Hasselhoff reprise their roles from previous films. New cast members include: Tommy Davidson as Aston Reynolds, playboy tech billionaire and Astro-X; Cody Linley replacing Chuck Hittinger as Matt Shepard; Imani Hakim as Gabrielle, a soldier and Matt's girlfriend; Gary Busey as Wilford Wexler, April's rich father; Cheryl Tiegs as Raye Shepard, Fin's mother; Masiela Lusha as Gemini, Fin's cousin.;^[6]The title and poster of the film is a homage to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.^[7]

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017)[]

Main article: Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming was confirmed in October 2016, and is set to be released on August 6, 2017.^[1] Ian Ziering and Tara Reid have been confirmed to reprise their roles as Fin Shepard and April Wexler.^[8] Cassie Scerbo has also been reported to be returning for the fifth installment.^[9] Filming occurred in more than 5 countries, including the UK, Australia and Bulgaria.^[10]

The Last Sharknado: It's About Time[]

Main article: The Last Sharknado: It's About Time

The Last Sharknado: It's About Time was released on August 19, 2018.[13] Tara Reid, Ian Ziering and Cassie Scerbo returned. A write-up in Bloody Disgusting in February 2018 said: "In his quest, Fin fights Nazis, dinosaurs, knights, and even takes a ride on Noah’s Ark."[14] On March 28, 2018, Syfy confirmed the film will be the final installment of the series.[15] On May 25, the film's title was revealed by a released teaser trailer.[16] Vivica A. Fox, who had starred in Sharknado 2, reprises her role for the final installment.[17] With Fin the last survivor, he finds himself travelling through time to meet supposedly-deceased allies (pulled out of time by Gil at the moment before their deaths) seeking to identify and prevent the first of the modern-day Sharknados. After subduing potential Sharknados in Camelot, the War of Independence, and the Wild West, Fin is able to destroy the original Sharknado before it could escalate into the global catastrophes he has witnessed, creating a new timeline where Fin is still just the bar owner he was in the original film, surrounded by his extended family.

Spin-offs[]

Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness (2015)[]

The mockumentary tells the story of David Moore, the filmmaker who first dreamed of “sharks in a tornado” and brought on disaster by using real sharks. It was written and directed by Jeremy Wagener, and released in October 6, 2015 on video on demand.