WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'American Pie,' 22 years later

<p class="drop-cap">The 2001 musical comedy "<keyword id="3686511" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Josie-and-the-Pussycats">Josie and the Pussycats</keyword>" has all of the trappings of an early aughts hit: a killer soundtrack, a glitzy makeover scene, a wardrobe of low-rise jeans, and three talented leads determined to bring the Archie Comics series to the big screen.</p><p>"Josie" was written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, creative partners who grew up 10 minutes from each other in Pennsylvania but didn't meet until they attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.</p><p>Kaplan told Insider that writing and directing an original musical like "Josie and the Pussycats" was an opportunity they couldn't pass up, even though neither had ever written a song before.</p><p>They enlisted <keyword id="1604657" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rachael-Leigh-Cook">Rachael Leigh Cook</keyword>, Rosario Dawson, and <keyword id="14231" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tara-Reid">Tara Reid</keyword> to play the Pussycats. Alan Cumming and the indie darling Parker Posey rounded out the cast.</p><p>But the <keyword id="6356021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movie">movie</keyword>, which follows the Pussycats as they're discovered by a nefarious record executive with an ulterior motive, bombed at the box office.</p><div type="image" title="josie and the pussyctas" height="1500" width="2000" msid="82050584" hostid="261"></div><p>Critics weren't too keen on the film either. In <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/josie-and-the-pussycats-125972/">Rolling Stone</a>, Peter Travers called the movie a "harmless girlie trifle" that lacked "any kinky action," while <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/josie-and-the-pussycats-2001">Roger Ebert</a> said the Pussycats were "not dumber than the Spice Girls, but they're as dumb as the Spice Girls, which is dumb enough" in his half-star review. </p><p>The initial reception for "Josie and the Pussycats" suggested it was a film doomed to be forgotten, written off as a feel-good "girlie" movie that missed the mark.</p><p>But in recent years, the movie has begun to resonate more with audiences. And with newfound appreciation from critics and fans alike, "Josie and the Pussycats" has finally received some positive recognition two decades after its release.</p><p>Why did this famous flop become a cult classic? Does it still hold up for cast and crew two decades later? And how on earth did Eugene Levy end up in the film?</p><p>On the movie's 20th anniversary, Insider spoke with Kaplan and Elfont, as well as Reid and Cook, about the legacy of this "totally jerking" film.</p><hr /><p class="drop-cap">Based on characters introduced in the Archie Comics, "Josie and the Pussycats" follows three young women - Josie (Cook), Val (Dawson), and Melody (Reid) - in a ragtag rock band who are discovered by big-shot record executive Wyatt Frame (Cumming).</p><p>The only problem is Frame's boss, Fiona (Parker Posey), is secretly colluding with the US government to hide subaural, pro-consumerism messages in the Pussycats' songs. Their plan is to brainwash America's teenagers through music, leading to total mind control.</p><p>As the Pussycats, Cook, Dawson, and Reid not only had to look the part of aspiring rock stars but had to learn the basics of their characters' instruments too.</p><p>Since authenticity was important for Kaplan and Elfont, the movie's stars headed to a three-week band camp, where Cook learned to play guitar, Dawson honed her bass-playing skills, and Reid set out to become a drummer.</p><p>"We had to drill them on getting comfortable with their instruments. We had actual musicians show them where their hands should go on the guitar," Elfont said. "We wanted them to look like they were playing the real chords, not just moving their hands up and down quickly."</p><div type="image" title="josie and the pussycats 4" height="1500" width="2000" msid="82050585" hostid="261"></div><p>Cook agreed, telling Insider: "It was very important to them for the movie to never just seem like an impersonation of itself, with regard to the musical element. The music had to be true."</p><p>She added: "I think that Deb and Harry are incredibly cool. And the idea of being fakers or posers would have been totally blasphemous to them."</p><p>The filmmakers were so dedicated to the actresses' musical training that when Reid's drum coach wasn't there, Elfont said he stood in to show the actress exactly what she should be hitting when.</p><p>Reid said she had trouble "separating her hands from her feet" in the early days of camp.</p><p>"I was, like, 'I'm never going to be able to do this.' And we had to do it for about two months, every day for about - I don't know - five hours a day," Reid said. "None of us knew how to do anything. We were, like, 'Oh gosh, we're never going to make this - like, we're going to get fired.' And it just worked itself out, you know?"</p><p>While all three ended up playing their instruments during the movie's scenes, Josie's vocals were provided by Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley instead of Cook, who said she wasn't as confident as a vocalist.</p><p>"I feel like I got away with murder because I didn't really do any of the recorded stuff," Cook told Insider. "I just got to pretend - the way people sing into hairbrushes at home."</p><hr /><p class="drop-cap">Behind the scenes, an all-star team of artists assembled to write, produce, and perform the soundtrack, which <a href="https://mondoshop.com/blogs/news/music-weekly-josie-and-the-pussycats">went gold</a> after its release.</p><p>Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds led the charge as the executive producer, and teamed up with Gigolo Aunts' Dave Gibbs on half of the songs. Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger produced and wrote tracks as well. And Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, and others also contributed to the film's iconic soundtrack.</p><p>Kaplan and Elfont joined the list of legendary musicians, embarking on their first foray into writing music. They cowrote tracks, including "Three Small Words," "Come On," "DuJour Around the World," and "Backdoor Lover."</p><div type="image" title="dujour" height="3000" width="1995" msid="82050586" hostid="261"></div><p>"I've always been slightly musical, but it was a whole other deal going in and working with professional songwriters," Elfont said. "It boosted our confidence to the point that we thought we could write songs." </p><p>And while the Pussycats' songs remain pop-punk classics, those tracks weren't the only original music written for the film. Another fictional group - the ill-fated boy band DuJour - plays an important role, and they also had their own memorable tunes.</p><p>DuJour's songs, Kaplan said, were some of the most entertaining to write because they contain numerous double entendres. The subversive catchy hit "Backdoor Lover," for example, is quite clearly about sex.</p><p>"That was a blast. To get away with that and not have anyone say, 'No, sorry you can't make a song about butt stuff,'" Kaplan joked.</p><hr /><p class="drop-cap">Both Reid and Cook had appeared in popular films before "Josie and the Pussycats" - Reid in "American Pie" and Cook in "She's All That." Dawson was still relatively early in her career, but that didn't stop the three women from becoming close, especially after long days of filming.</p><p>"None of us knew each other at all beforehand. It was an intense bonding experience," Cook said.</p><p>"It was the first movie I ever did that was a 'girl movie' and we had so much fun," Reid added. "It was kind of like sleepaway camp."</p><p>"Imagine three girls basically going on vacation, becoming rock stars," Reid continued. "Going out at night and having dinners, having fun, studying your scripts together, playing our instruments in the room."</p><div type="image" title="josie and the pussycats" height="3290" width="4462" msid="82050588" hostid="261"></div><p>She touted the film's costumes as being a special part of filming. As to be expected for a film set in 2000s Hollywood, most of the costumes in "Josie and the Pussycats" involved low-rise jeans, belly tops, and sky-high heels, which led to some discomfort, Reid said.</p><blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper"><q class="pullquote-quotation">Our costumes were so small and we had to wear heels. So as soon as we'd get out, you'd see three pairs of Ugg boots lined up, all waiting for us.</q> <cite class="pullquote-source">Tara Reid</cite></blockquote><p>It was the "little things like that," Reid said, that made shooting the movie "amazing."</p><p>Reid also defended her character Melody, the childlike and naive drummer of the Pussycats who seems to be the group's token "dumb blonde" - a mainstay in late-'90s and early-2000s teen movies.</p><p>"I fell in love with Melody, and yeah, she seemed ditzy," Reid said. "But if you really look and watch the movie again, she's not. She seems clueless, but then all of a sudden she comes to these revelations."</p><p>"Really, what attracted me to Melody was that this was a girl that had such belief in this band, and her heart was so pure," she said.</p><hr /><p class="drop-cap"><strong style="background-color: #ff9900;">T</strong>he movie takes a dark turn about a half hour in, when Fiona (Posey) descends into the underground epicenter of the operation with numerous world leaders.</p><p>There, she hopes to convince her guests that they, too, should be molding children's "Play-Doh" brains. </p><p>Fiona plays an educational video hosted by Eugene Levy, who appears as himself to make the case for hiding "subliminal messages in rock 'n' roll music."</p><p>"We had written some other celebrities in it," Elfont said. "At one point it was Chris Rock, then at another point it was somebody more music-connected."</p><blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper"><q class="pullquote-quotation">People didn't want to be in the 'Josie and the Pussycats' movie.</q> <cite class="pullquote-source">Harry Elfont</cite></blockquote><p>Eventually, they landed on Levy, who was asked to appear in the cameo as a favor, Elfont said.</p><p>"It happened because our executive on the movie was also the executive on 'American Pie 2,'" he added, referring to his other film. They brought their cameras to the set of Levy's "American Pie 2" to shoot the scene. </p><div type="image" title="eugene levy josie and the pussycats" height="1500" width="2000" msid="82050591" hostid="261"></div><p>Levy has since become a household name after creating and starring in the award-winning "Schitt's Creek." But when the cameo was shot, the actor was coming off major roles in "American Pie" and "Best in Show." As Elfont said, Levy's appearance only became cooler with time.</p><p>"He said he did it because he thought his kids would find it funny, which now is funny because he must've been talking about Dan," Elfont said, referring to Levy's son Dan, who also created and starred in "Schitt's Creek." </p><p>"And it's just so weird because like now it's the coolest cameo ever, because he's now Eugene Levy from 'Schitt's Creek,'" Elfont added. </p><div type="image" title="josie and the pussycats concert" height="1309" width="2000" msid="82050593" hostid="261"></div><p>The movie's final scene - in which the Pussycats play a live concert for the first time - was an emotional experience for the cast and crew.</p><p>Reid said that it "was a moment of pure bonding when we did it."</p><p>"I think every actor wants to be a rock star and every rock star wants to be an actor," she said. </p><p>And Cook, who makes an emotional speech to the Pussycats' young fans at the start of the concert before reuniting onstage with her love interest, Alan M. (Gabriel Mann), said the scene is unforgettable.</p><p>"I remember it feeling just as epic and special and massive in scope as the movie depicts it," she said. "It was also at the end of an incredibly fun and bonding, and also physically taxing, shoot. So the whole day was emotional and spectacular in all the very best ways."</p><hr /><p class="drop-cap">Despite Kaplan and Elfont's unique vision, the film - with its slyly subversive message of staying true to yourself, even when trapped in a capitalist hellscape - was mostly misconstrued by critics, who took the hundreds of tongue-in-cheek product placements in the film at face value.</p><p>The lukewarm reception influenced the filmmakers' careers in a notoriously difficult industry, though they eventually went on to write and direct episodes of shows such as "Mary + Jane" and "Liza on Demand."</p><div type="image" title="deborah kaplan and harry elfont" height="2074" width="3258" msid="82050596" hostid="261"></div><p>"It's not that we weren't offered any work after that. We were offered scripts to direct," Elfont said. "We were still viable directors, but I think because the experience was hard, we ended up saying no to a lot of things just because we wanted to really love it." </p><p>"The takeaway was it was hard to have the movie come out and not do well," he added.</p><p>Cook said that most film critics didn't exactly fall into the movie's target audience.</p><p>"It's easy to write off the lack of critical attention - or should I say appreciation - that we could have gotten to the fact that they weren't the demographic, that's an easy out," Cook said of critics, who are <a href="http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/cricits-choice-2018.pdf">largely white and male</a>. "But they just quite simply didn't get it. It just sort of seemed to fall on deaf ears."</p><div type="image" title="josie and the pussycats" height="3000" width="1995" msid="82050598" hostid="261"></div><p>The movie's satirical tone may have gone over critics' heads, but "Josie and the Pussycats" still holds a special place in the hearts of cast and crew.</p><p>Its feminist undertones and promotion of individualism and free thought also began resonating with viewers in the years since its release, earning Kaplan and Elfont's film a cult following.</p><p>In 2017, Mondo released the <a href="https://mondoshop.com/blogs/news/music-weekly-josie-and-the-pussycats">"Josie and the Pussycats" soundtrack</a> on vinyl, and the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles <a href="https://theatre.acehotel.com/events/josie-and-pussycats-record-release-party/">hosted a screening with a concert</a> for fans - exposing a whole new generation to the magic of the film.</p><p>Since so many people have now latched onto "Josie and the Pussycats," with its unforgettable characters and catchy soundtrack, the cast and crew said they ultimately would not want to go back in time and change a single aspect of the movie.</p><p>The Ace Hotel concert was "pretty cathartic," Elfont said, "having been through the failure of the movie, to see a packed house full of rabid fans who knew every word of the movie and every word of the song."</p><blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper"><q class="pullquote-quotation">I'm just surprised how long it's held on. We didn't really know how many people had seen the movie until basically Twitter.</q> <cite class="pullquote-source">Deborah Kaplan</cite></blockquote><p>According to Kaplan, Elfont alerted her that people were talking about "Josie and the Pussycats" on Twitter shortly after he joined the social-media platform. Elfont told Kaplan that numerous fans had reached out to him about the 2001 film.</p><p>"It's a movie for the outcasts, the weirdos, and the artists. It's not a movie for the class presidents. It's for everyone else, which is kind of where we'd rather sit," she added.</p><p>Both Cook and Reid were similarly enthusiastic about the movie's newfound popularity.</p><p>"What's interesting about it is that it became such a cult film. I think it really deserved that," Reid told Insider.</p><p>Cook added that the film's popularity ballooned because of "pure word of mouth. This is not anything other than people just actually liking the movie ... It caught zero lucky breaks - it completely made its way by itself."</p><p>"I'm just really happy that we're talking about it all these years later," Cook added. "My God, I still can't believe I got to be in that movie."</p>

'Josie and the Pussycats' bombed at the box office 20 years ago, but the cast and creators say they wouldn't change a thing

<p><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="SyFy" title_caption="Origjnal TV movie " Sharknado="" debuted="" on="" SyFy="" Thursday="" night.="" class="zoomin" href="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51e021e16bb3f7cc15000000-960/sharknado-poster-3.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51e021e16bb3f7cc15000000-452-339/sharknado-poster-3.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="sharknado poster" width="480" style="float: right;" /></a><p class="source"><keyword id="1616210" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Syfy">SyFy</keyword></p><p class="caption">Origjnal <keyword id="6355065" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv">TV</keyword> movie "<keyword id="1738571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sharknado">Sharknado</keyword>" debuted on SyFy Thursday night.</p></div></div>This morning, people in Hollywood are probably kicking themselves that they didn't think of "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sharknado-trailer-2013-7" target="_blank">Sharknado</a>" first. </p>
<p><span></span>If you weren't watching SyFy's latest original made-for-TV movie last night, you missed out on a big <keyword id="6357922" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Television">television</keyword> event.</p>
<p><span>The film, starring <keyword id="14231" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tara-Reid">Tara Reid</keyword> and former "90210" star Ian Ziering,</span> rocked Twitter last night, trending for hours on end.</p>
<p>"Sharknado" quickly  gained attention after SyFy released <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sharknado-trailer-2013-7" target="_blank">ridiculous trailer</a> that made the two-hour event look like a "so bad, it's good" film.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The film generated so much online buzz that even p</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">eople in Hollywood </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">— </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">from actors to producers and execs </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">— </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">began tweeting about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">After the ratings come in for "Sharknado," we shouldn't be surprised if we see a storm of similar <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> in the future. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Take a look at what Hollywood was saying across the Twitterverse last night:</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Somewhere in Hollywood there is a senior executive yelling at a junior executive for not coming up with <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sharknado&amp;src=hash">#Sharknado</a> first.</p>
— Greg Berlanti (@GBerlanti) <a href="https://twitter.com/GBerlanti/statuses/355504568924254208">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>I was off Twitter for a few hours. Didn't know <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SharkNado&amp;src=hash">#SharkNado</a> Googled it. And read this review. I'm in. Big time. <a href="http://t.co/U9jqiFqy2Z">http://t.co/U9jqiFqy2Z</a></p>
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) <a href="https://twitter.com/chucktodd/statuses/355445996584566784">July 11, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>The Winklevoss twins came up with <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SharkNado&amp;src=hash">#SharkNado</a> first</p>
— Eric Koch (@EricDKoch) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDKoch/statuses/355512704905125888">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Writer: An unexplained rash of horrible tornados rain shit all over LA! It's called: ShartNado! Exec: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SharkNado&amp;src=hash">#SharkNado</a>? Campy I love it! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23facepalm&amp;src=hash">#facepalm</a></p>
— Michael Chiklis (@MichaelChiklis) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelChiklis/statuses/355574555491835905">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p class="p1"><strong>Modern Family writer and executive producer seemed upset he had to miss out on the fun.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Can't watch <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sharknado&amp;src=hash">#Sharknado</a> because I'm on the set of my new film Tsunamwolf.</p>
— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) <a href="https://twitter.com/DannyZuker/statuses/355500490513072128">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p class="p1"><strong>The executive producer and writer for the "Late Show with David Letterman" thinks we should dedicate an entire network to the TV movie.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>You get the feeling they said this a lot during filming "Eh, we'll fix it later. It'll look fine." <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sharknado&amp;src=hash">#Sharknado</a></p>
— Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricStangel/statuses/355508764692058112">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>If there isn't a channel showing <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sharknado&amp;src=hash">#Sharknado</a> on a loop until the end of time, we have failed as a society...</p>
— Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricStangel/statuses/355522020303323136">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p class="p1"><strong>Comedian Patton Oswalt had more ideas ready for SyFy.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Just got a call from the 2nd A.D. on the movie I'm filming. Call time canceled tomorrow. ALL movies canceled. It's done. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SharkNado&amp;src=hash">#SharkNado</a></p>
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) <a href="https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/statuses/355568848172367874">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/SyfyTV">@SyfyTV</a>: BATTLESHIP made a ton of cash. Why haven't you bought the rights to HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS?</p>
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) <a href="https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/statuses/355579906370969600">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<p><strong>Former "The Walking Dead" executive producer Glen Mazzara already has a name for an impending sequel.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>“<a href="https://twitter.com/Ebradley127">@Ebradley127</a>: "<a href="https://twitter.com/brayingdixon">@brayingdixon</a>: "<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SHARKNADO&amp;src=hash">#SHARKNADO</a> is coming! <a href="http://t.co/FRbFHzSYlT">http://t.co/FRbFHzSYlT</a>” I can only hope the sequel is SQUIDQUAKE.</p>
— Glen Mazzara (@glenmazzara) <a href="https://twitter.com/glenmazzara/statuses/352155918315700225">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p><strong>"Lost" creator Damon Lindelof was most enthused by the TV movie. He offered to write a sequel.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>I am going to write the Sharknado sequel and I am going to do it before Shaknado is over.</p>
— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof/statuses/355504865943883776">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof">@DamonLindelof</a> We'll pay you handsomely for that Damon. And by handsomely I mean shockingly little...</p>
— Craig Engler (@Syfy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Syfy/statuses/355506493715517442">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>The best thing about Sharknado's huge pop culture impact is that Tara Reid gets to look like a fucking genius for doing it.</p>
— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof/statuses/355657560977715200">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>For those of you already maligning my ending for SHARKNADO 2, you should know 3 things: Henry Winkler. Leather jacket. Water skiis.</p>
— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof/statuses/355527628331036672">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>I know it's only been 12 hours, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to talk about anything non-Sharknado-related again.</p>
— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof/statuses/355676748890910722">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p><strong>A lot of people are open to a Lindelof, Oswalt, and Mazzara collaboration.</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>I would be really happy if <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonLindelof">@DamonLindelof</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt">@pattonoswalt</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/glenmazzara">@glenmazzara</a> wrote a sequel to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sharknado&amp;src=hash">#Sharknado</a>. It would be amazing.</p>
— Marriana Moramarco (@montythegreat) <a href="https://twitter.com/montythegreat/statuses/355526675242561538">July 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>In case you missed out, here's one of the best scenes from the monumental two hours:</p>
<p><div class="image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51e0210feab8ead51e00000c/sharknado.jpg" border="0" alt="Sharknado gif" /><p class="source">SyFy</p></div></div></div></p>

Hollywood Went Crazy Over Ridiculous TV Movie 'Sharknado'

<p><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="SyFy / Sharknado trailer" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51df0fda69bedd723a000010-960/sharknado-1.png"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51df0fda69bedd723a000010-795-397/sharknado-1.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="sharknado" width="800" /></a><p class="source"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=iwsqFR5bh6Q">SyFy / Sharknado trailer</a></p></div></div>It's as ridiculous as it sounds. However, it may be absolutely brilliant. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">If you haven't heard about "<keyword id="1738571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sharknado">Sharknado</keyword>" yet, an original <a href="http://www.syfy.com/videos/Syfy%20Movies/Promos%20&amp;%20Trailers/vid:2659149" target="_blank">SyFy disaster movie</a> debuting tonight at 9 p.m., you're missing out.</span></p>
<p>The concept is simple. Killer <keyword id="6785521" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="sharks">sharks</keyword> + deadly <keyword id="486360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tornadoes">tornadoes</keyword> = Sharknado.</p>
<p>We're not sure what the best part of this is: that <keyword id="1616210" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Syfy">SyFy</keyword> thought this up, that 90210's <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=90210+ian+ziering&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=Bg_fUdjEPMuh4AO0_4G4Aw&amp;ved=0CEkQsAQ&amp;biw=1269&amp;bih=754" target="_blank">Ian Ziering</a> is slicing through great whites with a chainsaw like butter, or that <keyword id="14231" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tara-Reid">Tara Reid</keyword> is in this made-for-TV horror film.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Previously, the network has delivered original productions including "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U87zVkIXNI0" target="_blank">Sharktopus</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">," and "</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2645670/" target="_blank">Independence Daysaster</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Here's the trailer: </span></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iwsqFR5bh6Q"></iframe></p>

The 'Sharknado' Trailer Is The Most Ridiculous Thing We've Ever Seen

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Marisa Tomei read with Jim Parsons for the female lead of  "The Big Bang Theory."</li><li>The role of Penny was not right for her but she thought the concept was "iconic." </li></ul><p>Marisa Tomei was almost cast as Penny, the girl next door who befriends her nerdy neighbors on "The Big Bang Theory." </p><p>"I thought it was a great script, and that's why we went so far as to check it out," Tomei told Insider in an interview promoting her partnership with <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.briggs-riley.com%2F">Briggs and Riley</a>. "And it's such an iconic kind of setup, all those archetypes, the scientists, and then the kind of little hottie and the whole thing."</p><p>She did not predict "The Big Bang Theory" would become the ratings juggernaut for CBS the show became, running for 12 seasons.</p><p>"I certainly didn't know it was going to go on that long," said <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-watcher-creator-ryan-murphy-offered-to-write-series-for-free">"The Watcher"</a> star. </p><p>Jessica Radloff first <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/big-bang-theory-book-marisa-tomei-kaley-cuoco-1235234461/amp/">revealed that Tomei was considering the role</a> in her oral history of the show <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBig-Bang-Theory-Definitive-Inside%2Fdp%2F1538708493">"The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series." </a></p><p>Radloff reported that other actors who almost played the role of Penny included <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-pie-cast-then-and-now-2021-12">Tara Reid</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/saved-by-the-bell-reboot-details-you-missed-easter-eggs-callbacks">Elizabeth Berkley</a>.</p><p>"I had the part of Sheldon for a long time before everything was settled. I read with Marisa Tomei. Johnny was cast by then, but he was doing a play in New York. I had come back to read with her," Parsons said in an interview for the book. </p><div type="image" title="Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Mayim Bialik sitting at a table in a restaurant" height="1333" width="2000" msid="95214905" hostid="261" sizebytes="219684"></div><p>Tomei said even though she didn't end up in the show, she still thought the concept was great.</p><p>"It wasn't really the right fit for me at the time, but I really did enjoy the script itself," she added. </p><p>Millions agreed with her. Nearly 18 million people tuned in to the <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-big-bang-theory-never-reveals-pennys-last-name-2019-5">series finale</a> on May 16, 2019. </p><p>Tomei told Insider she does share a significant character trait with Penny (who was eventually <a href="https://www.insider.com/big-bang-theory-then-and-now-2018-10">brought to life by actor Kaley Cuoco</a>): She can be just as disorganized. </p><p>Tomei says she wishes she used packing cubes when hitting the road, but, "I haven't graduated to that level."</p><p>"I just put it in," she continued. "I always have high aspirations of packing in a very organized fashion, and then it just winds up being shoved in." </p><div type="image" title="Marisa Tomei" height="3472" width="2310" msid="95214906" hostid="261" sizebytes="414166"></div><p>Tomei carries tiny clutches on the red carpet but said she appreciates the room Briggs and Riley offer her to shove her favorite looks in their suitcases. </p><p>"There's extra space in these new Briggs and Riley luggage," she said. "They're extra deep so I can fit even more things in, but it's still as compact."</p>

Marisa Tomei almost played Penny on 'The Big Bang Theory' and says she had no clue the show would be so 'iconic'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11931177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tom-brady" source="Orion">Tom Brady</keyword> was overwhelmed by his overnight celebrity after 2001, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Its-Better-Be-Feared-Greatness/dp/1631498231" rel="nofollow sponsored">new book about the Patriots</a> says.</li><li>Brady feared being followed home in the car and would take back roads that would take him an hour.</li></ul><p>Tom Brady had a hard time adjusting to the level of fame he received upon becoming a Super Bowl champion.</p><p>According to Seth Wickersham's new book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Its-Better-Be-Feared-Greatness/dp/1631498231" rel="nofollow sponsored">It's Better To Be Feared</a>," Brady was overwhelmed with his sudden celebrity and the mobs of people that surrounded him in public.</p><p>Brady even feared he would be followed home while driving, according to Wickersham.</p><p>"He'd take back roads, stretching a half-hour commute into an hour or more, trying to shake a set of headlights, real or imagined," Wickersham wrote.</p><p>According to Wickersham, Brady's house in Quincy was broken into, and a TV was stolen, elevating Brady's feeling of "violation."</p><p>Brady had risen from <keyword id="11897660" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nfl" source="Orion">NFL</keyword> anonymity to stardom almost overnight. He went from a sixth-round draft pick and backup in 2000 to the starter in 2001 after an injury to Drew Bledsoe. The Patriots became the unlikely Super Bowl champions that season, and with their victory, Brady was suddenly launched into fame, becoming an overnight celebrity and sex symbol.</p><p>As Wickersham wrote in the book, over the next two years, Brady would be linked to celebrities like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Tara Reid. The Boston Herald's gossip section frequently reported on his whereabouts, referring to him as "QB/QT."</p><p>Though Brady indulged in the celebrity lifestyle, he also felt overwhelmed by it, according to Wickersham. Though he had dreamt of NFL stardom and didn't want to turn back, he also grew tired of throngs of people that would surround him at every public appearance.</p><p>According to the book, Brady eventually developed a plan to handle the stress of his newfound celebrity. His sister moved to Boston to "manage his life," according to Wickersham. Brady also began calling family and friends consistently to stay grounded. He took short trips, like a road trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, with a friend to watch the San Francisco Giants training camp and to New York City to shop for Christmas gifts.</p><p>It was just the start of Brady's turn as a global <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> figure - one that's still in full swing nearly two decades later -, but he told Wickersham of his plans to manage it: "I've got a life that any 26-year-old would want. And I'm finally able to enjoy it."</p>

Tom Brady was so famous after his first Super Bowl that he feared he was being followed home in the car, a book says

<p class="p1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f87ecad04753ee57a55-1858-828/sharknado-2-chainsaw.png" border="0" alt="sharknado 2 chainsaw" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>"Let's go kill some sharks!"</p>
<p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Ian Ziering battlecry sums up the basic attitude of the first official trailer for "Sharknado 2: The Second One."</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">The made-for-tv movie is SyFy's followup to last year's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sharknado-twitter-reactions-2013-7">social media hit of the summer</a>, "Sharknado." <span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Just when you think nothing can top last year's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sharknado-trailer-2013-7">chainsaw shark kill</a>, guess again. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">This time around returning stars Ziering and Tara Reid face off against the sharks (and tornadoes) in New York City where they'll be joined by a string of celebrity cameos ranging from Andy Dick, Matt Lauer, Perez Hilton, and Kelly Osbourne.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Let's walk through some of the absurdities shown off in the trailer that you can look forward to viewing.</p>
<p class="p1">Raining sharks.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f86eab8ea6104e57a51/sharks-falling-from-sky.gif" border="0" alt="sharks falling from sky" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f876bb3f7465dfba6a0/raining-sharks.gif" border="0" alt="raining sharks" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">Sharks on fire.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f86ecad04ab43e57a58/sharks-on-fire.gif" border="0" alt="sharks on fire" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">Sharks attacking the Empire State Building.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc50e6ecad041d4ce57a55-1200-600/empire-state-building-sharknado-2.png" border="0" alt="empire state building sharknado 2" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">... and the subways.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f87eab8ea5c04e57a51-1200-572/subway-sharknado-2.png" border="0" alt="subway sharknado 2" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">Basically everything and everyone is at the sharks' mercy.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f8669bedd66355147c7/shark-attack.gif" border="0" alt="shark attack sharknado 2" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Unless they're getting electrocuted.</span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f866da811cb500082c0-1200-546/ian-ziering-electrified-sharknado.png" border="0" alt="ian ziering electrified sharknado" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">And, of course, there will be chainsaws.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f8669bedd9b335147b7/ian-ziering-sharknado-2.gif" border="0" alt="ian ziering sharknado 2" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">And flying.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53bc4f87ecad04a943e57a53-1200-632/sharknado-2-1.png" border="0" alt="sharknado 2" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc">SyFy/Sharknado 2 trailer</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">"Sharknado 2: The Second One" premieres July 30 at 9 p.m. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fWY4-u9Ewdc"></iframe></p>

The 'Sharknado 2' Trailer Is As Ridiculous As You Expect It To Be

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0e8b0371d2210008b8d7b-900-450/ian-ziering.jpg" alt="ian ziering sharknado 3" data-mce-source="Gene Page/SyFy" /><p class="source"><span>Gene Page/SyFy</span></p><p class="caption">Ian Ziering in "Sharknado 3."</p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Warning: spoilers ahead<br /><br /></strong>"<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3899796/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!</a>" screenwriter <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505736/?ref_=tt_ov_wr">Thunder Levin</a> has been taking about having a sequence where sharks are in space since the end of the first film.</p><p>In the third edition of this unlikely franchise, he finally got his wish.</p><p>For the conclusion of "Sharknado 3," the franchise hero Fin (Ian Ziering), his pregnant wife April (Tara Reid), and his father (David Hasselhoff) rocket off to space to stop the latest sharknado. But of course, sharks are up there too.</p><p>While Fin fights off sharks, one swallows April. Fin is also swallowed by a shark.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0e867371d2279018b8d67-809-405/sharknado 3 sharks in space.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 sharks in space" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>We follow Fin while he's inside the shark as it reenters the Earth's atmosphere.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0e98a371d2277018b8d3c-986-493/sharknado 3 shark reentry.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 shark reentry" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Fin punches a hole in the shark and deploys his parachute out of the hole so he can safely land back on Earth.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0e9a6371d22a10e8b8cbc-1024-512/sharknado 3 shark chute.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 shark chute" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0e9b4371d2279018b8d70-1024-512/sharknado 3 shark landing.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 shark landing" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>While he searches for the shark April is in...</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0ea08371d22c6178b7946-991-496/sharknado 3 land shark.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 land shark" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>He see her chainsaw hand (long story if you've never seen the previous films) opening the shark she's in. Then a newborn baby come out of the shark.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0ea31371d2279018b8d73-1024-512/sharknado 3 baby.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 baby" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Yes, April gave birth in a shark on reentry (only in "Sharknado").</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b0ea5d371d2212008b8e1d-1024-512/sharknado 3 family.jpg" alt="Sharknado 3 family" data-mce-source="Syfy/" /><p class="source"><span>Syfy/</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>But according to Levin, the original ending was a little different.</p><p>"Fin and April are trapped in space and April gives birth," Levin said. "The baby shoots out and a shark comes along and swallows it. April dives in after it, and Fin is swallowed by another shark. They then plummet to Earth."</p><p>The birth idea was devised by Levin and "Sharknado" franchise director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003116/?ref_=tt_ov_dr">Anthony C. Ferrante</a> backstage at Comic-Con last year.</p><p>Both scenarios were shot, but in post production the April-giving-birth-inside-shark version was chosen.</p><p>"That sequence of the baby being born in space you'll see in the DVD version," said Levin.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hbos-the-leftovers-trailer-looks-completely-different-2015-7">HBO's 'The Leftovers' looks like it's going to be an entirely different show next season</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RjaWpmdjoBiH7wdTt-RkCIhW6bxSzC_k" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'RjaWpmdjoBiH7wdTt-RkCIhW6bxSzC_k',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

'Sharknado 3' originally had an even more bizarre ending

<p><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="SyFy/" Sharknado="" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51e458e069beddcf7600000e-960/sharknado-sharks-2.png"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51e458e069beddcf7600000e-440-330/sharknado-sharks-2.png?maxX=480" border="0" alt="Sharknado Sharks" width="480" style="float: right;" /></a><p class="source">SyFy/"<keyword id="1738571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sharknado">Sharknado</keyword>"</p></div></div>Over the weekend, the creators of "Sharknado" — <keyword id="1616210" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Syfy">SyFy</keyword>'s 90-minute killer sharkfest — did a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/" target="_blank">Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA)</a>. </p>
<p><span></span>The film, <span>featuring Tara Reid and Ian Ziering ("90210"), </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> made waves on Twitter last Thursday bringing in <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sharknado-draws-more-tweets-game-584588" target="_blank">more than 600,000 tweets</a> according to analytics firm Fizziology.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">For reference, that's more tweets than the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-red-wedding-episode-was-amazing-2013-6" target="_blank">most talked about episode of "Game of Thrones" this season</a> which only </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">saw a total of <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sharknado-draws-more-tweets-game-584588" target="_blank">241,000 tweets</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>Despite the social media enthusiasm, the show wasn't a huge hit in the ratings.</p>
<p>"Sharknado" drew in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-watched-sharknado-2013-7" target="_blank">more than 1.3 million viewers</a>, falling in line with ratings for similar original programs on the network.</p>
<p><span>Sunday afternoon, Director Anthony C. Ferrante and producer Devin Ward divulged about casting, the film budget, and whether a sequel may be in the works.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Check out the full AMA </span><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/" target="_blank">here</a><span>.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Here are some of the best things we learned.</span></p>
<p><strong style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">7. The budget for the film was </strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb24xa4"><strong>near $1 million</strong></a><strong style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">.</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>6. How they went about </strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb1zxml?context=3"><strong>casting the film</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p>
<p class="p2">"A lot of the roles are standard submissions. For the bigger parts however, we really do go after actors that we think would fit the part. Our casting director G Webb has a knack for getting us some really big names."</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>5. It took a little </strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb20w24?context=3"><strong>less than three weeks</strong></a><strong> to shoot the entire film.</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"Officially it was an 18 day shoot with some pick-up days after. It had it's moments! There were some seriously stressful days for us but I think that's really all part of filmmaking. It's a process. Highlight for us both the house we flooded in an empty swimming pool. We had no idea if anything was going to work but it turned out to be a pretty awesome scene!"</span></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>4. There is a </strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb21rng?context=3"><strong>version of the movie without visual effects</strong></a><strong> that sounds awesome.</strong></p>
<p class="p2">"Actually there is a version of the movie that exists with just cut-out sharks in place of the VFX elements that is fairly entertaining."<span> </span></p>
<p class="p2"><strong>3. Where the idea for "Sharknado" </strong><strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb1zu61?context=3">originated</a>:</strong></p>
<p class="p2">"The idea had been floating around for a long time and I even put a reference to it in a movie I wrote last year for SyFy. I'm just glad we finally got sharks in a tornado and people loved it."</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. How the team </strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb21v28?context=3"><strong>budgeted the film</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p class="p2">"Devin-</p>
<p class="p2">I budgeted this just like I would any other film. The most dynamic element was the weather. Practical rain is hard to do well and expensive. We scheduled the production so we could lump all our rain days together in one run. If only it rained in LA..."</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. And the question on everyone's mind. </strong><strong><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1i8h2p/we_and_others_made_sharknado_director_anthony_c/cb21l4l?context=3">Will there be a sequel</a>?</strong></p>
<p class="p2">"You never know! It's all up to SyFy."</p>
<p class="p2">SyFy executive Thomas Vitale told The Hollywood Reporter that <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/syfys-sharknado-sequel-being-eyed-584600" target="_blank">a sequel was brought up</a>, but that nothing is concrete yet.</p>
<p class="p2"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">We’ve had a lot of meetings, emails. I’m not being coy, [but] that’s obviously being talked about," said Vitale. "There may be some kind of announcement coming forth but there’s nothing going to be announced now just because we haven’t had real discussions with the real people we have to talk to about that."</span></p>

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