Sharknado 3 to Wreak Havoc on Universal Orlando Resort

Now Florida will know what it feels like to be hit by a Sharknado! The eagerly anticipated Syfy and The Asylum production Sharknado 3 will shoot key scenes at Universal Orlando Resort, it was announced today.

Featuring stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and Cassie Scerbo, Sharknado 3 will premiere on Syfy in July, causing mass destruction in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., before roaring down the Eastern Seaboard and into Florida. Ziering and Reid will reprise their roles as Fin and April, respectively, while Cassie Scerbo will play Nova, her character from the original 2013 Sharknado movie.

Anthony C. Ferrante will once again direct, based on an original screenplay by Thunder Levin.

Sharknado 3 is a production of The Asylum.

When it aired last July 30, Sharknado 2: The Second One became Syfy’s most-watched Original Movie ever with 3.9 million total viewers.

About The Asylum
The Asylum is one of the world's leading brand-oriented motion picture and television studios. With a focus on high-concept, market-driven entertainment, like the SHARKNADO franchise, The Asylum finances, produces and releases 25 films per year through its direct pipeline to the nation's top retailers and its network of international partners. Since its founding in 1997, The Asylum has released more than 500 films and has built a library of over 200 original productions, including top-rated movie premieres for Syfy, Lifetime, and Animal Planet networks. In 2014, The Asylum made its first foray into series television with Z NATION, a critically-acclaimed 13-episode action-horror series on Syfy. Z NATION drew high ratings and will return for a second season in 2015.

About Universal OrlandoResort
Universal Orlando Resort is home to two incredible theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure; four magnificently themed on-site hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the newest addition, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort; and Universal CityWalk. Universal Orlando Resort is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company.

About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

Syfy's Z Nation Bites off 1.6 Million Viewers During September 12th Premiere

NEW YORK – September 15, 2014 – Syfy’s new zombie series Z Nation bit 1.6 million total viewers during its Friday, September 12 premiere at 10PM (ET/PT), becoming the channel’s highest rated acquired scripted series premiere since Dr. Who in 2006.

The dynamic action-drama from The Asylum (producers of the Sharknado franchise) also chomped on 695K Adults 18-49 and 853K Adults 25-54.

Z Nation was #1 in the 10PM time period among total viewers, Adults 25-54, Men 25-54, Women 25-54 as well as #2 among Adults 18-49.

In the past week, more L+SD total viewers fell victim to Z Nation than the most recent telecasts of The Leftovers on HBO, Teen Wolf on MTV and Doctor Who on BBCA.

Z Nation was also Syfy’s most social acquired scripted series premiere ever across all social metrics (tweets, unique authors, and tweets per unique). For the night, Z Nation ranked as the #4 entertainment program in tweets in both broadcast and cable.

In Z Nation, three years have passed since the zombie virus has gutted the country, and a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. With humankind’s survival at stake, the ragtag band embarks on a journey of survival across three thousand miles of rusted-out post-apocalyptic America. Z Nation stars Harold Perrineau (Oz, Lost) Tom Everett Scott (Southland, Beauty and the Beast), DJ Qualls (Supernatural), Michael Welch (Twilight trilogy), Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show) Anastasia Baranova (The Darkness II) as Addy, Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish) as Doc and Keith Allan (Rise of the Zombies) as Murphy.

Karl Schaefer (Eerie Indiana, Eureka, The Dead Zone) serves as executive producer and showrunner. Acclaimed action director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) directed the pilot. The series is produced by The Asylum and sold internationally by Dynamic Television.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (SyfyVentures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

Syfy Announces the Cast of New Zombie Series Z Nation

June 19, 2014 – Syfy today unveiled the cast of Z Nation, an all-new zombie series set to debut in the fall. From production company The Asylum (Sharknado), the 13-episode action-horror series depicts the epic struggle to save humanity after a zombie apocalypse. Harold Perrineau (Oz, Lost) Tom Everett Scott (Southland, Beauty and the Beast), DJ Qualls (Supernatural), Michael Welch (Twilight trilogy) and Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show) have joined the ensemble drama, currently in production in Spokane, WA.

In Z Nation, three years have passed since the zombie virus has gutted the country, and a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. With humankind’s survival at stake, the ragtag band embarks on a journey of survival across three thousand miles of rusted-out post-apocalyptic America.

Perrineau will play Hammond, the leader of the group headed west; Scott portrays Garnett, Hammond’s second-in-command; and Qualls plays the role of Citizen Z, a computer hacker who joins the team and helps them navigate the zombie-infested terrain. Welch and Smith are Mack and Addy, respectively, two disparate wanderers drawn to the team – and to each other – by a shared goal: survival.

Rounding out the ensemble are Anastasia Baranova (The Darkness II) as Addy, Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish) as Doc and Keith Allan (Rise of the Zombies) as Murphy.

Z Nation is a dynamic ensemble action-drama that will plunge viewers into a fully-imagined post-zombie America and take them on an adventure with a diverse group of richly-drawn characters. As the reluctant heroes learn to work as a team and battle ever-more-menacing zombies, their flaws, idiosyncrasies, and moral dilemmas will ultimately become the heart of the show.

Karl Schaefer (Eerie Indiana, Eureka, The Dead Zone) serves as executive producer and showrunner. Acclaimed action director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) will direct the pilot. The series is produced by The Asylum and sold internationally by Dynamic Television.

About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (SyfyVentures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

About Dynamic Television
Dynamic Television is a packaging, acquisition and distribution company with a disciplined and global strategy focused on fostering transparent and integrated partnerships between talent, producers and broadcasters. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and Paris.

About The Asylum
The Asylum is one of the world's leading brand-oriented motion picture and television studios. With a focus on high-concept, market-driven entertainment, like Sharknado, The Asylum finances, produces and releases 25 films per year through its direct pipeline to the nation's top retailers and its network of international distribution partners. Since its founding in 1997, The Asylum has released more than 500 films and has built a library of over 200 original productions, including top-rated movie premieres for Syfy, Lifetime and Animal Planet networks.

Syfy Announces New Zombie Series: Z Nation

NEW YORK – April 7, 2014 – Syfy today announced Z Nation, a 13-episode zombie series set to debut in the fall. From production company The Asylum (Sharknado), the action-horror series depicts the epic struggle to save humanity after a zombie apocalypse. The series, which will air on Syfy, will be produced by The Asylum and sold internationally by Dynamic Television.

Karl Schaefer (Eerie Indiana, The Dead Zone) will serve as executive producer and showrunner. "Z Nation will take viewers where no zombie has gone before,” says Schaefer. The show, he continues, adds “a sense of hope to the horror of the apocalypse – our everyday heroes take the fight to the zombies. It’ll be an epic journey unlike anything you've seen before.”

In making the announcement, Chris Regina, Senior Vice President, Programming, Syfy, said: “Z Nation is a unique new journey into the long established zombie genre. Instead of existential despair, the series offers hope that somehow, some way, humanity will not only survive, but triumph. In producing their first ever weekly series, our long-time partners The Asylum have created a different way of telling an iconic story.”

In Z Nation, three years have passed since the zombie virus has gutted the country, and a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. With humankind’s survival at stake, the ragtag band embarks on a journey of survival across three thousand miles of rusted-out post-apocalyptic America.

Z Nation is a dynamic ensemble drama that will plunge viewers into a fully-imagined post-zombie America and take them on an adventure with a diverse group of richly-drawn characters. As the reluctant heroes learn to work as a team and battle ever-more-menacing zombies, their flaws, idiosyncrasies, and moral dilemmas will ultimately become the heart of the show.

Linda Hamilton Stars in Syfy Original Bermuda Tentacles

NEW YORK – March 11, 2014 – Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) will star as an Admiral of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battling an ancient monster in the new Syfy Original Movie Bermuda Tentacles, premiering Saturday, April 12 at 9PM (ET/PT).

When Air Force One goes down over the Bermuda Triangle, the Navy sends its best rescue team. But in saving the President, the team awakens a monster which threatens America’s entire Eastern Seaboard and, ultimately, the world.

Bermuda Tentacles, which is a production of The Asylum (Sharknado, Sharknado 2), also stars Trevor Donovan (90210), Mya Harrison (The Blues) and Jamie Kennedy (The Jamie Kennedy Experiment).

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

Airplane vs. Volcano Coming in May

 

Burbank, California: The Asylum and the Kondelik Brothers have come together to create the most exciting tale ever told -Airplane vs. Volcano! This exciting, action packed feature is set to raze DVD store shelves and several theatres in just a few weeks. Airplane vs. Volcano hosts an all-star cast, including: Dean Cain, Robin Givens and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. From Jon Kondelik and James Kondelik (A House is Not a Home), this title reinvigorates the action thriller genre. And, fans of The Asylum or of sensational cinema can take a look at the first trailer for Airplane vs. Volcano right here!

Based on a true story, Airplane vs. Volcano takes place high in the skies. Here, an airline crew and several passengers find themselves trapped in an active volcano region. There is no escape, except to fly the plane down and no one knows if anyone will survive. Airplane vs. Volcano is a harrowing story of terror, at 30,000 feet.

Also, Airplane vs. Volcano is just like Jan de Bont’s explosive thriller Speed (1994), but in the air! This title is the most harrowing flight ever recorded in film and viewers will need their air sickness bags if they want to survive this exciting trailer. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for the ride of your life!

*the DVD release will include a Making-of-featurette.

Official synopsis: When a commercial airliner is trapped within a ring of erupting volcanoes, the passengers and crew must find a way to survive – without landing.



Release Date: May 27th, 2014 (DVD).

Directors/writers: James and Jon Kondelik.

Cast: Robin Givens, Dean Cain, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs.

http://www.theasylum.cc/product.php?id=243

Sharknado 2: The Second One to Devour the Big Apple This July

NEW YORK – January 30, 2014 – They’re back – and shark happens! Syfy and The Asylum today announced that Ian Ziering and Tara Reid will reprise their roles as Fin and April in the eagerly awaited Sharknado sequel, Sharknado 2: The Second One, which begins filming in New York February 13.

Anthony Ferrante will once again direct a screenplay by Thunder Levin, who also wrote Sharknado, the iconic pop culture sensation which chainsawed its way through social media last summer.

In Sharknado 2: The Second One, a freak weather system turns its deadly fury on New York City, unleashing a Sharknado on the population and its most cherished, iconic sites – and only Fin and April can save the Big Apple.

Sharknado 2 is scheduled to premiere on Syfy in July.

Said Thomas Vitale, Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Movies, Syfy: “Sharknado was an extraordinary ‘perfect storm’ which captured the attention of movie fans across the globe. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about Sharknado! By reassembling the creative team – and dropping sharks onto New York’s iconic sites – we’re unleashing yet another ‘fin’ wave of shark-mania.”

Added Paul Bales, COO, The Asylum: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring back the talent that made Sharknado a hit. Can lightning strike twice? I don’t know, but it’s a scientific fact that you’re more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark. This film will have lightning and sharks, so that’s got to count for something.”

The Asylum and Syfy have struck a deal with legendary casting director Mike Fenton and his partner Ann Frederick, of Fenton-Frederick Casting, to supervise cameo casting.

About The Asylum
The Asylum is one of the world's leading brand-oriented motion picture and television studios. With a focus on high-concept, market-driven entertainment like Sharknado, The Asylum finances, produces and releases 25 films per year through its direct pipeline to the nation's top retailers and its network of international partners. Since its founding in 1997 by partners David Michael Latt and David Rimawi, The Asylum has released more than 500 films and has built a library of over 200 original productions, including top-rated movie premieres for Syfy, Lifetime, and Animal Planet networks. The Asylum released 10 theatrical films in 2013 and is producing a 13-episode action-horror series for 2014.

About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

Sharknado 2: The Second One Hits Land July 2014

NEW YORK – August 8, 2013 – A decision has been reached! After reviewing more than 5,000 Twitter submissions to its Name Sharknado 2 social media contest, Syfy announced that the title of the eagerly anticipated Sharknado sequel is…

SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE

Said Thomas Vitale, Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Movies, Syfy: “Since Twitter played such a huge role in the success of the original movie, we wanted to use that platform to ask our fans to name Sharknado 2. This response is another reminder of how Sharknado has become a pop culture phenomenon. We want to thank all our viewers for their wonderful contributions to keeping up the shark-mentum.”

Sharknado 2: The Second One, which will also be produced by The Asylum, hits land July 2014. The movie will be set in New York City.

In Sharknado, regulars of a beachside bar including owner Fin (Ian Ziering/Beverly Hills 90210), bartender Nova (Cassie Scerbo/Make It Or Break It) and local drunk George (John Heard/Home Alone) teamed up with Fin’s ex-wife April (Tara Reid/Scrubs) to investigate the ecological nightmare that has sharks swimming through the streets of Los Angeles and falling from the skies.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies 2012 - REVIEW by Scott Shoyer with Anything Horror

 If your first thought here is, “I think the title is actually ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER,” well you’re wrong. If you’re now thinking, “Aahhh; it’s a mockbuster ... we must be dealing with The Asylum,” well then you hit the nail square on the head. ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES is indeed a ‘mockbuster’ (a lower-budgeted version of a big Hollywood release) being put out by The Asylum. Now before you roll your eyes I must remind you that The Asylum has recently put out 2-HEADED SHARK ATTACK (my review) and NAZIS AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (my review), two way above average cheese-fests that were a lot of fun. Can The Asylum extend their hot streak to ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES? The film is still going through some final tweaking in post-production, but I was able to catch a screening of it at this year’s Texas Frightmare Weekend 2012. This will be released May 29, 2012.

The film opens with a young Abe Lincoln (Brennen Harper) doing some chores around the old log cabin. While out chopping wood he hears some screams from inside the cabin and goes off to investigate. It seems dear old mom turned into a zombie and is chained up in bed. Dad tried to put her outta her misery but messed up and shot himself (?!?). So it’s left to ‘lil Abe to clean up the mess. Cue gunshot and opening credits. Now ‘lil Abe is all grown up and the sixteenth President of the United States. It seems Abe (now played by Bill Oberst Jr.) is up to his nipples in the civil war and a raid on a strategic fort ended badly for the Union. Now rumors are starting to spread about dead soldiers and civilians re-animating and attacking the living. But old Abe knows this isn’t a rumor; he fought the deadly virus and saw its effects when young and knows this is a problem that must be dealt with quickly and effectively.

In order to deal with this new zombie threat, Abe puts together the best men in the newly formed Secret Service and sets out behind enemy lines. He plans on both putting an end to the zombie plight and to take the strategic fort and tip the scales in the civil war. All the familiar characters are here: John Wilkes Booth, Edwin Stanton, Pat Garrett, Mary Todd Lincoln, a young Teddy Roosevelt, and General Stonewall Jackson. Of course not everything about them is historically accurate, but it’s fun to see how writers Karl Hirsch, J. Lauren Proctor, and Richard Schenkman (who also directed) weave them into the story and play around with their historical personas.

After the setup and Lincoln and his posse arrive at the fort, the shit hits the fan and they find themselves trapped, having to fight for their lives against the rather goofy looking zombies that have surrounded the fort. The good news is that there’s a lot of zombies. The bad news is that most of them consist of a little greenish pancake makeup and fake blood on their faces and clothes. The rest of the film plays out pretty much as you expect it to. There is, though, one particular element that makes ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES pretty fun: actor Bill Oberst Jr. In general, the writers never take themselves too seriously and they try to keep everything moving along at a good pace. There’s a few moments that drag on and a few clever moments with some of the historical figures, but overall ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES suffers from a rather bland story. Luckily the filmmakers were smart enough to hire Bill Oberst Jr. to play the lead. Oberst puts in a really great performance and plays the role with a lot more sophistication than is written. He manages to find a really nice balance of playing the role of Lincoln as a serious and brooding statesman as well as a zombie-slaying, one-liner dropping badass (in one scene Abe screams out, “Emancipate this,” as he beheads a zombie). He blends this performance perfectly and makes it believable. Oberst is really great in this role. The other cast members are a mixed lot, some doing a good job while others over act like you expect to find in a film by The Asylum.

But the biggest problem here is, as mentioned above, the rather bland plot. There’s nothing that really grabs you (other than Oberst’s performance). The zombie killing scenes are filmed in a more “action flick” fashion than as a horror film. Everything, of course, is CGI here; the blood, most of the flames, a lot of the beheadings, and this is a shame. Just imagine an excessively gory flick about Abe Lincoln kicking some serious zombie ass all covered in blood and guts. That would’ve been badass. But what we get in ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES is your standard action kills of CGI beheadings and inconsistent moments where sometimes you need a headshot to kill the zombies while other times you can simply stab them in the chest to kill them. As I mentioned above, there’s a lot of zombies in this film to keep the main cast in constant danger, but they aren’t the best looking or acting zombies around.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES isn’t the best film The Asylum has put out, but on the other hand it’s not the worst either. There’s some fun elements in the story (playing around with history) and some pretty bland elements (the plot, unfortunately). But Bill Oberst Jr.’s performance alone is worth watching this one. He really owns this role and does a fantastic job. Just don’t expect to have bodies four score and seven men deep (sorry; couldn’t help myself).



My Summary:
Director: Richard Schenkman
Plot: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Gore: 4 out of 10 skulls
Zombie Mayhem: 4 out of 5 brains
Reviewed by Scott Shoyer (Anything Horror) from the Texas Frightmare Weekend 2012