Remember back in July when Syfy promised/warned us “You decide if #AprilLives or #AprilDies,” after we watched a large-ish bit of space shuttle flotsam careening toward April Wexler, aka Tara Reid, at the end of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Today, Syfy revealed Reid will be back to reveal the outcome of that social campaign, and that Ian Ziering will return to slay again when Sharknado 4 premieres in July. David Hasselhoff also is back as Gil Shepard and Ryan Newman as Claudia Shepard.
The next installment of the sharks-in-tornadoes franchise will move the story forward five years after the East Coast was ravaged in S3:OHN! Ziering’s shark-slaying hero Fin Shepard and the country have been sharknado-free. Maybe because President Trump vowed to “knock the shit” out of them? – Syfy was very coy in this morning’s announcement and would not reveal deals.
When S3 aired last July, it had been nearly two years since the orgy of bad special effects, scenery chewing and dubious plot points had first been foisted on an unsuspecting public. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! saw the Sharknado tear down the East Coast, terrorizing Washingtonians already dealing with the horror of a reality TV star in the White House for chrissake! (Mark Cuban) – and VPOTUS Ann Coulter (aka Trump’s staunchest supporter) one terrifying heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
Remember when that seemed utterly implausible? Is Sharknado the prescient Network of our age?
The S4 cast also will include:
Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon, Celebrity Apprentice), as Wilford Wexler, April’s father and a lead scientist at Astro-X. He’s at the forefront of advances in the field of robotics.
Tommy Davidson (Black Dynamite, In Living Color), as Aston Reynolds, playboy tech billionaire. Aston is the CEO of tech company Astro-X, developers of a revolutionary energy system that can stabilize the atmosphere and prevent the formation of tornadoes.
Imani Hakim (Everybody Hates Chris), as Gabrielle, Matt’s best friend and a fellow soldier. Gabrielle is tough and no-nonsense, can take care of herself and isn’t afraid to show what she’s capable of doing.
Cody Linley (Hannah Montana, Melissa & Joey), as Matt, Fin and April’s eldest son. After surviving the first Sharknado, Matt finished flight school and joined the Army. He’s experienced the events of the last six years from afar and longs to reunite with his American Hero father.
Masiela Lusha (George Lopez), as Gemini, Fin’s cousin. Ever resourceful, Gemini is chock full of shark-busting attitude and is ready to dive into the fight once the sharks hit the fan.
Cheryl Tiegs (The Apprentice), as Raye, Fin’s mother and Col. Gil Shepard’s ex-wife. Raye is a little bit of a former flower child, but not afraid to speak her mind or protect her family.
Currently filming, Sharknado 4 is a production of The Asylum. Anthony C. Ferrante returns to direct an original screenplay written by Thunder Levin.
If you, like others, thought the Sharknado franchise had jumped the shark with 3, its stars did not agree. Asked by Jake Tapper on his CNN show The Lead how many editions of Sharknado the American public would swallow, star Ian Ziering sniffed that Tapper ask Tom Cruise if he thought he’d maxed out on Mission Impossible movies.
The Sharknado phenomenon began in July 2013, when an average of 1.4 million people viewed its unveiling — mostly journalists and celebrities who tweeted madly throughout the broadcast. Many of the 312 million or so people in the country who had not watched the Sharknado premiere heard about it through social media: The ecological nightmare caused by global warming triggers a freak weather system that results in a mega tornado chock-a-block with angry sharks who sail through the air attacking innocent children and blondes, and causing to be uttered such lines as, “They took my grandfather, so I really hate sharks.”
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