After a extremely impressive premiere on Thursday, Syfy's "Sharknado" might just warrant a sequel.
According to Hollywood Reporter, the cable network's latest TV movie starring Tara Reid and "Beverly Hills 90210" alum Ian Ziering took Twitter and the world by storm. Viewers were tweeting 5,000 tweets per minute about the campy, low-budget film about a shark-filled tornado destroying Los Angeles. The response was overwhelming and surprising, to say the least.
And Thomas Vitale, Syfy's executive vice president of programming and original movies, could be eyeing a follow-up movie, though real discussions have not yet begun.
"Everyone - my mom, dad, wife, my kids have asked me that question," he said regarding the question of a sequel. "Everyone at the office and obviously the producers. The truth is that this all has happened so quickly. It's been such a whirlwind day. We've had a lot of meetings, emails. I'm no being coy, [but] that's obviously being talked about."
He added that there may be "some kind of announcement" coming up, but nothing anytime soon for there needs to be "real discussions" about a second installment.
Earlier this year, the film got a great liftoff from a viral poster with a tagline, "Enough said." The artwork, showing a shark-filled toranod, helped build anticipation, to the surprise of many people. Vitale said that they sent out the image in a "normal way," and the strategy was to let the movie promote itself. Thursday is a "hot night for television," so it was the perfect weekday to experiment with by airing the film.
The social media reaction was instantous, with celebrities and TV writers getting in on the "Sharknado" action. Vitale believed that Philip Roth and Mia Farrow watching was "just incredible."
The network is very focused on using platforms like Facebook and Twitter to engage with their audience. But as far as a TV show like "Sharknado," Vitale said doing a weekly series is very different from an event.
"Sharknado" will re-air on Thursday at 7 p.m. Tell us what you think of a possible sequel below!