Sharknado is going out with a bang. For the last time, the cast and creators took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con Friday to discuss the SYFY cult favorite’s final chapter — The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time.
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Stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, and Cassie Scerbo were joined by Jonathan Bennett and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Alaska, who also appear in the film, producer David Latt, writer Scotty Mullen and director Anthony Ferrante, who called the final film “a love letter” to their fans.
“They let us get away with murder with these movies, they really do,” he said, adding that they only decided to end the series because “we respected the material and we respected the audience” enough to give it up before they jumped the shark (figuratively, of course).
He added that directing these movies was a dream come true: “We got the chance to build a franchise out of chewing gum and duct tape.”
Bennett, who plays Billy the Kid in this time-traveling flick, will be part of the new twist that allows the cast to fight sharks in prehistoric times, medieval times, the American revolution and the wild, wild west. Alaska also commented on her casting in the final film as a magical evil sorceress, deadpanning, “So pretty much myself.”
It was definitely bittersweet filming the movie, but the ragtag bunch admitted the chaos behind the scenes kept them from feeling too sad until it had wrapped.
“We were too busy being confused,” Ziering said.
The script was constantly changing, Ferrante said, admitting that he “got pages via text one day.” The writers ended up penning 170 pages for a movie that turned out being 85 minutes long, the director said. The movie still isn’t done, he added.
“This movie is never done until like two days before it airs,” Ziering half-joked.
What was done was a hilarious scene panel attendees were shown exclusively prior to the August premiere date, in which Fin Shepard gives a patriotic and rallying speech to troops during the Revolutionary War prior to shooting at flying sharks with a cannon.
“God bless America,” he says as fireworks light up the sky above the sharknado.
Fans also got a look at some of the behind the scenes moments from when they were shooting in Romania, which was filled with the heroes air fighting sharks and riding a green screen pterodactyl.
Latt probably put it best when he said, “Six is just a fun ride and you’re not gonna know what hits you because you’re not going to understand any of it.”
The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time premieres on Sunday, August 19th, at 8 p.m. ET on SYFY.
Photo credit: SYFY
