Tara Reid, Ian Ziering to return for 'Sharknado 2'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Ian Ziering and Tara Reid are to star in the New York-set sequel to their cult phenomena 2013 TV movie, "Sharknado," Syfy announced Friday.

Ziering and Reid will reprise their roles as reunited former spouses Fin and April in "Sharknado 2: The Second One," which is to begin filming next month.

Directed by Anthony Ferrante, the movie is scheduled to premiere in July on 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," Thomas Vitale, executive vice president of programming and original movies, said in a statement.

"We're thrilled to be able to bring back the talent that made 'Sharknado' a hit. Can lightning strike twice?" said Paul Bales, chief operating officer of the film production company Asylum. "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."