Fan-pitched Sharknado sequel title is chosen

The sequel to Syfy's unexpected TV movie hit 'Sharknado' has a name and it is (drum roll please)...

'Sharknado 2: The Second One'.

The cable channel asked fans of the first movie, released just last month, to pitch them potential titles for a sequel on Twitter.

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And after 5000 suggestions, a winner was chosen.

“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,'” said Thomas Vitale, Syfy's executive vice president of programming.

“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.”

The film has indeed become something of a 'pop culture phenomenon' since it aired in July.

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Plot-wise, it's on shaky ground from the get-go, as a hurricane hits Los Angeles, flooding the city with man-eating sharks raining from the sky.

Despite a lack of stars – unless you count Tara Reid – the film gained an ironic and indeed non-ironic following.

Since appearing on the Syfy channel, a run of cinema screenings in 200 cinemas across New York, Boston and Seattle sold out immediately, with many more planned.

Reviews of the film were also remarkably favourable, with aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes rating it at 90% 'fresh'.

The review from the Los Angeles Times perhaps puts the appeal of the movie in some context.

“Oh sure, it's easy to pick holes in a story about a weather system that makes it possible for sharks to fly and take to the streets,” wrote Mary McNamara, “but that's the whole point of movies like this: fabulous in-home commentary.

“Often accompanied by the consumption of many alcoholic beverages.”

'Sharknado 2: The Second One' will air in July, 2014.