Sharknado is a 2013 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. It tells about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first installment in the Sharknado film series. It first aired on the Syfy channel on July 11, 2013, and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard. It was also given a one-night-only special midnight theatrical screening via Regal Cinemas and Fathom Events, where it earned $200,000 from 200 screenings. The over-the-top premise and theatrics of the film quickly earned it a cult following.

Tara Donna Reid is an American actress and model. She played Vicky in the films American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001), and American Reunion (2012), and Bunny Lebowski in The Big Lebowski (1998). In 2013, she starred as April Wexler in the television film Sharknado, and went on to reprise the role in five sequels (2013–2018).