Corona | Coming Attractions

If you're familiar at all with the direct-to-video efforts of The Asylum, then you know that their revenue model is built on cashing in from the media hype of the current movie blockbuster. When Transformers was about to come out in movie theaters, The Asylum was there to release Transmorphers. When the last High School Musical was almost here, The Asylum gave us Sunday School Musical. I like to think that Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus was a wholly original creation by The Asylum brain trust.

Now The Asylum people have announced what could be their biggest "Oh no they didn't" release, an action-adventure that cashes in on the title for what is now the second-biggest movie of all time. Ladies and gentlemen, on August 24, 2010 you will be able to rent or own Titanic 2.

Behold and read the film's official summary taken from The Asylum's website: "On the 100th anniversary of the original voyage, a modern luxury liner christened Titanic 2, follows the path of its namesake. But when a tsunami hurls an ice berg into the new ship's path, the passengers and crew must fight to avoid a similar fate."

Titanic 2 stars Bruce Davison (Senator Kelly from X-Men), Brooke Burns (Baywatch), Shane Van Dyke (grandson of Dick Van Dyke) and Marie Westbrook (who, according to her IMDb profile, is also one of few Hollywood actresses who can list "professional treadmill tester"on her resume.) There's also the usual CG mayhem to expect, giant waves and chunks of killer ice.

I used to think The Asylum was just another company trying to make a quick cash grab but I've come around to dig these guys. They're filling a niche and doing a great job at it. While their cheap, high concept projects are reportedly profitable before even filming a single frame of footage, they're making rental videos that are designed to be over-the-top and in on the joke. When movies like 2012 seem like they're taking themselves too seriously for their own good, The Asylum guys are making their movies to be completely unplausible. That's why when you're walking through the aisles at your local video store, you can't help but stop when you see the latest Asylum title, pick it up and read the back box description of what it's about.

See more stills from Titanic 2 on the Asylum website.