A crew spent a day and a half making sure that the Lockport Caves and Underground Boat rides looked just right for the filming of Sharknado 2. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCKPORT CAVES AND UNDERGROUND BOAT RIDES)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Sharknado 2 was partly filmed right here in Lockport. The movie airs Wednesday on Syfy. (PROMOTIONAL IMAGE COURTESY OF SYFY)

Movie footage shot at the Lockport Caves and Underground Boat Rides will be seen Wednesday night on the Syfy original movie Sharknado 2.

The footage, shot in early April, was done under the guise of being a scene in an Asylum movie called "Alligator Attack." Actors were asked to act as though they were fending off alligators in the cave. The alligators would be added later by CGI, they were told.

Asylum is the production company that created Sharknado in 2013, leading some to speculate that the scenes were actually for a Sharknado sequel and it was sharks, not alligators, that would be added later.

April 23, the operators of the Lockport Caves and Underground Boat ride announced via their Facebook page that that was precisely the case; "Alligator Attack," also referred to as "Alligator Apocalypse," was actually Sharknado 2.

Asylum PR people, however, wouldn't confirm anything. On May 1, a spokesperson said the Lockport footage was "stock footage" and may or may not end up in Sharknado 2.

"We were shooting some stock scenes that get used in a number of Asylum productions, and I think part of the confusion stemmed from them being directed by one of the Asylum's directors who also did Sharknado," Rene Ridinger said  via email. "We're not sure exactly where they'll end up yet, as the company shoots about two to three movies a month."

Monday it was confirmed via an emailed response from Ridinger: "Just got confirmation that yes, footage shot was used in the scene."

Lockport Caves owner Tom Callaghan said this morning that he never had any doubt the footage would be used due to the amount of time the production company spent here.

"They spent an entire day and a half underground" lighting the cave, Callaghan said. "I couldn't believe how great the place looked."

There is also footage that was shot in downtown Buffalo used in the movie. Both Buffalo and Lockport are used as stand ins for New York City, where the sequel takes place.

Tim Clark, film commissioner for the Buffalo Niagara Film Office, said the raceway in the Lockport Caves could get more play in upcoming movies because there aren't many places like them available to film studios.

"I think we'll probably get a lot out of this Sharknado thing," he said this morning.

Callaghan concurs. In fact, he said another Syfy crew was in two weeks ago to film something else. Based on past experience, he gave them free reign. He also said New York State Film Commission Executive Director Gigi Semone was in for a tour a week ago.

"There's more to come," Callaghan said. "We've worked hard to make sure that these companies are satisfied. ... and I think that's starting to pay off for both us and Lockport."

"This has been a niche that 30 years ago, I never would have thought would have been available to us," he said.

Sharknado 2 will feature Tara Reid and Ian Ziering, reprising their roles from the 2013 film. It will also feature Vivica A. Fox, Kelly Osbourne, Mark McGrath, Billy Ray Cyrus, Andy Dick, and former WWE superstar Kurt Angle. It airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

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