. the asylum type film television founded 1997 founder david michael latt david rimawi sherri strain headquarters burbank california united states 1 owner privately held divisions faith films website theasylum.cc the asylum is an american independent film production company and distributor that focuses on producing low budget direct to video films . the company has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios often using film titles and scripts very similar to those of current blockbusters in order to lure customers . these titles have been dubbed mockbusters by the press . 2 3 4 5 6 its titles are distributed by echo bridge home entertainment gt media and as of 2015 cinedigm . contents 1 history 2 output 2.1 television 2.2 movies 2.3 shared universe 3 filmography 4 references 5 external links history edit the asylum was founded by director david michael latt and former village roadshow executives david rimawi and sherri strain in 1997 . 2 the company focused on producing straight to video low budget films usually in the horror genre but were unable to find a market due to competition from major studios such as lions gate entertainment . 2 in 2005 the company produced a low budget adaptation of h. g. wells the war of the worlds which was released in the same year as steven spielberg s adaptation of the same material . blockbuster inc. ordered 100 000 copies of the asylum s adaptation a significantly larger order than any of the company s previous releases resulting in latt and rimawi reconsidering their business model . 2 6 in 2007 similarities between the distributor s titles and those of major studios were reported . for example the film transmorphers bears a number of similarities to the film transformers which was released theatrically two days after the release of transmorphers . 2 3 6 according to latt i m not trying to dupe anybody . i m just trying to get my films watched . other people do tie ins all the time ; they re just better at being subtle about it . another studio might make a giant robot movie that ties into the transformers release and call it robot wars . we ll call ours transmorphers . 2 in 2008 20th century fox threatened legal action against the asylum over the day the earth stopped a film capitalizing on the day the earth stood still . 7 similarly in may 2012 universal pictures filed a lawsuit against the asylum for their film american battleship claiming infringement on their movie battleship . 6 8 as a result the asylum changed their title to american warships . in 2013 warner bros. new line cinema metro goldwyn mayer and the hobbit producer saul zaentz commenced legal action against the asylum for their film age of the hobbits later called lord of the elves claiming that they were free riding on the worldwide promotional campaign for peter jackson s forthcoming films . the asylum claimed its movie is legally sound because its hobbits are not based on the j. r. r. tolkien creations . 9 the lawsuit resulted in a temporary restraining order preventing the asylum from releasing the film on its scheduled release date . 6 10 in february 2015 the asylum signed a multi year deal with cinedigm corp ; 11 the deal provides 12 films over three years . 12 output edit television edit the asylum has been producing z nation for the syfy network since late 2014 . the show about a group that attempts to get the only known person with immunity to a zombie virus from new york to the last operating lab in california . according to show runner karl shaefer the show is intended to bring a sense of hope to the horror of the apocalypse . 13 ratings for z nation have been unexpectedly high about 1.6 million per episode 14 and has been renewed for a third season . 15 movies edit the asylum s usual budget for a production is reportedly well under a million dollars and it typically breaks even after about three months . the asylum has never lost money on a film . 16 17 the company s productions have been called b movies 2 and mockbusters . 2 4 latt prefers the term tie ins to mockbusters 2 stating that the asylum s productions even those that capitalize on major releases contain original stories . 2 latt states that the company plans its productions around the word of mouth of the financial prospects of upcoming films . 4 the asylum s films are usually released on video shortly before the theatrical release of a major studio film with similar themes or storylines . 4 the asylum has also produced films with strong religious themes . 2 for example the apocalypse was initially developed as a straightforward disaster film in the style of deep impact but latt states that certain buyers wanted the company to develop a religious film . 2 as a result the company consulted priests and rabbis in order to incorporate faith based elements . 2 the division faith films was created in order to distribute titles with such themes . 2 sunday school musical was produced after the asylum staff attended a seminar for marketing to a christian audience where the seminar s host suggested that the perfect film would be a christian version of high school musical . 5 the asylum productions sometimes feature more overt sexuality or graphic violence than their major studio counterparts because the asylum s releases are not in competition with films rated pg 13 by the motion picture association of america . 4 rolf potts of the new york times described transmorphers as having no recognizable actors no merchandising tie ins and a garbled sound mix . also unlike transformers it has cheap special effects and a subplot involving lesbians . 2 the 2008 release death racers featured the hip hop group insane clown posse and wrestler scott raven levy in major roles . 18 in 2009 the asylum released its first 3d picture sex pot . shared universe edit some of the films which may not be apparently connected by title share traits which place them in the same universe sharknado s universe includes lavalantula which featured two of its characters . these films are prequels to z nation as roberta warren actress kellita smith is credited as a sergeant in sharknado 3 and a lieutenant in z nation . 2005 s dead men walking introduces blackthorn industries which recurs in 2006 s exorcism the possession of gail bowers . filmography edit year title director notes mockbuster of based on 1999 bellyfruit kerri green the asylum s first feature film n a 2001 fourplay mike binder also known as londinium 2002 scarecrow sequels are scarecrow slayer in 2003 and scarecrow gone wild in 2004 2003 scarecrow slayer david michael latt sequel to scarecrow 2002 film followed by scarecrow gone wild in 2004 2004 death valley the revenge of bloody bill byron werner vampires vs. zombies vince d amato also known as carmilla the lesbian vampire 2005 alien abduction eric forsberg possibly a prequel to asylum s war of the worlds h. g. wells war of the worlds david michael latt also known as invasion or h. g. wells the worlds in war outside of north america . setting update of the war of the worlds by h. g. wells . war of the worlds king of the lost world leigh scott king kong dead man walking pete mervis n a 2006 snakes on a train peter mervis directed by mervis under the pseudonym the mallachi brothers snakes on a plane the da vinci treasure the da vinci code when a killer calls when a stranger calls 666 the child jack perez followed by 666 the beast the omen halloween night mark atkins n a pirates of treasure island leigh scott pirates of the caribbean dead man s chest hillside cannibals the hills have eyes the 9 11 commission report based on the september 2001 attacks united 93 and world trade center dragon eragon 2007 transmorphers transformers the hitchhiker the hitcher avh alien vs. hunter scott harper aliens vs. predator requiem the apocalypse justin jones n a invasion of the pod people the invasion 30 000 leagues under the sea gabriel bologna setting update of the jules verne novel 20 000 leagues under the sea n a 666 the beast nick eberhart sequel to 666 the child freakshow drew bell remake of the 1932 film freaks i am omega griff furst i am legend 2008 100 million bc 10 000 bc 2012 doomsday nick eberhart followed by 2012 ice age in 2011 and 2012 supernova in 2009 doomsday allan quatermain and the temple of skulls mark atkins indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull death racers roy knyrim death race journey to the center of the earth scott wheeler and david jones journey to the center of the earth monster eric forsberg cloverfield street racer teo konuralp the fast and the furious tokyo drift sunday school musical rachel lee goldenberg the asylum s first family musical under faith films high school musical 3 senior year the day the earth stopped c. thomas howell the day the earth stood still 2008 film war of the worlds 2 the next wave sequel to h.g. wells war of the worlds n a 2009 the land that time forgot land of the lost mega shark versus giant octopus ace hannah prequel to mega shark versus crocosaurus ; others n a 1 cheerleader camp mark quod fired up 18 year old virgin tamara olson n a sex pot eric forsberg princess of mars mark atkins retitled the martian colony wars in some european countries avatar haunting of winchester house the haunting in connecticut the terminators xavier puslowski terminator salvation transmorphers fall of man scott wheeler transformers revenge of the fallen 2012 supernova anthony fankhauser sequel to 2012 doomsday from 2008 followed by 2012 ice age in 2011 2012 paranormal entity shane van dyke followed by three sequels paranormal activity 2010 6 guns jonah hex and true grit 2010 film titanic ii titanic 1997 film the 7 adventures of sinbad adam silver ben hayflick title changed from the 7 voyages of sinbad due to legal issues prince of persia the sands of time 8213 gacy house anthony fankhauser also known as paranormal entity 2 gacy house paranormal activity 2 mega piranha eric forsberg piranha 3d sir arthur conan doyle s sherlock holmes rachel lee goldenberg featuring characters created by arthur conan doyle sherlock holmes milf scott wheeler n a moby dick trey stokes also known as 2010 moby dick or moby dick 2010 ; setting update of herman melville s novel moby dick mega shark versus crocosaurus christopher ray sequel to mega shark versus giant octopus ; prequel to mega shark versus mecha shark 2011 almighty thor thor anneliese the exorcist tapes jude gerard prest also known as paranormal entity 3 the exorcist tapes paranormal activity 3 battle of los angeles mark atkins battle los angeles 3 musketeers cole mckay the three musketeers 200 mph fast five 11 11 11 keith allen 11 11 11 2012 ice age travis fort sequel to 2012 doomsday and 2012 supernova from 2008 and 2009 ; part of the 2012 film series n a barely legal jose montesinos the amityville haunting george meed zombie apocalypse nick lyon mega python vs. gatoroid mary lambert princess and the pony rachel lee goldenberg the asylum s first family film not marketed under faith films 2012 grimm s snow white snow white and the huntsman and mirror mirror 2 headed shark attack christopher ray n a bikini spring break jared cohn spring breakers hold your breath n a abraham lincoln vs. zombies richard schenkman abraham lincoln vampire hunter alien origin mark atkins prometheus 100 ghost street the return of richard speck martin anderson