2017 is weird. Very weird. After all, who would have predicted that Donald Trump would be President of the United States a few years ago?
Well, one divisive US institution had its sights on making him President – and, no, we're not talking about the Republican Party. However, this one didn't plan on making him an actual head of state.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sharknado producers wanted Trump to play the fictional President in the third movie, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!. The reality star was their second pick after talks with first choice Sarah Palin fell through.
"The Donald said yes," David Latt, the co-founder of film studio The Asylum, recalled of the decision in early 2015. "He was thrilled to be asked."
"We got pretty far," added casting director Gerald Webb of the Trump negotiations. "It was serious talks." Yet even though a contract was drawn up, Trump's camp went silent.
Latt recalled Trump's attorney Michael D Cohen's eventual response: "Donald's thinking about making a legitimate run for the Presidency, so we'll get back to you. This might not be the best time."
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In the end, the role of POTUS eventually went to businessman Mark Cuban, with Latt alleging that there was an angry response from the Trump camp over the decision.
Trump announced his intention to run for the Presidency in the summer of 2015, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Still, the current state of the world may be largely down to Sharknado, and we could not get more 2017 than that, frankly.
Basically, everything is awful.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
