The Asylum
Low-budget mockbuster studio that never lost money on a film.
The Asylum is an independent film studio based in Burbank, California, that produces and distributes low-budget direct-to-video movies. It specializes in mockbusters—films designed to ride the coattails of major studio releases by using similar titles and concepts. The company makes dozens of films each year, spending four to six months on each, and claims it has never lost money on a project. Individual films typically earn between $150,000 and $250,000 in profit, and the studio generates millions of dollars annually. Because it is not affiliated with industry guilds except SAG-AFTRA, employees sometimes work up to 22 hours a day.
Originally founded in 1997 as a distribution company for low-budget dramas, the Asylum shifted to in-house production in the mid-2000s after struggling to compete with larger distributors like Lionsgate Films. Its first release, Bellyfruit (1999), was a comedy-drama about teen pregnancy. The company initially aimed to supply drama films to video rental chains such as Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, but those chains preferred direct-to-video horror. In 1999, the Asylum partnered with Australian distributor Tribe Enterprises and Hollywood Video to create the First Rites label. Strain left the company in 2002 and was replaced by Paul Bales, a former Screen Actors Guild employee. That same year, the Asylum began producing one film per month, starting with the crime thriller King of the Ants.
The Asylum’s first hit was Vampires vs. Zombies (2004), which was marketed as an adaptation of the 1872 novella Carmilla but whose poster closely resembled that of Freddy vs. Jason. This is considered the company’s first mockbuster. In 2005, the Asylum released H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds one day before Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. Blockbuster ordered 100,000 copies—roughly seven to eight times the usual order for Asylum films—which convinced the company to focus on mockbusters. Subsequent titles included King of the Lost World (based on King Kong), Snakes on a Train (based on Snakes on a Plane), The Da Vinci Treasure (based on The Da Vinci Code), and Transmorphers (based on The Terminator, not Transformers). In 2008, the Asylum increased its production budget and partnered with Syfy for a television release of The Day the Earth Stopped, based on The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Quick Facts
- Founder
- David Michael Latt
- David Rimawi
- Sherri Strain
- Headquarters
- Burbank, California
- Country
- U.S.
- Divisions
- Faith Films
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Asylum was founded in 1997 by David Latt, David Rimawi, and Sherri Strain, who had been fired by Village Roadshow Pictures. Initially a distribution company for low-budget drama films, it shifted to in-house productions in the mid-2000s after facing competition from larger studios like Lionsgate Films. The company's first release was Bellyfruit in 1999, and its first hit was Vampires vs. Zombies in 2004, which bore a striking resemblance to the Freddy vs. Jason poster. In 2005, the Asylum released H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds one day before Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, after Blockbuster ordered 100,000 copies, inspiring the company to focus on mockbusters.
The Asylum produces dozens of films each year, spending around four to six months per film, with budgets of $250,000 to $500,000 and profits of $150,000 to $250,000. Employees sometimes work up to 22 hours a day, as the company is not affiliated with industry guilds other than SAG-AFTRA. The company's greatest success came in 2013 with Sharknado, about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and drops them over Los Angeles. The over-the-top premise went viral, with over 387,000 mentions on social media, and led to five sequels. In response, Syfy commissioned the zombie television series Z Nation, which ran for five seasons.
Reader's Guide
The Asylum's significance lies in its unique business model of producing low-budget films quickly and profitably, never losing money on a single film. By releasing mockbusters timed to coincide with major studio releases, the company carved out a niche in direct-to-video and later video-on-demand markets. Its partnership with Syfy and later Pluto TV and Tubi expanded its reach, and the viral phenomenon of Sharknado demonstrated how a deliberately absurd premise could capture global attention. The Asylum's approach influenced low-budget filmmaking and digital distribution strategies, showing that rapid production and genre exploitation can yield consistent revenue. The company's legacy includes the Sharknado franchise and Z Nation, which proved that mockbuster studios could create original content with lasting appeal. The Asylum remains a case study in sustainable low-budget film production.
More in Related People
Elsewhere in Christopher Nolan
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced