Piranha also known as Piranhas is a 1995 American horror film

Horror film

Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 directed by Scott P. Levy about a school of killer piranha

Piranha

A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...

 descending upon the bustling Lost River Lake Resort. Produced by Roger Corman

Roger Corman

Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...

 for the Showtime network, the film is a remake

Remake

A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...

 of the 1978 film Piranha, directed by Joe Dante

Joe Dante

Joseph "Joe" Dante, Jr. is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and science fiction content....

.

Overview

Piranha stars William Katt

William Katt

William Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero. He is also known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie White in the film version of Carrie and Paul Drake Jr. in the Perry Mason TV movies...

 as Paul Grogan, Alexandra Paul

Alexandra Paul

Alexandra Elizabeth Paul is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the television series Baywatch from 1992–97. She has starred in over 60 movies and television programs.-Personal life:...

 as Maggie, Soleil Moon Frye

Soleil Moon Frye

Soleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...

 as the camp counselor Laura, Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis

Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...

 as Susie (Paul's daughter), Leland Orser

Leland Orser

Leland Jones Orser is an American film and television actor. Orser is a character actor, whose career has included playing a number of deranged, psychotic, and degenerate characters. Orser has appeared in small roles in a wide variety of films and television shows, including Chief of Surgery Dr...

 as director Terry Wechsler, and Darleen Carr

Darleen Carr

Darleen Carr is an American actress best known for a recurring role in the 1981–82 television series Bret Maverick opposite James Garner...

 as Dr. Leticia Baines (a gender-reversed role previously essayed by Kevin McCarthy in the original) as the doctor experimenting upon the killer fish. A private investigator

Private investigator

A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...

, Maggie McNamara (Alexandra Paul), is hired by wealthy resort owner J.R. Randolph Monte Markham

Monte Markham

Monte Markham is an American actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway.Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant.Of his television roles, Markham is perhaps most famous for...

 to find his missing daughter. During her search she and local resident Paul Grogan (William Katt) stumble upon a deserted Army research facility and unwittingly release the Piranha into the river.

Production

This film marks one of the first screen appearances of Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis

Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...

.

Rather than shoot new special effects for the film, Roger Corman recycled the special effects from the original. The screenplay is nearly identical to that of the original, but removes all of the humor and comedy. Dante and producer Jon Davidson expressed a dislike for the film in the audio commentary on the DVD for the original.

Cast

Actor	Character
Mila Kunis Mila Kunis Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...	Susie Grogan
Kehli O'Byrne	Gina Green
William Katt William Katt William Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero. He is also known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie White in the film version of Carrie and Paul Drake Jr. in the Perry Mason TV movies...	Paul Grogan
Alexandra Paul Alexandra Paul Alexandra Elizabeth Paul is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the television series Baywatch from 1992–97. She has starred in over 60 movies and television programs.-Personal life:...	Maggie McNamara
Soleil Moon Frye Soleil Moon Frye Soleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...	Laura
Leland Orser Leland Orser Leland Jones Orser is an American film and television actor. Orser is a character actor, whose career has included playing a number of deranged, psychotic, and degenerate characters. Orser has appeared in small roles in a wide variety of films and television shows, including Chief of Surgery Dr...	Terry Wechsler
Darleen Carr Darleen Carr Darleen Carr is an American actress best known for a recurring role in the 1981–82 television series Bret Maverick opposite James Garner...	Dr. Leticia Baines
Lorissa McComas Lorissa McComas Lorissa McComas was an American lingerie, nude and softcore model.McComas graduated from Princeton High School in 1988...	Barbara