This year the classic of horrors of the “jaw” is 50 years old – and against the background of the birthday they again spoke not only about the film itself, but also about the sequel. Especially about the second.
“Jaws 2” were released in 1978, with the same protagonist – Sheriff Brody performed by Roy Shyder – but without Stephen Spielberg. The director became Jeanno Schwartz, not Spielberg, as the studio expected. And there is a good reason for this.
After the triumph of the first film, Universal naturally wanted to continue. Producers David Brown and Richard Zanuk returned to work, the actors also succeeded in saving. Spielberg was offered to return to the director’s chair, but he didn’t even answer. He easily explained it later:
“I have already made the perfect film about the shark. Continuation is a cheap trick.”
However, it was not only in principles. Much later Spielberg admitted: the shooting of the first “Jaws” became a psychological nightmare for him. The film crew found constant technical problems, the shark did not work, the script was copied directly on the site, the actors a fight and the film schedule went beyond a hundred days. According to Spielberg, he seriously thought that his career would end after this film.
“I would take off the sequel if I hadn’t experienced such a horror in the sea. I just couldn’t return there.”
And yet the moment that Spielberg almost changed his mind. In 1977, when the original director of the sequel John Hankok was fired, Spielberg called the producers. After that he has just finished “close contacts of the third degree” and offered to save the project. His idea is a prequel about the tragedy with the Wuss Indianapolis ship, which was the character of Robert Shaw. The audience remembers this story of Captain Cuinta from his famous speech in the first part.
But the studio did not want to wait a year until Spielberg completed its work. He left the project completely, Universal hired another director and changed the tone of the script: they opted for a more “light” option. So a film appeared that the audience does not hate, but does not remember special.
But the idea with USS Indianapolis is still important – perhaps if the studio had waited, the “Jaws 2” would have had a completely different fate.
Source: Popcorn News
Kenneth Weaver is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He focuses on writing about celebrity-related news, keeping his readers up to date with the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for writing, Kenneth brings his unique perspective to every article he writes, making him a trusted source for all things celebrity.
