‘Jaws’: Steven Spielberg regrets that so many sharks were killed because of the film

Sometimes the success of a film or TV series has unpredictable consequences. Sometimes they are good things, like when after the premiere of “Dame’s Gambit” chess came back into fashion or the inspiration was Dana Scully of “The X-Files” on several generations of women studying for a career in science. But other times they are terrible.

This is the case with ‘Jaws’, the classic that Steven Spielberg released in 1975, a film that forever damaged the reputation of this animal, although the book by Peter Benchley on which it is based was published first. The fact is that after going through the cinemas, The shark began to be considered a danger to humans and sport hunting to keep them as trophies became fashionable in the United States. The author of the novel said this years later “Knowing what I know now, it’s possible I never would have written that book” and has dedicated part of his life to the protection of sharks. Now it’s Spielberg who regrets it.

The director will premiere ‘The Fabelmans’, a semi-biographical play, on February 10 in Spain, and reviewed some of his career with Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’. When the reporter asked Spielberg as it would appear to have sharks around his theoretical deserted island, replied: “It’s one of the things that still scares me. Not getting eaten by a shark, but sharks are kind of mad at me for fueling the frenzy that gave some crazy sport fishermen after 1975.” Also, the director lamented: “I’m really, to this day, sorry about the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the movie. I’m really, really sorry.” After the premiere of “Jaws” the number of copies on the east coast of North America decreased by 50%. It should also be remembered that despite its fame, on average only between 6 and 10 people a year die from a shark attack in the world and the hippopotamus, on the other hand, kills around 500 humans every year.

“The Fabelmans”

Although it was released in the United States months ago, it will be in Spain in February when we delve into Spielberg’s family and personal life. ‘The Fabelmans’ tells the story of his childhood and the birth of his love for the seventh art. Paul Dano and Michelle Williams play his parents, Seth Rogen plays his father’s best friend, and he plays Gabriel LaBelle and Mateo Zoryan in different stages of his life. Also appearing in the film are Keeley Karsten and Alina Brace (Natalie Fabelman); Julia Butters and Birdie Borria (Reggie Fabelman); Judd Hirsch and Jeannie Berlin. Don’t miss February 10 exclusively in theaters.