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Jawswas the massive striking that catapultedSteven Spielbergto A - list condition , but the director opted not to return for 1978 sequelJaws 2.CallingJawsa massive bang is really kind of an understatement , as for a while , it hold the title of highest - grossing film of all time , and was the accelerator behind the universe of what we now refer to as summertime blockbuster season . The idea of Hollywood release lots of boastful , competing tentpole labor in the summertime may seem like something take for granted now , but it was by no means always the guinea pig .
Jawsnaturally lead on to become a franchise , but sadly , it represent one of the extortionate falls in lineament ever suffered by a motion-picture show series . Jaws 2isn’t a defective plastic film , but it pal up next to Spielberg ’s original , andJaws 3andJaws 4 : The Revengeare unambiguously frightful . Sure , Jaws 4built Michael Caine a nice house , but that ’s about all the good it did for the mankind at expectant .
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In today ’s moving-picture show market dominated by continuation , prequels , remakes , adaptations , and an overall focus on crop enfranchisement , it ’s become very common for director to return for follow - ups to successful film . However , Spielberg chose not fare back to directJaws 2,and it turns out there were some very specific reasons why .
Why Steven Spielberg Didn’t Direct Jaws 2
Unsurprisingly , Universal Pictures was swell on making aJaws 2not longsighted afterJawsbecame a huge winner . For their part , producer David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck did n’t needfully think a sequel was necessary , but take on Universal would make it with or without them , so they opted to remain in cathexis . Spielberg was of course asked to recall as director , but claim afterward in 1975 that he had no interest in doing so , and had not even bothered to respond to Brown and Zanuck ’s offer . Spielberg was also quoted at the time as saying " making a sequel to anything is just a gaudy carny trick , " which is honestly kind of funny in hindsight , considering the fact that he would go on to send threeIndiana Jonessequels and aJurassic Parksequel .
disputable hypocrisy on Spielberg ’s part away , Brown later tell that he actually had mouth to Spielberg about directingJaws 2,and that Spielberg had told him he felt doing so would be superfluous , as he had already made thedefinitive shark movie.45 old age afterJaws’release , it ’s certainly secure to say Spielberg was correct in that dictum . Notably , Spielberg ’s tone on why he did n’t return forJaws 2has soften a second in interviews from the past decennary . Spielberg now says the independent reasonableness he did n’t desire to come back was fears aboutJaws 2 ’s production turn out as infamously troubled as the first film ’s , which went massively over budget , and at one point Spielberg think would end his calling before it really got start . That emphatically makes a lot more sense then the idea of Spielberg just instantly being against directing a sequel . Jaws 2would of path ultimately be directed by French filmmaker Jeannot Szwarc , and while the reviews were n’t nearly as unspoilt , it did still make deal of money .
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