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Steven Spielberg became a household name with his 1975 film,Jaws. While the film remains on top of many people’s favorite list of Spielberg movies, the director himself didn’t have high hopes for this horror thriller. Spielberg initially regarded the shark in the film as dumb and believed that no one would be interested in watching the film. However, the audience’s response to the film defied his expectations.
Based on the novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, the movie was conceptualized even before the release of the novel. Spielberg was drawn to Benchley’s novel despite his reservations regarding the killer shark concept.
Also Read:“I loved every minute of your work”: Steven Spielberg Was Spellbound With One Indian Acting Legend Despite Working With the Likes of Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise
Steven Spielberg Never ImaginedJawsTo Become A Huge Success
Steven Spielbergwas the third choice of director after the producers initially tried to bring on the legendary John Sturges and later almost offered the job to Dick Richards. However, theJurassic Parkdirector eventually grabbed the director’s role and made it one of his memorable films. Spielberg hadn’t released his first theatrical filmThe Sugarland Expresswhen he was offered theJawsjob
The Fabelmansdirector almost considered quitting before filming even began as he was concerned about being typecast as the“truck and shark director”, also referring to his earlier television film,Duel. Around the time, he also got invited to directLucky Ladyand was inclined to move over to that project. However, Universal Studios prevented him from leaving, citing his contract agreement. David Brown, the producer, also convinced him to stay.
During an interview with W Magazine in early 2023, Spielberg revealed that he genuinely believed the movie would flop and turn out to be one of his worst movies. He was almost convinced that audiences would have little interest in the movie, but he was spectacularly proven wrong. TheE.T.director shared withW Magazine:
“I never would have guessed that so many people would have gone to see Jaws. In my mind, the shark looked dumb. When I went to the first preview, in Dallas, and people were screaming and popcorn was flying at the screen, my first feeling was—Oh my god! I didn’t think any of this was going to work. The truth is, you never ever know.”
Jawsis the only movie in the horror genre in the director’s impeccable portfolio. While the movie spawned three sequels, none of them were directed by Spielberg and none managed to replicate the success of the original film.
Also Read:“I was pulverized by the story”: Steven Spielberg Considered Quitting Directing After One Movie That Made Him Insecure of His Own Talents
Steven Spielberg Made Crucial Changes To Peter Benchley’s Novel
While it was Benchley’s novel that initially attracted Spielberg, he was not completely satisfied with the script. TheSchindler’s Listdirector removed many of the novel’s subplots and wanted the film to primarily focus on the final shark hunt part of the story. However, Spielberg believed that Benchley’s characters were unlikeable.
The director and the producers tried to bring in a screenwriter to do a rewrite. Howard Sackler agreed to do an uncredited rewrite which added certain traits to some of the characters. Spielberg still deemed the script too dark and sent it to his friend,Carl Gottlieb, for suggestions. Gottlieb did the final reworking of the script and also agreed to play a role in the film. Gottlieb is credited as a co-writer of the screenplay of the film.
Also Read:“They walked out..”: Steven Spielberg Got an Awful Response From His Family Over One of His Lowest Grossing Movie of All Time
Despite Spielberg’s initial skepticism,Jawsbecame a colossal success grossing $476.5 million at the box office.Jawsis now available for streaming on Netflix.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
