Few films are so iconic they reshape history JAWS is one of them. Now, 50 years later, it’s time to celebrate the movie that made generations afraid to go back in the water.
Personally, I’ve seen the film at least 200 times (yes, I’m proudly one of the JAWS nerds). During the three years I spent writing my book Sharkonomics, I was so deep into the movie that I seriously considered buying the original blazer worn by the mayor (the white one with blue anchors). My plan was to wear it while giving keynotes on the book but that would’ve been crossing the line from research into obsession. Instead, I settled for swimming with great white sharks in South Africa and getting my diver certification.
On a U.S. book tour, I met a man in Hollywood who claimed to be a childhood friend of Steven Spielberg’s father. He told me Spielberg’s dad had once been worried that his teenage son, Steve, would never make a living all he wanted to do was mess around with film, not pursue a “real job.” After the success of JAWS, Spielberg hired his dad. That calmed him down. I always think of that story when June rolls around, JAWS month in my calendar.
Could a new JAWS film make waves today?
We’re so spoiled by digital effects these days that it’s hard to impress us. If a reboot were to really make an impact, I imagine it would mix a real great white shark with AI blurring the line between reality and fiction. Imagine JAWS: The Movie, but without the famously unreliable mechanical shark “Bruce”… and instead starring a real shark that can act (or at least appear to). Of course, today’s actors aren’t quite at the level of the original cast, so why not blend real performers with voices, emotions, and gestures modeled on the original crew? All done respectfully, of course and this time, let the audience learn how intelligent sharks truly are, so that Peter Benchley, the author of the original novel, can rest in peace.
A personal dream: merging JAWS with Sharkonomics
For years, I’ve dreamed of having one of the original JAWS actors narrate the audiobook version of Sharkonomics. So much time has passed since the 1975 premiere that only a few are still with us — but hey, why not Steven Spielberg himself? One can dream, right? Getting the book published in 8 languages has already been a dream come true for me. If Steven narrated it in just one of them, I’d be more than satisfied.
Thank you, Steven Spielberg — and thank you to the sharks, Chris Fallows and the marine researchers I met while writing the book, for opening up a world few truly understand.