The Shocking Reason Steven Spielberg Wanted to Rewrite ‘Jaws 2’ as a Prequel Revealed!

Ever wonder what it takes to turn a mechanical menace into Hollywood gold without losing your sanity? Well, after wrestling with a nearly useless animatronic shark and a budget that ballooned to a staggering $12 million—almost four times the norm back in the ’70s—Steven Spielberg came perilously close to what I like to call PDSD: Post Directing Stress Disorder. You’d think that was the perfect recipe for disaster, right? Yet, against all odds, Jaws didn’t just survive—it transformed the movie game, becoming the first flick ever to net $100 million and kickstarting the whole summer blockbuster craze. But here’s the twist: while Universal was eager for a sequel, Spielberg, still shell-shocked from battling that finned beast, said, “No thanks.” Intrigued by what made Spielberg walk away and his brief flirtation with a Jaws sequel idea involving sharks from history’s darkest depths? Dive in and find out. LEARN MORE.

Call it PDSD: Post Directing Stress Disorder. After completing work on his adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws in 1974, Steven Spielberg nearly had a nervous breakdown. The mechanized shark rarely worked, shooting on the water was unpredictable, and the budget had swelled to $12 million—nearly four times what an average film of the time cost. It seemed reasonable to expect a disaster.

1. Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back
2. Taking a Page From History

Instead, Jaws became the first film in history to gross $100 million and helped usher in the concept of the “summer blockbuster.” Universal immediately wanted a sequel; Spielberg, owing to a wealth of opportunities and still reeling from the difficulty of shooting the original, declined.