The original Jaws famously had a perpetually broken shark named “Bruce” (after Spielberg’s lawyer). For Jaws 2 , the effects team built :
Jaws 2 ’s production was nearly as chaotic as a shark feeding frenzy. Universal originally wanted a campy, almost Gremlins -esque spoof, complete with a mechanical shark that shot lasers. Screenwriters as varied as John Milius and Carl Gottlieb (co-writer of the original) took passes. The first director, John D. Hancock, was fired after three weeks of shooting—famously, he wanted to kill Brody in the opening scene. Universal replaced him with French director Jeannot Szwarc, who had to reshoot 30% of the film. Jaws 2 -1978-
This tension resulted in a very different tone for the film. While the first film was a high-stakes adventure about three men hunting a monster, Jaws 2 became a more personal, paranoid thriller about a man struggling to be believed, followed by a high-octane disaster film involving teenagers. The original Jaws famously had a perpetually broken
The water-ski kill (iconic), Scheider’s clenched-jaw performance, and the score. Skip it if: You need your sharks to obey the laws of marine biology. (This one roars. Yes, roars .) Screenwriters as varied as John Milius and Carl
Goldsmith did something brilliant. He kept Williams’s iconic two-note shark motif but (for suspense) and added a screaming brass glissando for attacks. Then he wrote a new main theme: a lush, tragic waltz for the Amity kids sailing. Critics hated it at the time. Now? It’s considered one of the most underrated horror scores of the 1970s — equal parts beauty and doom.