New Matt Hooper movie to fill in the blanks between JAWS and Piranha 3D

After almost 50 years since oceanographer Matt Hooper appeared in Steven Spielberg’s JAWS (1975), the character from the classic shark film is set to resurface and make a welcome return back to our screens “for his noon feeding.”

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) may have been last seen in JAWS floating in on a set of yellow barrels alongside Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) during the closing moments of the film, flash forward to 2010 and we have a very similar looking and sounding character (again played by Dreyfuss) in Piranha 3D – complete with double denim and whistling farewell and adieu.

But what happened in those intervening years? Apart from a short unheard phone call in JAWS 2 (1978) that said he couldn’t come back to Amity Island as he was on the Aurora, that is as much as we know. But he can’t have been on that “floating asylum” for all that time. Could he?

With two new books out exploring the pre-JAWS years of Quint, then why not explore the post JAWS years of Hooper? Who wouldn’t want to see him on the Aurora, researching other great white sharks, seeing if he does eventually make it to Brisbane and show how the study and understanding of sharks has evolved since 1975 – including Hooper distancing himself from the rogue shark theory. What else would you like to see featured?

No script, cast or director details have yet to be released from this exciting JAWS legacy project, but here are some of the rumours and ideas that could make it to screen.

Richard Dreyfuss is the last surviving original main cast member from JAWS (Scheider passing away in 2008 and Robert Shaw back in 1978) so having the actor who originated the role back in his double denim would be fantastic for JAWS and film fans alike, plus we know that he already did similar duties for his unnamed cameo in that Piranha remake. Even if he didn’t have a bigger boat!

Also crucially, of the three main characters, Hooper is the only one to have survived the series. Quint was killed by the shark in JAWS and Chief Brody was confirmed to have died of a heart attack before the events of Jaws the Revenge. But what happened to Hooper?

Perhaps we’ll have a film bookended by a current older, wiser Matt Hooper returning to Amity Island and reminiscing (and getting another free meal) from Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) or catching up with the former Deputy Hendricks (Jeffrey Kramer) for those extra bonus JAWS links?

Or he could even meet up with the last screen Michael Brody (Lance Guest) from Jaws the Revenge who was rocking the full Matt Hooper look – and career path - in the last JAWS film released back in 1987.

And what about the younger Matt Hooper? Dreyfuss has long said that he thinks the shark in JAWS should be replaced by CGI, so that technology could also be used to help realise a younger Matt Hooper by using the same de-aging effects on Dreyfuss that were used at the start of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Harrison Ford.

With Dreyfuss being active on screen in the likes of Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Stakeout, What About Bob, Mr Holland’s Opus and The American President there are plenty of opportunities to capture his likeness during those years to help fill in the Matt Hooper blanks.

Or perhaps they could recast for the younger period Matt Hooper and go for someone like Seth Rogan? He’s got the look and the humour to pull it off.

You got any better casting suggestions? Let us know in the comments.

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