Steven Spielberg's words of warning for director of Jaws sequel

Jaws made Steven Spielberg, but its ballooning filming schedule and malfunctioning mechanical shark, very almost finished him as well.

You get the feeling that it has long continued to be a love/hate relationship with the shark film and the filming shenanigans for the director of Close Encounters, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park.

He had no involvement with the Jaws sequels, but did send a letter of support, or should that be a letter of polite warning and experience, to Joseph Sargent, the director of Jaws the Revenge.

To the best of our knowledge he never sent such letters to the directors of Jaws 2 or Jaws 3D, something that you might have expected with the latter as it was directed by Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind production designer, Joe Alves.

Here's the letter that Steven Spielberg sent to Sargent ahead of filming on Martha's Vineyard and in the Bahamas.

“Like the Vietnam vet, I came home too and managed never to think about the year 1974, until I started reading ‘Jaws: The Revenge.’ Got to Page 18 and found myself holding that service revolver and discharging it until empty into the Atlantic Ocean. I just couldn’t go on reading because it brought back so many memories.

“Good luck, Joseph Sargent. Bring a lot of Joseph Conrad to read while you’re waiting for the next shoot.

“Call home often to talk to people you love.

“With tremendous sympathy and two winks of my right eye, (signed) Steve.”

It's not known whether Spielberg ever got further than those 18 pages, or if he ever saw the finished film. He can't have escaped its bad reputation though.

Words by Dean Newman

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