Jaws 2
Updated: 12/11/2025, 1:44:20 PM Wikipedia source
Jaws 2 is a 1978 American horror thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and written by Howard Sackler and Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), and the second installment in the Jaws franchise. The film stars Roy Scheider as Police Chief Martin Brody, with Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton and Jeffrey Kramer reprising their respective roles as Martin's wife Ellen Brody, mayor Larry Vaughn and Deputy Hendricks. It also stars Joseph Mascolo, Collin Wilcox, Ann Dusenberry, Mark Gruner, Susan French, Barry Coe, Donna Wilkes, Gary Springer, and Keith Gordon in his first feature film role. The plot concerns Police Chief Martin Brody suspecting another great white shark is terrorizing the fictional seaside resort community of Amity Island, following a series of incidents and disappearances, and his suspicions are eventually proven true. Like the production of the original film, the production of Jaws 2 was troubled. The first director for the film, John D. Hancock, proved to be unsuitable for an action film and was replaced by Szwarc. Scheider agreed to reprise his role only to settle a contractual issue with Universal Pictures, was unhappy during production and had several heated exchanges with Szwarc. The film was released on June 16, 1978, to mixed reviews. While the performances of Scheider, Gary and Hamilton, the special effects, and John Williams' musical score were praised, it received criticism for essentially duplicating the formula of the first film. However, in retrospect, the film is generally regarded as the best of the three Jaws sequels. It was briefly the highest-grossing sequel in history until Rocky II was released in 1979. The film's tagline, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." has become one of the most famous in film history and has been parodied and homaged several times. It was followed by Jaws 3-D in 1983.
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References
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