Steven Spielberg Thinks Sharks May Be Mad at Him Because of ‘Jaws’

To mend any rift between himself and sharks, Steven Spielberg spoke about it during an interview about his latest project – the autobiographical drama The Fabelmans. The director is known for his iconic shark movie Jaws and expressed his hope that the creatures would not hold grudge against him because of their portrayal in the film.

Jaws Was Detrimental to Sharks

In a recent interview, Steven Spielberg reflected on the impact of his iconic film Jaws, which reportedly contributed to a surge in sports fishing and shark hunting in the United States. The director also discussed the prevalent practice of shark hunting for various purposes, including shark meat and shark fin soup in some countries. Despite his fame and success in the film industry, Spielberg candidly admitted that being surrounded by sharks is still one of his fears.

Spielberg clarified that he was not afraid he might get eaten by a shark but that sharks were somehow mad at him for the feeding frenzy of crazy sports fishermen that happened after 1975. The three-time Oscar-winning director added that to this day, he regretted the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film. He pointed out that he really, truly regretted that.

Sharks Are Not Villains

Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a landmark film known for its innovative special effects and influential place in cinematic history. The summer blockbuster was a huge commercial success, earning $476.5 million at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by Star Wars two years later. Jaws is based on the novel by Peter Benchley, who also expressed remorse for his portrayal of sharks in the story before he passed away in 2006.