Does Universal want Steven Spielberg to help them reboot Jaws?

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

In its early days, the production company DreamWorks, which was initially formed by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen in 1994, distributed its own films theatrically, with Universal handling the home video releases. While DreamWorks went on to be owned by Paramount for a brief period and in 2009 entered into a long-term distribution deal with Disney, their offices have always remained on the Universal Studios lot.

The company's deal with Disney, which was made when a deal couldn't be reached with Universal, will soon be ending, and Hollywood is wondering: where will Spielberg take DreamWorks now? Univeral is the obvious choice, especially since Spielberg and the studio had such a successful partnership on this year's JURASSIC WORLD, which has quickly become one of the highest grossing films of all time (and is #1 this year so far.)

In the middle of their article on the possibility of DreamWorks calling Universal their new distribution home, The Hollywood Reporter dropped a simple sentence that isn't elaborated on at all but has caused quite a stir among the film community. A sentence that says that not only is Spielberg essential to future JURASSIC sequels,

He also is key on potential reboots of other Universal franchises such as Jaws and Back to the Future.

I wouldn't think that the possibility of these reboots was just put in the article as an assumption, an insider must have brought it up. Still, the idea of a BACK TO THE FUTURE reboot going ahead any time soon seems easy to brush aside, as the rights are owned by the film's director Robert Zemeckis and his co-writer Bob Gale, and just a couple months ago Zemeckis said that the pair had no intention of allowing a remake to happen in their lifetimes.

Which leaves JAWS. Would Spielberg be interested in producing a new entry in the killer shark franchise? He has been quoted as saying that ideas for another JAWS movie do occasionally cross his mind, and he has thought up a "very, very good scene" for one.

Rather than storm Universal and/or DreamWorks with torches and pitchforks over the thought of them remaking an immortal classic, we should take into consideration that "reboot" is one of the most over-used words in the industry today, thrown around so much that it's meaningless. It's applied to remakes as often as it's applied to sequels. Since the JAWS franchise has been dormant ever since 1987's JAWS: THE REVENGE, any new JAWS movie would likely be called a reboot, even if the lead character was the late Chief Brody's granddaughter Thea. 

While I wouldn't like to see a direct remake of JAWS, I would be happy to get a new JAWS movie, especially if Spielberg has some creative control. The concept is simple enough that they could do anything with it, and as long as they don't try to recreate the characters of Brody, Hooper, and Quint, a JAWS revival is something I would be fully on board for.