The Real Reason Why Steven Spielberg Didn't Direct 'Jaws 2'

Jaws turns 50 this year, a film that spawned the age of the summer blockbuster, and one that has made hundreds of people question if it's safe to go back in the water ever since. The golden anniversary of the film has renewed interest not only in the original, flawless classic, but in its follow-up sequels as well, each progressively worse than the one before it. In fact, 1987's Jaws: The Revenge was so critically reviled that it ended up killing the franchise outright. As such, 1978's Jaws 2 is the Citizen Kane of the sequels, bringing back Roy Scheider's Chief Brody to confront a new shark that has set itself up in the waters of Amity. The film was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who was not the original director associated with the film. That would be John D. Hancock. The one name that isn't associated with Jaws 2 is the director of the first film, Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg, and there's a good reason why.