A Jaws Quint Prequel Would Never Have Worked (With Or Without Spielberg)

Steven Spielberg considered a Jaws prequel following Quint after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, but here’s why this never would have worked.

A Jaws prequel following young Quint’s experiences after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis would never have worked – with or without Steven Spielberg. Jaws‘ groundbreaking success saw Universal quickly clamoring for a follow-up, though it became clear Spielberg had no interest in making it. Jaws 2 – which almost dropped the great white shark – was directed by Supergirl’s Jeannot Szwarc, and it also faced a fraught production. The sequel was a hit, but the franchise fizzled out with the lackluster receptions to Jaws 3-D and The Revenge. The series hasn’t had a new entry since 1987, with Spielberg himself vetoing the studio’s most recent reboot attempt.

One of the many concepts that were pitched for a Jaws follow-up was a prequel revolving around young Quint. One of the most iconic scenes from the first film saw shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) detail his harrowing experiences in the aftermath of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis ship. In real life, the Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine shortly after delivering components for the atomic bomb “Little Boy.” Over four days, hundreds died due to dehydration, drowning or shark attacks. When Jaws 2’s original director was fired, Spielberg considered returning if he could use this story, but this was rejected – which is for the best, in hindsight.

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Quint’s Indianapolis Origin Would Be Far Too Dark For A Jaws Movie

It’s often been suggested the sinking of the USS Indianapolis would have made for a better movie than any of the other Jaws movie sequels, especially if Spielberg had returned. While Jaws has some terrifying moments, it’s ultimately an adventure, but an Indianapolis movie would be an entirely different proposition. 900 men went into the water, but only 317 survived. To be truthful to this horrific event, this proposed Jaws movie prequel would have had to feature hundreds of people being ripped to pieces by sharks, while others die from drowning or lack of water.

In other words, this Quint prequel would need to be a dark, possibly R-rated survival drama. At its core, Jaws is an adventure film and it more disturbing moments were balanced out by the great character scenes or humor. The very nature of the Indianapolis sinking would have demanded a much grittier film where the majority of the main characters would die painful deaths. Whatever the failings of the saga’s other sequels, they still felt somewhat in keeping with the original. This proposed prequel would have taken the series to a much more disturbing place.

There Are Two Non-Jaws Indianapolis Movies

While not the right tone for a Jaws film, the Indianapolis story absolutely deserves to be told and two movies have depicted the sinking, including 2016’s USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage starring Nic Cage. In a strange quirk of fate, this survival drama was helmed by Mario Van Peebles – star of Jaws: The Revenge. Despite Cage and a solid supporting cast the movie received mixed reviews. The sinking was also explored in 1991 movie Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, starring David Caruso. This is considered the best depiction of the true story, though it is somewhat limited by its TV movie budget.

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