The blockbuster film Jaws – which was based on the novel of the same name, written by Peter Benchley – was released almost five decades ago and has been terrifying audiences ever since then
Meg 2: The Trench hits cinemas today as Jason Statham once again faces down a megalodon – the prehistoric shark that’s much bigger and scarier than the great white shark in Jaws.
It’s been almost five decades since the best-selling novel Jaws instilled a fear of sharks in readers, with the book having prompted the blockbuster film that did the same.
The novel – which was published in 1974 – was written by Peter Benchley. The late author also worked on the screenplay for the film adaptation that was released the following year and had been directed by Steven Spielberg.
It was believed that the novel had been inspired by a series of shark attacks that were reported off the coast of New Jersey in around 1916. They took place in a resort town, similar to the fictional Amity that’s the setting of the book.