There’s an interesting situation going down with Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks. The mini-studio has a distribution deal with Disney that is going to end next year and words is that they’ll be leaving Disney and end up shacking with Universal.
Now, should this end up being the case, two potential series’ will be strong contenders for a relaunch: Jaws and Back to the Future. Here’s why people are thinking this: Spielberg has apparently always maintained his offices at Universal, even when Dreamworks was working with Paramount and Disney. Additionally, he is integral to the current run of Jurassic Park films. He served as a hands-on executive producer for Jurassic World, which is now one of the top grossing films of all time.
As a result, Universal is supposedly interested in the above two franchises and seeing where they can go with those titles. Both of those series’ featured a strong involvement from Spielberg, the former seeing his as director and the latter as executive producer. His name on the projects is incredibly important to the studio and, perhaps more importantly, to the fans.
While some may balk at a relaunch or reboot of Jaws, I’m all for it! A summer blockbuster doesn’t always need to be about saving the world/galaxy/universe. Keep it small and relatable and I’m far more likely to be moved and invested in the story. Plus, more killer sharks is always a good thing, in my world!