The Best Part of "Jaws 2" Refused to Appear in the Film

The Best Part of "Jaws 2" Refused to Appear in the Film 

Steven Spielberg's Jaws has become one of the acclaimed director's most famous pictures. However, it

 also redefined the subgenre of aquatic creature features and showed that any horror movie worked best

 when everything was going against it. It's no secret that Jaws was a hit, as it helped spawn the summer

 blockbuster and resulting from its success, Universal Pictures decided to continue the story with a

 sequel, Jaws 2. From there, the franchise entered a downward slope that became a far cry from its

 predecessor. Even still, Jaws 2 proved it still had much of the charm as the original, even if it lacked in

 other areas.

Jaws 2 followed Amity Police Chief Martin Brody and his family years after the first movie. After many

 successful summers, it seemed unlikely that Amity would encounter another shark problem until a

 second Great White Shark appeared. From there, the story takes a new path in the father-son

 relationship between Martin and his eldest son, Michael, by focusing on the struggles of raising a

 teenager amidst a deadly summer. But, even though Roy Scheider's Brody proved to be a key

 component in the movie's most important themes, the actor had no desire to return.

As revealed by the fan site, The Daily Jaws, the three main cast members of the original Jaws signed

 contracts, with Scheider's role being the only one for three pictures. While these weren't necessarily

 Jaws sequels, they would be movies owed to Universal, should his name skyrocket after the movie's

 release. Scheider's first two outings proved problematic, as the first, Sorcerer, didn't live up to

 expectations. The second movie, The Deer Hunter, underwent a massive change that led to Scheider

 leaving the project. By the time Jaws 2 came up, Scheider had no interest in returning to the role and

 turned down almost every offer, save for one. With the promise that Jaws 2 would serve as two movies

 with a pay bump, Scheider would be free of his contract with Universal.