The shark movie is one of the most iconic film genres and has brought us some great movie moments over the years.
The Shallows
This week, sharks are terrorising the seas once again as The Shallows hits the big screen. The movie marks the return of Jaume Collet-Serra to the director's chair while Blake Lively takes on the central role of Nancy.
To celebrate the release of The Shallows, we take a look back at some of the best-known shark movies and how they have performed at the box office.
- Jaws - $470.7 million
Of course, when you talk about shark movies, it will come as no surprise to discover the Jaws is the most successful film in this genre.
Released back in 1975, Jaws is the ultimate shark movie. Based on the book of the same name by Peter Benchley, the film saw Steven Spielberg back in the director's chair and was the movie that really did give birth to the blockbuster film.
Forty years on and no matter how many times you watch it, Jaws remains one of Spielberg's best movies and is a film that still sends a shiver down your spine.
I love the fast pace of this movie, Spielberg keeps the story, the action, and the terror zipping along - never giving the audience a moment to breath or relax. This only heightens the anxiety and keeps you well and truly on the edge of your seat. In that respect, Spielberg has delivered one of the most perfectly planned and constructed horror movies of all time.
The movie was a huge critical and commercial success and went on to gross $470.7 million at the global box office. At the time, it was the highest-grossing film of all time and held that title until Star Wars came along two years later.
Jaws is the movie against which all other shark films are measured and, while we have seen some great films, not has come close to matching this cinematic classic.
- Shark Tale - $367.3 million
The second most successful film in this genre comes in the form of animated movie Shark Tale, which was released back in 2004. It's hard to believe that this movie is already twelve years old.
Shark Tale was brought to us by DreamWorks Animation studio and saw Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, and Rob Letterman in the director's chair.
The movie brought together an impressive voice cast list as Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Jack Black, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, and Martin Scorsese were all on board.
Shark Tale is a bright and fun animation movie that takes us under the sea on a brand new adventure. The movie mixes humour with some great characters and really is fun for all of the family.
Shark Tale was a big box office success when it was released in 2004, going on to gross over $367 million worldwide.
Not only did the film have the second highest opening for a DreamWorks Animation film - behind Shrek - but the film ended the year as the ninth highest-grossing film of 2004.
- Jaws 2 - $208,900,376 million
Three years after the success of Jaws, this great movie villain was back in Jaws 2. The movie saw Roy Scheider reprise the role of Police Chief Martin Brody but it was Jeannot Szwarc who took over the director's chair.
The movie follows Brody after he is called into action once again to battle a huge shark that is terrorising the waters of Amity Island.
While Jaws is not the master of suspense like its predecessor - and that was largely thanks to the director - the movie has some terrifically terrifying moments that will have you jumping out of your seat.
Jaws 2 is a very solid sequel and it is always great to see this wonderful film villain back on the big screen.
This is a movie that received mixed receives upon release, it did go on to enjoy box office success. It didn't in as much money as the first film, the movie still grossed over $208 million by the end of its theatrical run.
Nearly forty years on, Jaws 2 is widely regarded as the best of all of the Jaws sequels.
- Deep Blue Sea - $164.6 million
Deep Blue Sea is one of the more recent shark films to hit the big screen and was released back in 1999.
The movie marked the return of Renny Harlin to the director's chair for what was his first feature film since The Long Kiss Goodnight back in 1996.
Deep Blue Sea mixed elements of thriller and action and saw Thomas Janes, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård, and LL Cool J all on the cast list.
Searching for a cure to Alzheimer's disease a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the bait as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
While Deep Blue Sea doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to this genre, this film has some great moments and it really is a whole lot of fun.
Deep Blue Sea did receive mixed reviews upon release, but it went on to gross $164.6 million - easily making back its $60 million budget.
- Jaws 3D - $87,987,055
Two other Jaws films have already made our list, and now we are going to take a look at Jaws 3D, which hit the big screen back 1983.
Directed by Joe Alves, the movie continues the story of the Brody's as the sons of the police chief must help protect civilians when a shark becomes trapped at a SeaWorld theme park.
Jaws 3-D marked the feature film directorial debut of Alves and this remains the one and only time that we have seen him in the director's chair.
Dennis Quaid and John Putch took on the roles of Mike and Sean Brody and were joined on the cast list by Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, and Louis Gossett Jr.
As the film title suggests, the movie used 3D in a time when interest in this film technology was being revived.
However, this was a movie that struggled critically but did reasonably well at the box office. While it did gross less than the first two films, it did make back its $18 million budget with a gross of $87.9 million.
One final film in the Jaws franchise came in 1987 in the form of Jaws: The Revenge.
- The Shallows - $70.6 million
The Shallows is a movie that hits the big screen here in the UK this weekend but is a film that has already enjoyed box office success.
The movie sees Jaume Collet-Serra back in the director's chair for his first feature film since Run All Night last year. The Shallows also marks the first time that the filmmaker has teamed up with Blake Lively.
While there are a couple of other names on the cast list, The Shallows see Lively give a predominantly solo performance as she must pit her wits against a great white shark.
What was once in the deep is now in The Shallows. In the taut thriller The Shallows, when Nancy (Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.
The Shallows has been winning over the critics and Lively's central performance has been heavily praised.
So far, the film has already grossed in excess of $70 million and looks on course for even more box office success. The Shallows was made for $17 million, so has already made back its budget.
- Open Water - $54,667,954
In 2004, Open Water hit the big screen and was one of the psychological horror dramas of the year.
Directed by Chris Kentis, the movie was loosely based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were accidentally left behind during a scuba diving trip back in 1998.
Open Water was only the second feature film of Kentis' career and came six years after he made his debut with Grind in 1997. As well as being in the director's chair, Kentis also penned the film's screenplay.
When two divers find themselves stranded in the ocean, getting rescued becomes the least of their worries when a frenzy of hungry sharks close in on them.
Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan took on the central roles of Daniel Kinter and Susan Watkins and were joined on the cast list by Saul Stein, and Michael E. Williamson.
The movie was a big hit after screening at the Sundance Film Festival and it went on to be one of the great sleeper hits of the first.
The movie grossed over $54 million by the end of its theatrical run; easily making back its $500,000 budget.
The Shallows is released 12th August.
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