Poll: What’s Your Favorite Shark Movie?

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – When “The Meg” debuts on Aug. 10, it will continue a long legacy of shark movies.

The science-fiction film, starring Jason Statham and directed by Jon Turteltaub, follows a group of scientists as they attempt to stop the biggest shark in the world — the Megalodon — from terrorizing a beach. “‘The Meg’ is like ‘Sharknado’ if it had a $150 million budget and a heart,” writer Erich Hoeber recently joked to Variety .

Steven Spielberg is credited with originating the shark movie (and the summer blockbuster at large) with his 1975 classic “Jaws.” The film followed a man-eating shark that hunted beachgoers and thrilled audiences, generating a massive $470 million worldwide.

It would go on to inspire a number of other movies focusing on the sharp-toothed fish, including 1999’s “Deep Blue Sea,” which found moderate critical and commercial success. The horror movie “Open Water” came just a few years after, centering on a couple that gets lost at sea and have to face some underwater creatures.

And then came perhaps the most infamous shark movie in recent years: “Sharknado.” The made-for-television movie may have been knocked for its camp, but it was a ratings success and spawned five (!) sequels. “The Shallows,” the 2016 thriller starring Blake Lively, also found a fanbase — and better reviews from critics.

Which of these shark movies is your favorite? Weigh in below!