This week Steven Spielberg returned to Universal Pictures with his newly-established production label Amblin Partners. The BFG, due for release next year, will be the last title to honor his current contract with Disney. As for the future, he still plans to push pictures through his Dreamworks production outfit, but it’s his return to Universal that’s set tongues wagging. Was there an ulterior motive for his renewed tenure?
Many believe that Universal’s plans are to continue their winning streak by bringing Spielberg back into the fold. This year, the studio netted billions of dollars worldwide – without one superhero movie – due to the success of Jurassic World and Furious 7. Plans are already in motion for further instalments in those franchises, hence the speculation concerning Spielberg. If Universal is the studio getting solid returns on sequels (unlike Paramount, Sony et.al), then might Amblin be the source of their future profits?
In a nutshell: are we getting a Jaws remake?
“I would never remake one of my own movies – starting with Jaws – but there are Amblin titles in the library that could inspire new stories that were made popular by the films. There isn’t a single title that I’ve earmarked, but yes, I would like to. I will be discussing that with Jeff (Skoll) and Ronnie (Meyer) and Donna (Langley). I would never remake Jaws.”
That’s a relief to hear, although it does leave a lot to ponder. Which brands might one day become ‘earmarked’? We know without a shadow of a doubt that Back To The Future will never, ever get remade as long as Robert Zemeckis is alive. That still leaves the oft-teased Goonies sequel wide open for development, though. Here’s hoping that becomes a priority for Universal, because interestingly, Spielberg doesn’t explicitly rule out a sequel or reboot of Jaws.