Signing Spielberg

Jaws would arguably go on to become Steven Spielberg's most important movie in his film portfolio, and there had been no doubt the director was the man for the job.

After Universal Pictures agreed to make the movie, producers David Brown and Richard Zanuck went searching for a director, and quickly settled on Spielberg after watching his 1971 flick Duel, in which a berserk trucker torments a timid driver.

Once the producers watched the movie and realised Spielberg had what it took to make Jaws, the young filmmaker – who was 26 years old at the time – gladly signed on.