Director Christian Sesma explains whyJawsstar Richard Dreyfuss returned to the shark genre 50 years later forInto the Deep. The film follows modern-day pirates who are on the hunt for sunken drugs, when they kidnap a boat of tourists and force them to dive into shark-infested waters to retrieve the contraband.Into the Deepmarks Dreyfuss' first return to amonster moviein the waters since his role inPiranha 3D. The new film was released on August 07, 2025, and is now available to stream on Apple TV+ and available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.
During an interview withScreenRantaboutInto the Deep,Christian Sesma revealed the challenges of convincing Dreyfuss to take on the project.Dreyfuss had been hesitant to return due to concerns about the portrayal of sharks inJaws. He had strong reservations regarding the impact of such films on real-world ecosystems, along with the originalJawswriter, but it is unclear if this was Peter Benchley or Carl Gottlieb. Sesma further explained thatInto the Deeppositioned the sharks not as the villains, and this was what persuaded Dreyfuss to participate. Check out Sesma’s explanation below:
100%, for sure. It wasn’t an easy sell, and it wasn’t an easy sell the first time. This was really just a moral case of how he wanted to enter it or not, because him and the original writer of Jaws had a really strong opinion on how that movie affected the actual ecosystem, so they didn’t want to do that. So we wanted to make sure his idea of how his character was going to come on fit into the narrative. So, the pitch from the beginning, even the original script, was that the sharks were never really the true villain in this movie. They’re dangerous, and you’re gonna get mauled by a shark if you’re messing with sharks, but it wasn’t the creature feature villain of the movie. So, I think that was what attracted him, too. And I was like, “Okay, well, if we can do it this way and also kind of fit into the narrative of how I did the ending with Cassidy’s cathartic moment of harmony with nature.” They’re not the villains, they’re not the bad guys. We’re just out of sync in nature here, so that attracted him to this, as well. So that plus he really wanted to have an eco message in the end. He was like, “Okay, I can get behind something like this.” But I thought that was something that, again, felt it was apropos for the film. You had a “shark movie” that didn’t make sharks the villain, and let’s really have a talk about this. And this is something that he really felt passionate about doing.
What This Means For Into The Deep
Dreyfuss Agreed With The Film’s Approach To Sharks
Instead of portraying sharks as mere antagonists,Into the Deepchallenges the stereotype. DespiteInto the Deep’s lackluster reviews, the movie still offers an enlightened perspective on shark behavior. InJaws,Dreyfuss portrayed Matt Hooper, a marine biologist. Hooper’s scientific curiosity and expertise stood in contrast to the fear-driven responses of other characters.
InInto the Deep, Dreyfuss returns to a similar role,but this time the focus is on the misunderstanding between sharks and humans,rather than the sharks themselves being villains. Additionally, director Christian Sesma’s pitch was essential to Dreyfuss' re-entry into the creature-feature genre.
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By not framing the sharks as the villains,Into the Deepshowssharks and humans seen as both antagonistic and interdependent.While Dreyfuss had expressed reluctance about revisiting shark movies, and did not appear in anyJawssequelsthereafter, Sesma’s explanation sealed the deal for him.
Our Take On Dreyfuss' Return To Shark Territory
Into The Deep Challenges Shark Misconceptions
Dreyfuss’ return to shark-related movies withInto the Deepis an interesting evolution for both the actor and the genre. Rather than relying on misconceptions about sharks, this film uses its premise to offer a new perspective on how sharks are viewed in the media. Dreyfuss’s involvement inInto the Deeppoints toward a desire for more aware narratives that still engage with action.
