In 1999, Renny Harlin and Warner Bros. released an ambitious shark movie known as Deep Blue Sea and a lot went on behind and in front of the camera for it to get made. Though Jaws will likely always be the king of shark movies, Deep Blue Sea has since gained a cult following, delivering something far from a Jaws knockoff.
It has many elements that would become reused in the Jurassic World franchise such as genetically altered versions of animals. So, here are some fun facts about the sci-fi horror that turned it into a cult classic that spawned two sequels almost two decades later.
There Is A Jaws Reference
Even though most of Deep Blue Sea is nothing like Jaws, it was always cursed to be compared to Steven Spielberg's classic. So Renny Harlin and the filmmakers embraced that just a little bit with a small nod to Jaws in the first act.
Thomas Jane's Carter removes a license plate from the mouth of a rogue tiger shark from Louisiana. This is a direct reference to when Hooper removes a Louisiana license plate from the framed tiger shark's stomach in Jaws. It's even the same license plate number from that famous scene.
Inspired By A Real Shark Attack
The inspiration for Deep Blue Sea came about when Australian screenwriter Duncan Kennedy witnessed a shark attack victim wash up near where he lived. In an interview, he talked about how there was almost nothing left of the victim, as reported by the LA Times.
After that experience, Kennedy has nightmares of being trapped in flooded corridors with sharks that could read his mind. This is what led to his script about hyper-intelligent sharks lurking in an underwater facility.
Advanced Animatronics
Despite its bombastic concept, CGI sharks were used rather sparingly. Most of the sharks' scenes respected the Steven Spielberg method and used animatronics to bring the sharks to life. Where Jaws had so many issues with the animatronics, Deep Blue Sea designed theirs for all purposes: swimming, chasing, closeups, and attacking without the water causing problems.
As stated in The Making Of Deep Blue Sea documentary on YouTube, the shark animatronics were designed to capture the gliding movement of mako sharks accurately. Rather than thrashing frantically, the sharks move elegantly and then attack fast and swiftly creating a sense of realism.
Janice Was Originally Pregnant
There is a deleted scene in which Janice revealed to Jim that she is with a child as the day begins (via YouTube). This would have made her and Jim's death even more tragic but, according to TonsOfFacts, director Renny Harlin did not feel right about killing off a pregnant woman so that scene was left to be found on most DVDs and Blu-Rays.
Other deleted scenes include one where the characters are alerted to the storm earlier, making their unwavering reactions in the film more understandable. Another included a bit more character development between Susan and Janice.
Happy Accident Made The Final Cut
Sometimes the best scenes are the ones that feature unexpected events. Take for example, when the crew is attempting to bring Jim to the rescue chopper, they all get hit by a huge wave. That was never meant to happen; it was an accident that occurred with trying to replicate a heavy storm.
Fortunately, their real reactions to being swept by water ended up in the film. Samuel L. Jackson confirmed this blessing in disguise in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun. It's far from the first time a genuine mistake ended up in the final product.
Stephen King Loved It
The horror legend Stephen King loves to check out horror films, even after an injury. In 1999, Stephen King was still recovering from being hit by a van and he went to see Deep Blue Sea in a wheelchair. It was the first film that he watched after his accident.
According to MentalFloss, Stephen King stated that he "loved every minute of it." Renny Harlin likely got a good smile to hear one of the greatest horror creators of the last century enjoyed his film.
The Famous Death Scene Was Inspired By Alien
Deep Blue Sea makes it seem like Russell Franklin is the inspiring hero who will bring the characters to safety. He quickly meets his end with a now-famously abrupt death from a shark's surprise attack. This was done to show that nobody is guaranteed to survive which is intentionally similar to another abrupt death.
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On the DVD commentary, Renny Harlin compared it to Ridley Scott's Alien. Tom Skerrit's Dallas was the most recognizable face of that cast so everyone expects him to be the hero. Then he was quickly killed off by the Xenomorph in the vents and that inspired him to kill off Samuel L. Jackson, the most famous face in Deep Blue Sea.
Samuel L. Jackson Was Almost Preacher
On the DVD commentary for Deep Blue Sea, Samuel L. Jackson revealed that Russell Franklin was not the role he was proposed for. Instead, the actor was supposed to play Preacher, who ended up being played by LL Cool J. However, Jackson's agents convinced him that there was a better role for him, as stated by MentalFloss.
The ever-prolific Samuel L. Jackson ended up playing the level-headed Franklin who would lead the group after the sharks take over the underwater facility. Jackson even compared the role to Robert Shaw's in Jaws in that same interview with Las Vegas Sun.
Completely Different Finale
Originally, Preacher was going to die and Deep Blue Sea would have had Carter and Susan work together to kill the final 40 feet long shark. Then they would end the movie with a romantic kiss but test audiences hated this ending.
Susan was essentially a villain because her blind ambition led to the sharks being genetically enhanced monsters. So the entire climax was reshot with Susan self-sacrificing herself to the shark to redeem herself while Carter and Preacher worked together to kill the shark, resulting in a more satisfying ending.
The Shark Deaths Mirror The Jaws Movies
Intentional or not, the three sharks in the movie all have the same deaths as the sharks in the first three Jaws movies. The first one dies in an explosion after a one-liner and the second one dies by being electrocuted to death from being fed a cable, which is taken directly from Jaws 2.
Finally, the 40-foot second-generation female shark (similar to the massive female in Jaws 3D) is killed via a bomb going off underwater which results in a ridiculously bloody explosion.