No shark
A mechanical one kept breaking.
shareNot true there was no shark. That was a real Great White in the long-view scenes of Hooper in the shark cage. A little person was stunt-doubling Hooper in a miniature cage and miniature SCUBA gear. Those scenes were shot on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with a real Great White. The footage was shot by Ron and Valerie Taylor, the couple who made Blue Water, White Death.
shareYes - I remember reading years ago that, like in the novel, Hooper was originally intended to die in the film. However while the cage was empty a large shark attacked it, thrashing wildly, and the footage was so impressive that it was kept and Hooper made it to the end of the film!
I'm not sure if this is urban legend or not... it's hard to imagine Hooper, so much more likeable than in the book, being killed off and denying us that happy paddle back to shore.
I did not know that about the Great White’s tangle with the midget cage, but it makes sense. Thanks for that.
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