It has been announced that Jeannot Szwarc, director of Jaws 2 and Supergirl, passed away on Wednesday (January 15) at the age of 85.
Actor Jane Seymour, who made the 1980 romantic drama Somewhere In Time with Szwarc and co-star Christopher Reeve, spoke about the death on social media. She wrote: “Today, we say goodbye to a true visionary. Jeannot Szwarc was not just a brilliant director but a kind and generous soul.
“He gifted us many timeless stories, including Somewhere in Time, a film that changed my life forever. May his memory be a blessing, and may his artistry live on in our hearts”.
Born in Paris in 1939, Szwarc graduated from Harvard University and would go on to make a reputation directing TV shows in the ‘60s and ‘70s. In 1978, he directed Jaws 2, the sequel to Steven Spielberg’s film that brought back original star Roy Scheider in the lead. It was a box office success, with the film’s tagline “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…” becoming iconic among film fans ever since.
Jaws 2 (CREDIT: Universal Pictures/Getty Images)
He would also direct 1984’s Supergirl, a spin-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, which starred Helen Slater in the lead and Faye Dunaway as the villain. Although not a hit, it has since developed a cult following.
The following year, he made Santa Claus: The Movie, a Christmas film starring Dudley Moore that, while unsuccessful in the US, was greeted warmly in the UK and would become one of the most repeatedly aired Christmas films on British television.
Szwarc would return to television in his later years, directing episodes of Supernatural, Scandal, and Netflix’s Designated Survivor. His last directing credit was an episode of Grey’s Anatomy in 2019.
He is survived by his wife, Cara Szwarc, as well as his sons Sacha and Stefan Szwarc.
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