The 4 Apr 1979 Var announced a planned joint production by Universal Pictures and National Lampoon magazine, titled Jaws 3, People 0, a parody of the studio’s successful franchise about great white sharks. The original scenario was written by National Lampoon president Matty Simmons, who intended to select three of the magazine’s editors as screenwriters. Producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown, who originated the series, planned to executive produce. The 29 Jun 1979 HR stated that the film would star Roger Bumpass, with a screenplay written by John Hughes and Todd Carroll. According to the article, the picture was to depict the making of a fictional sequel to Jaws (1975, see entry), and would feature members of the original film, along with a brief appearance by Sid Sheinberg, president of MCA, Universal’s parent company. Principal photography was expected to begin 7 Oct 1979. However, by Oct 1979, Zanuck, Brown, and Universal executives had rejected the completed screenplay, as reported in the 17 Oct 1979 LAT. Simmons argued that, as a humorist, he was better qualified to judge the script, and hoped to sell it to another studio, though the possibility was weak, since the “Jaws” franchise was the property of Universal.
       One year later, the 29 Oct 1980 LAT reported plans by Alan Landsburg Productions to produce a sequel with the working title Jaws 3, scripted by Guerdon Trueblood. Universal approved the project based on demand from foreign exhibitors. Zanuck and Brown anticipated a diminished role as consultants on the production, following their recent departure from Universal to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. Ten months later, the 28 Aug 1981 LAT referred to the film by the alternate working titles, Jaws 1982 and Jaws III, to be directed by Mel Stuart. The 28 May 1982 DV announced actor Mickey Rooney as a leading cast member. Neither Stuart nor Rooney were listed in onscreen credits.
       On 18 Aug 1982, Var reported that the film, with its latest working title, Jaws 3, would be photographed using a process simulating three dimensions. Principal photography was planned for Oct 1982 at Sea World theme park in Orlando, FL, an inland location with a freshwater lagoon. Additional photography was planned for the Sea World park in San Diego, CA, and locations in the Florida Keys. A spokesman for the parks expressed concern that “shark scares” were in opposition to the company’s “public education efforts about marine life,” and worried that the company’s image may have been damaged by the screenplay, which portrayed park employees using foul language.
       The 1 Sep 1982 LAHExam revealed that the film, now officially titled Jaws 3-D, had an advertising campaign that predated the screenplay.
       The 13 Oct 1982 DV announced the 11 Oct 1982 start of principal photography in Orlando. The 29 Oct 1982 HR reported that $15 million of production costs would be directed by Joe Alves, production designer for the first two films in the series. Carl Gottlieb, Richard Matheson, and Michael Kane were listed as screenwriters, although Kane is not credited onscreen. On 3 Nov 1982, Var estimated that forty to sixty percent of the budget would be spent in the region over the course of the forty-two day schedule. Approximately 3500 area residents applied to work as background actors.
       An article in the 31 Jan 1983 DV stated that the first nine days' worth of film were rejected due to inadequate results using the “Optomax” system. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, a new three-dimensional system was developed for the picture that required only one camera with a split lens, as opposed to the traditional two-camera system. Although Sea World in Orlando was a primary location, it was situated forty miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary and sea gate were constructed for the film on Key Biscayne, off the Florida coast. While the “Undersea Kingdom” and “Neptune Room” were not actual Sea World attractions, the park management had definite plans to build an underwater restaurant based on the film’s “Neptune Room,” and was considering an attraction similar to the “Undersea Kingdom.”
       Producer Rupert Hitzig stated that he originally intended to hire actors to portray the park’s whale trainers, but after observing real-life trainers Liz Morris and Dan Blasko in the performance of their duties, it was decided that teaching them to act was preferable to acclimating the whales to new trainers. Additional training was required for several of the actors as well: Bess Armstrong became a whale rider, Lea Thompson spent three weeks learning to water ski, Simon MacCorkindale studied scuba diving, and Dennis Quaid was trained in the use of a jet ski.
       Because no suitable water tanks were available for underwater filming, the producers constructed one of their own. With a depth of twenty-six feet and a diameter of 110 feet, it was, at the time, “the largest underwater facility of its kind in the United States.” It held 1.6 million gallons of water, maintained at a temperature of 76ºF by a solar heating system. The tank featured five large viewing ports, made with “distortion-free tempered glass.” Once the tank was filled, however, visibility was poor due to impurities in the water, so the producers purchased a highly sophisticated filtration system. When it proved ineffective, a local company loaned them a more traditional system at no charge, which ultimately solved the problem.
       The scene in which the shark breaks through the control room window was accomplished by mounting the rear half of the room onto a steel platform. With the actors and technicians on board, it was lifted into the air by a large construction crane. Attached to another crane was a sluice tank containing 3,500 gallons of water to be poured onto the set, after which the entire platform would be immersed in the tank. Two camera operators wearing scuba equipment were tied to the platform, along with a group of electricians, and stunt doubles in place of actors. Although the sluice was released without incident, the immersion into the tank resulted in the capsizing of the platform, damaged equipment, and an injured diver. The sequence was eventually perfected after several practice runs.
       The mechanical shark, built by Roy Arbogast, was considered “the largest prop of its kind.” Hitzig explained that sharks perceive sound as “pulsations in the water,” rather than being able to hear, which led to the decision to record underwater sounds as “frequency modulations,” giving the audience an aural simulation of the shark’s environment. Alves told the 17 Jul 1983 Albuquerque Journal that the updated shark was built on the chassis of the shark created for Jaws 2 (1978, see entry), “but with new skin and new flexibility.” There was also a “three-quarter-shark” powered by hydraulic and electrical systems that operated the gills, enabled the eyes to roll back in its head during an attack, and the mouth to expose the teeth while biting. Alves noted that filming in fresh water allowed the sharks' mechanisms to operate more effectively, after witnessing the corrosive effects of salt water in the previous “Jaws” productions.
       The 2 Jul 1983 LAT announced the world premiere of Jaws 3-D on 17 Jul 1983 at the Plitt Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Ticket prices were $100 for adults and $25 for children, with proceeds benefitting Find the Children, a charity dedicated to recovering missing children. The film’s FL premiere was held 21 Jul 1983 at Sea World’s Undersea Fantasy Theatre, according to the 6 Jul 1983 Var. Tickets sold for $50, and included a reception, buffet, and a tour of the park’s Shark Encounter and Jaws exhibits. The temporary installation of a 3-D projector in the park’s Undersea Theatre was financed by Alan Landsburg Productions. Among the expected celebrity guests were actors Armstrong and Quaid, and several executives from Landsburg, Universal, and Sea World. Proceeds were donated to Find the Children and the Adam Walsh Foundation.
       The picture’s general release was preceded by the syndicated television special, The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don’t Die, as reported in the 18 Jul 1983 HR. Produced by Alan Landsburg Productions, the one-hour special was syndicated through MCA-TV and sold to 108 television stations throughout the U.S. A 28 Jun 1983 press release from Landsburg noted that the documentary would feature interviews with Armstrong, Quaid, Hitzig, and Alves, and narration by actor Louis Gossett, Jr.
       Shortly before the general release, Alves admitted in the 17 Jul 1983 Albuquerque Journal, that he had reservations about making such a conspicuous directorial debut. Originally intended as a television production with a modest budget, Alves saw it as an opportunity to direct, and convinced Sid Sheinberg and MCA chairman Lew Wasserman to make a 3-D theatrical film. Despite warnings from 3-D consultants, Alves discovered a considerable amount of flexibility with the process, and was able to complete photography in eighty-five days, thirty of which were dedicated to underwater scenes. He also discovered the limitations of the process, saying it was better suited to narrow objects, and believed the effects would have been more successful with a barracuda rather than a shark.
       Jaws 3-D opened nationwide 22 Jul 1983, and earned approximately $40 million within its first twenty-four days of release, according to the Oct 1983 Box. The 26 Jul 1983 LAHExam reported that it was the most successful opening in the history of Universal Pictures, and “the second biggest opening of the summer,” superseded only by Return of the Jedi (1983, see entry). Reviews were mixed, with several declaring it a failure as a horror film.
       The National Geographic Society filed a lawsuit against Alan Landsburg Productions and Universal Pictures, as reported in the 18 Oct 1983 HR. The plaintiff alleged that the television special, The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don’t Die, contained nearly two minutes of footage from the National Geographic documentary, The Sharks, originally aired by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and later acquired for distribution by Landsburg and Golden West TV. According to the lawsuit, Landsburg was denied a request for permission to use the footage, but still included it in the special. National Geographic sought to have all copies of the special destroyed, and the defendants barred from any continued use of the footage. The plaintiff also sought $50,000 for each infringement, plus court costs, which might have required payments from the television stations that aired the special, along with the defendants. The outcome of the case has not been determined.
      End credits include the following statements: "'Sea World,' 'Shamu,' 'Cindy,' 'Sandy,' are trademarks of Sea World, Inc."; "The producers gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of the Sea World staff, water ski team, and Sea World of Florida."