[Commlist] Call for papers: Sharksploitation movies

*A Bigger Boat: The Resurgence and Evolution of Sharksploitation Movies 
in the 21st Century *

Chapter proposals sought for an edited collection on sharksploitation 
movies in the 21st century.

Deadline for submissions: *9 December 2025*

Full name / name of organization: Glen Donnar (RMIT University) and 
Tyson Wils (Independent scholar)

Contact email: (glen.donnar /at/ rmit.edu.au)

With the critical appraisal of the Netflix-distributed French shark 
movie, Under Paris(2024), as the ‘best shark movie’ since Jaws(1975), 
and the impending release of Renny Harlin’s Deep Water(2024), 
twenty-five years after Deep Blue Sea(1999), sharksploitation is 
experiencing yet another cultural renaissance. Progeny of the preeminent 
‘summer blockbuster film’, Jaws, and the spoofs, parodies, ‘rip-offs’ 
and ‘knock-offs’ made in its wake, sharksploitation movies are 
emblematic of the logic of intertextuality and of big and small films 
that recycle and innovate. Entangled in the industrial, technological 
and cultural developments that continue to reshape 21st century cinema, 
sharksploitation movies of the new millennium echo the past yet stand on 
their own as products of new and emerging forms of cinema.

Across sequels (e.g., Deep Blue Sea 2 and 3(2018, 2020); 47 Meters Down: 
Uncaged(2019); Meg 2: The Trench(2023)), series (e.g. 
Sharknado(2013-2017);Open Water(2003-2017)), and ‘spin-offs’, 
sharksploitation movies of the 21st century showcase the global 
proliferation of approaches to storytelling and genre. Sharksploitation 
movies in the digital era are increasingly engaged with narrative tropes 
and generic conventions related to feminism, environmentalism, 
globalization, and history (especially prehistory). These include 
diverse international teams, the disruption of female ‘victimhood’, and 
the ‘return of nature’ through ever-bigger sharks (often associated with 
existing monster myths). The modern sharksploitation movie has embraced 
greater generic hybridity, fluidity and self-consciousness since the era 
of Jawsand its immediate offspring. In horror, this includes the growth 
of particular subgenres, such as natural and animal horror, and entails 
new ways that the genre mixes and merges with survival stories, action 
movies and thrillers.

Sharksploitation films also exemplify the multiplicity of distribution 
and consumption in the digital era, from ‘event films’ to 
straight-to-cable and -streaming. This includes sharksploitation films 
on cable channels dedicated to horror and science fiction, like Syfy, 
and the cult retro horror content and B-film productions that litter the 
catalogs of global video-on-demand services, such as Tubi. The 
paratextual pleasures and tastes of online fan communities are enacted 
through various audience practices, as consumers watch, rework, and 
produce sharksploitation content. Extending recent scholarly interest in 
Jaws, the collection will offer a unique perspective on the complex 
migratory paths and cultural bite of the modern sharksploitation movie 
beyond conventional modes of production, distribution and reception.

This anthology seeks previously unpublished essays. Contributions could 
include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  *

    Globalization and internationalization, including international
    productions such as Mako(Egypt, 2021), Under Paris(France, 2024),
    and co-productions such as Bait(China/Australia, 2012), The
    Meg(US/China, 2018), and Black Demon(US/Mexico, 2023)

  *

    Shark movies in the streaming era, including their importance to
    distribution, syndication, and catalogs

  *

    The impact of technology, from on-screen visual effects to the
    influence of short-form video and social media on storytelling
    approaches

  *

    Politics and policy (e.g., environmental/conservation perspectives
    on shark representations in film media)

  *

    Sharks and ‘taste’ (e.g., shark movies as cult cinema/B-film)

  *

    Viewing contexts and experiences (e.g., theatrical, cable TV, OTT
    streaming)

  *

    Audience practices (e.g., online fan communities and fan-generated
    content on social media and video-sharing platforms)

  *

    Shark movies and paratexts (e.g., promotional materials)

  *

    Shark movies and genre, including in children’s media and video
    games (e.g., Hungry Shark Evolution)

  *

    Class, race, sexuality, gender and queer readings (e.g., female
    ‘victims’ and reclaimed agency)

  *

    Sharks and (rapid) narrative evolution (e.g., ever-bigger sharks,
    isolated protagonist versus team survivor stories, and international
    casts, settings and scenarios)

  *

    Shark as symptom (e.g., of the Anthropocene)

  *

    Mythic, symbolic and archetypal readings (e.g., sharks as
    Frankenstein’s monster)

Edinburgh University Press have expressed strong interest in the project 
as part of its 21st Century Horror series.

The collection will be international in scope, interdisciplinary in 
nature and reflect a diversity of perspectives. We will assess all 
submissions on their merits but encourage proposals that will help the 
book reflect the myriad ways that sharksploitation films can be 
examined. This includes in terms of their transnational presence, 
cultural adoption, and political representation, as well as the 
different ways they can be situated in terms of film history, audience 
practices, and cultural and environmental policy. The chapters will be 
peer-reviewed, scholarly, and written at a high academic level.

If interested in submitting a proposal, please send the following to 
(glen.donnar /at/ rmit.edu.au) <mailto:(glen.donnar /at/ rmit.edu.au)>by _9 December 
2024_:

  *

    Abstract (250-300 words)

  *

    4-5 chapter keywords

  *

    Academic bio (100 words)

  *

    Link to research outputs or short research CV (2 pages maximum)

Prospective authors are also welcome to contact the editors with any 
questions, including about alternative potential topics.

If accepted, full draft chapters of 6000 words will be due in May-June 2025.

Note: Acceptance of a proposed abstract does not guarantee the 
acceptance of the full chapter.


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