There have been a total of five films in the Jaws franchise, all of which are based on the novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. The first film, simply titled Jaws, was released in 1975 and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a great white shark that terrorizes the fictional New England beach town of Amity Island, and the efforts of a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and a grizzled fisherman to hunt and kill the beast.
Jaws was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release and establishing Spielberg as a major Hollywood director. It also spawned three sequels, Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983), and Jaws: The Revenge (1987).
Jaws 2 picks up several years after the events of the first film, with the town of Amity Island once again being threatened by a great white shark. This time, however, the shark is targeting the children of Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider), the main character from the first film. The film was not as well received as the original, but it still managed to be a commercial success.
Jaws 3-D, the third film in the franchise, takes place at SeaWorld Orlando, where a great white shark is discovered in the park's shark tank. The film was released in 3D and was intended to capitalize on the 3D craze of the 1980s, but it received mixed reviews and was not as successful as the first two films.
Jaws: The Revenge, the fourth and final film in the franchise, was released in 1987. It is set several years after the events of the previous films and follows Chief Brody's widow (played by Lorraine Gary) as she travels to the Bahamas in an effort to confront her fears of sharks and get revenge for the death of her husband. The film was a critical and commercial failure and is generally considered to be the weakest film in the franchise.
In conclusion, there have been a total of five Jaws films, with the first being the most successful and the fourth being the least successful. The franchise is known for its iconic score, memorable characters, and thrilling action scenes, and it remains a popular and influential part of cinematic history.