In the film James Franciscus and Vic Morrow attempt to save hundreds of swimmers in a coastal resort after a large great white shark starts terrorizing the area and eating tourists.

The film did well at the box office, grossing over $18 million in its first month in the United States; however, its North American release was later blocked after the filmmakers were accused of plagiarizing Jaws (1975).

While wind-surfing near the seaside community of Port Harbor, a young man is killed by a giant great white shark.

Wells can no longer hide the truth and Benton and Hamer head out to sea, planning to feed the shark dynamite and cause it to explode.

Meanwhile, Benton's daughter Jenny and some of her friends head out on a yacht, armed with some steak and a shotgun, intending to shoot the shark.

Universal Pictures attempted to block the distribution by Film Ventures before its U.S. premiere on 5 March 1982, but the request was denied in U.S. District Court.

[3] However, about a month into release, federal judge David V. Kenyon ruled the film was too similar to Jaws, and The Last Shark was subsequently pulled from American theaters.

[7] On 15 October 2019, both Beat Records Company and Edizioni Cabum released the film's soundtrack by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis and Yvonne Wilkins on compact disc and vinyl for the first time in 38 years.

[8] Following the financial success of the film, Enzo Castellari considered making a sequel but ultimately demurred after the mechanical shark was damaged following shooting of the first movie.