Ever since Steven Spielberg turned Hollywood upside-down in 1975 with Jaws, sharks have been a regular subject on the silver screen. But few shark-centric films have ever come close to approaching the success of that summer fright fest — in fact, most have drowned at the box office.

That's why this summer's The Meg is interesting. One look at the trailer (check it out, above) lets you know that the moviemakers are going for an over-the-top approach to horror, sprinkling humor into a plot that's firmly based in fiction. But, the impact of movies featuring sharks is undeniable. Jaws turned many people away from the ocean forever, and sharks are undeservedly feared as a result.

But The Meg looks different. With a fun, ridiculous approach, this movie may allow audiences to decipher fact from fiction.

But what should you know before heading to the theater? We asked four shark experts their take on the summer blockbuster.

Dr. David Shiffman

Marine conservation biologist studying sharks at Simon Fraser University

"I love bad shark movies (Editor’s Note: Here’s a list of our favorites). Sharknado 2 is thanked in my Ph.D. dissertation, and there's even a character based on me in the fourth book in the Meg series ("Hell's Aquarium”). While movies like Jaws made a generation terrified of sharks, movies like this and 2-Headed Shark Attack and Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus are so obviously over the top and preposterous that I don't think they have the same kind of cultural impact. I'm going to see The Meg opening night with friends and I can't wait.

But let's be totally clear — Carcharocles megalodon is super-duper extinct. It is an ex-shark. It is no more. It has ceased to be. There is no doubt at all about this. Enjoy the movie, but don't assume that a fictional premise from a science fiction horror film is the same thing as science once you leave the theater."

Read Shiffman’s breakdown of the film’s trailer here.

Rick MacPherson

Marine conservation biologist; founder of Sustainable Shark Diving

"Sharks are charismatic and captivating, so it’s no surprise that Hollywood and TV banks on public interest and fear around these spectacular ocean fauna. While The Meg could be a fun bit of entertainment, moviegoers should fully realize that it’s the sharky equivalent of Jurassic Park. Megalodon once existed, just like dinosaurs did. But every bit of scientific evidence supports that Megalodon became extinct over 2.5 million years ago. Megalodon are gone. The Meg film is a marketing and advertising “perfect storm” that combines public fascination of sharks with our collective love of big, fierce, extinct things like dinosaurs."

Jillian Morris

Marine biologist; Founder, Sharks4Kids; July 2016 Sea Hero

"I get asked about megalodon all the time when I am doing school presentations. Kids and adults alike are fascinated by such an epic creature. I always remind students that yes, it was a very real animal, but has been extinct for a long time. I also love showing the fossilized meg teeth, as it really ignites an interest. I myself am fascinated by them!"

Chris Fischer

Expedition Leader and Founding Chairman, OCEARCH

"Movies are entertainment. Enjoy, but don’t take seriously. Megalodon no longer exists. But, the future abundance of the ocean does depend on sharks. They are the lions of the ocean, the balance keepers that prevent the second tier of the food web from wiping out the fish future generations will need to eat."