LIFE AFTER DEATH

Can you believe it? Just five days after “Jaws: The Revenge” spawned on theater screens, director Joe Sargent and cast were back filming a new ending on the Universal back lot. In the alternate finale, which will be seen patched in for overseas releases, marine biologist Mario Van Peebles gets nipped by Bruce the Shark--instead of devoured !

An assistant in Sargent’s office confirmed the hurried reshoot, but it’s a poorly kept secret: Universal Tour guides have been pointing out and explaining the activity to hundreds of tram riders.

President Sid Sheinberg said it wasn’t any secret: “We thought the only thing wrong with the film was the ending. The impact of the shark dying and Mario dying was too much for the audience in one finale.”

Does that mean . . . another sequel? Will Mario live to fight another day?

No, he said: “Though Mario is very talented and very good, we didn’t do this in mind with doing another (sequel)--and don’t have him under contract for such. . . .

”. . . Although I’m sure somewhere down the line,” he added, “somebody will say there’s a demand for another one.”