Fifty years on from its 1975 release, Jaws enjoyed a full anniversary celebration in 2025, with the National Geographic documentary JAWS @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, a new 4K release and a return to cinemas. Few films have changed Hollywood so completely.
Steven Spielberg's shark thriller created the summer blockbuster and made a generation think twice before swimming. Discover more classics in our movies collection.
Jaws Fact File
| Release date | 20 June 1975 (US) |
|---|---|
| Director | Steven Spielberg |
| Based on | Jaws by Peter Benchley (1974) |
| Screenplay | Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb |
| Producers | Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown |
| Studio | Universal Pictures |
| Main cast | Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton |
| Setting | Amity Island, New England |
| Filmed | Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts |
| Running time | 124 minutes |
| Music | John Williams |
Key Films
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Jaws | Steven Spielberg |
| 1978 | Jaws 2 | Jeannot Szwarc |
| 1983 | Jaws 3-D | Joe Alves |
| 1987 | Jaws: The Revenge | Joseph Sargent |
Years are US release years for the four films in the franchise.
From Novel to Screen
Peter Benchley's novel was a bestseller in 1974, and producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown picked up the film rights for Universal. They handed the project to a young Steven Spielberg, who was still in his twenties, with Benchley and Carl Gottlieb shaping the screenplay.
Filming took place on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts from May to early November 1974, standing in for the fictional Amity Island. The original budget of $3.5 million grew to around $9 million.
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Bruce and the Bigger Boat
Shooting at sea brought plenty of challenges, not least the mechanical shark nicknamed "Bruce". Spielberg made a virtue of the problems, keeping the shark hidden for much of the film and letting John Williams' simple two-note theme do the work. Roy Scheider's Chief Brody, Robert Shaw's Quint and Richard Dreyfuss's Hooper became one of cinema's great trios, and Brody's line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" is ranked among the AFI's top film quotes.
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The First Summer Blockbuster
Released on 20 June 1975 and opening on 464 screens in North America, Jaws became the highest-grossing film of its time until Star Wars, eventually earning around $495 million worldwide. Its success changed how Hollywood released big films, and it is widely described as the first summer blockbuster. Three sequels followed between 1978 and 1987, though none matched the impact of the original.
The film's influence is everywhere: Williams' music became shorthand for approaching danger, the beach-town setting has been copied countless times, and Spielberg went on to become one of the most successful directors in history. In 1998 the American Film Institute ranked Jaws at number 48 in its list of the 100 greatest American films, and its score sits at number 6 among AFI's greatest film scores.
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Awards
Academy Awards
- Best Film Editing (Verna Fields)
- Best Original Score (John Williams)
- Best Sound
- Nominated for Best Picture
Other honours
- Golden Globe for Best Original Score
- Added to the US National Film Registry (2001)
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills: number 2
Behind the Scenes
The shark was nicknamed Bruce after Spielberg's lawyer. For the 50th anniversary, Laurent Bouzereau's documentary JAWS @ 50 premiered on Martha's Vineyard before airing on National Geographic in July 2025, and the film returned to cinemas for a limited run that summer.
FAQs
When did Jaws come out?
Jaws was released in the US on 20 June 1975.
Where was Jaws filmed?
It was filmed on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, which stood in for the fictional Amity Island.
Who directed Jaws?
Steven Spielberg directed Jaws, based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel.
How many Oscars did Jaws win?
It won three Oscars, for Film Editing, Original Score and Sound, and was nominated for Best Picture.
What was the shark in Jaws called?
The mechanical shark was nicknamed "Bruce" by the crew.
How many Jaws films are there?
There are four: Jaws (1975), Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987).
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Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Back to the Future and Die Hard.
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