50 years of Jaws

To mark 50 years since the iconic movie Jaws originally hit the silver screen, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has staged an epic exhibition. The movie, based on the novel by Peter Benchley, tracks three characters in hot pursuit of a great white shark menacing the seaside town of Amity Island.

At the museum event, ticket holders are guided through the movie and invited to revisit the action, scene by scene, while interactive exhibits allow visitors to immerse themselves into the moments of high drama.

The exhibition also explores the enduring impact of Jaws, which Steven Spielberg dreaded may terminate his burgeoning career. The up-and-coming director, aged 27 at the time, had been learning the ropes in merely his second feature-length film.

"I thought my career was virtually over halfway through production on Jaws. Because everybody's - was saying to me, 'You are never going to get hired again! This film is, is, is way over budget and way over schedule.'"

In sharp contrast, Jaws was to prove a watershed moment for the world of cinema, becoming the first ever film to surpass $100 million in US box office sales. With a number of rereleases, this mammoth sum has further escalated to more than $477 million globally. It's earned Jaws the status of the first ever blockbuster movie.

The items showcased at the exhibition have been collected from avid Jaws aficionados; a rather complex feat which Jenny He, the Senior Exhibitions Curator, describes.

"And we have over 200 original objects related to the production of Jaws. It really was a cinematic treasure hunt to find original objects used - not only original objects used on Jaws, but also concept illustrations and production notes. Anything that would put the story of Jaws together for our visitors in a tangible, physical way."

At the very heart of the exhibition is Bruce the shark, the only surviving automaton model of the predator that has been terrorizing sea bathers for half a century. View Less