Steven Spielberg remains one of the most well-known and respected filmmakers in the industry, but he first broke through fifty years ago today with what is arguably the first blockbuster movie ever made. While Spielberg’s movies have stumbled at the box office recently, with the director reaping low grosses with films like the excellent West Side Story and The Fabelmans, there is no denying his impact on the industry. With movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurᴀssic Park, Spielberg helped shape cinema into what it is today, making his beginnings so important.
The movie industry has evolved, and many different kinds of films dominate the multiplex through the summer season, with several of the most anticipated movies of 2025 being directly influenced by Spielberg’s work. Spielberg released his first movie with a major studio in 1971, the cult-favorite made-for-TV movie Duel, and his clout with Universal grew larger with The Sugarland Express. It was his 1975 feature, however, that would go on to change not just his own career, but the state of filmmaking forever.
Steven Spielberg’s Masterpiece Jaws Turns 50 Years Old Today
Jaws Was Released In Theaters On June 20, 1975
50 years ago today, on June 20, 1975, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws was released in theaters. The adaptation of the Peter Benchley novel went on to become the highest-grossing movie ever at the time, crossing over the impressive grosses of The Exorcist and The Godfather, and setting a new standard for accessible, blockbuster filmmaking. Spielberg used incredible filmmaking techniques that would go on to become standards in Hollywood with how he built suspense, opting for creative visual hints rather than showing much of the shark throughout the film.
Jaws was a huge success upon release, earning $260 million against a $7 million budget. Re-releases have added significantly to the film’s worldwide total, which now sits at a mᴀssive $477 million.
The impact of the film was immense, and not just as a movie. The pop culture landscape shifted with the promotion of the film, which had a PG rating, and was sold to audiences of all ages. Merchandise featuring shark images, especially on beach towels and the like, were sold, and short TV spots ran during primetime to promote the movie. More than just an influential film, Jaws went on to shape the movie industry, and the ways that films could be both marketed and integrated into larger parts of people’s lives.
Disney Is Releasing A Special 50th Anniversary Documentary About Jaws Soon
The New Feature Will Air On July 10 Before Streaming The Next Day
National Geographic has produced Jaws @ 50, a new documentary that will screen on the channel on July 10 at 9PM ET before becoming available on Disney+ and Hulu the next day. The new feature will show recent interviews with many of the people involved with the movie, including Spielberg himself, composer John Williams, and others, reflecting on the lasting impact of the film. The documentary promises to give the definitive inside look at the production of the film, and will likely contain several new interesting factoids.
Following NBC airing a 50th anniversary showing of Jaws, it is especially clear how important the legacy of the film is to so many. The film turned Spielberg into a sensation, which helped him to dominate much of the box office over the subsequent decade, releasing films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Several newer filmmakers who were influenced by Jaws and Spielberg will also be interviewed in the new documentary, including Jordan Peele, James Cameron, and J.J. Abrams, among many others.
Jaws’ 50th Anniversary Documentary Is The Perfect Way To Celebrate Spielberg’s Movie
The Film Also Had An Enormous Impact On Audiences
The 50th anniversary of Jaws is a big deal for cinema, and the best way to celebrate would be by checking out this new documentary. Looking at the success of the mᴀssive film through a modern lens promises to give great new insight into the production that has not been shared before. While many are aware of the trouble the shark gave Spielberg during production, there is so much more about the production challenges and the risks that will be given important focus in the documentary. The movie’s difficult path to success was explained by Spielberg previously in W:
When I went to the first preview, in Dallas, and people were screaming and popcorn was flying at the screen, my first feeling was—Oh my god! I didn’t think any of this was going to work. The truth is, you never ever know.
Spielberg spent many phases of his career innovating and trying out new things, and this was especially seen with his unique approach to horror in Jaws. The film resonated with audiences, striking so much palpable fear that viewers of the original film still remember being afraid to go into the water after watching it. By liberally adapting Peter Benchley’s novel, and by focusing on building fear without seeing much of the terrifying shark, Spielberg was able to evolve what audiences expect not just from horror movies but from blockbuster films in general.
