“Jaws” to Return to Theaters for 50th Anniversary
In June 1975, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” was released in theaters. The film was based off the popular 1974 novel Jaws by Peter Benchley. The movie was just as much of a smash hit as the book, the original “summer blockbuster,” and at the time it came out it ended up becoming the highest grossing movie ever. It held the record for two years before being usurped by “Star Wars” in 1977. That December, Spielberg congratulated George Lucas for the accomplishment in a Variety ad he took out: “Dear George. Last week, “Star Wars” moved ahead of “Jaws” in domestic film rentals. Your hyperspace performance package really did the trick. Congratulations to the Cantina crowd and all the forces of your imagination that made “Star Wars” so worthy of the throne. Wear it well, Steven Spielberg.”
Fifty years later, “Jaws” is still one of the most iconic and influential films ever made. The movie has become a staple in American households, an expected DVD to find in a Gen Xer’s living room, heavily referenced with its instantly recognizable leitmotif, and most impactfully, a blueprint for the summer blockbuster – a high budget, highly anticipated film with mass appeal released in the summer months. And of course, such a classic film is going to go all out for its 50th anniversary. It’s already been celebrating with brand collaborations, including Hot Wheels, Seiko, and Fright-Rags. Now, it has been announced that the film will be returning to IMAX and 4DX theaters in August. The first poster has just been released, with the tagline “YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER SCREEN,” based on the iconic line from the film “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
The movie is scheduled to return to theaters on August 29th. It will have a limited one-week run until September 4th.
Featured image by Kimy Moto via pexels.com