Steven Spielberg’s Jaws resurfaces in Los Angeles as the Academy Museum unveils its first single-film exhibition, timed to the blockbuster’s 50th anniversary.
At a Glance
- Exhibition runs September 14, 2025 to July 26, 2026 in Los Angeles.
- More than 200 original production objects are displayed.
- Visitors can operate scale sharks and reenact iconic shots.
- Spielberg recalls fearing his career might end during filming.
A Monster Anniversary
The Academy Museum has staked its fall season on a giant fish. Its newest exhibition is devoted entirely to Jaws, the 1975 thriller that changed studio filmmaking. The show occupies 11,000 square feet and marches through the film’s three acts.
Curators assembled more than 200 objects, many unseen outside private collections. The lineup ranges from prop buoys to shark fins and annotated scripts. The exhibit highlights not just the spectacle but the turbulent craft behind it.
Watch now: Inside New ‘Jaws’ Exhibit at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Objects and Immersion
The museum already hosts “Bruce,” the only full-scale surviving shark from production. Now it adds relics that chart Spielberg’s improvisation under pressure. A great white jaw used in close shots, original storyboards, and Moviola editing gear all appear.
Visitors don’t just stare. They can climb inside a rebuilt cabin of the Orca, the doomed fishing boat. An interactive dolly-zoom station lets guests mimic Roy Scheider’s iconic beach reaction. A small keyboard allows a stab at John Williams’s two-note theme.
Spielberg’s Ordeal
The film’s myth rests on chaos as much as triumph. Spielberg was only 26 when he directed Jaws, and he nearly broke under the weight. Mechanical sharks sank, weather ruined shots, and the shoot ran months over schedule.
He later admitted thinking his career might be finished before it began. Crew morale wavered, and the studio bristled at delays. But collaboration carried the project, and the malfunctioning sharks forced inventive framing that intensified suspense.
Legacy in Motion
The Academy Museum rarely singles out one film, but this gamble signals the franchise’s cultural staying power. Jaws is more than a hit; it is a turning point in popular cinema. Its anniversary revival lures fans with nostalgia and shows the craft that forged the modern blockbuster.
The exhibit aims at both education and spectacle. By giving audiences tools to step inside scenes, it bridges history with entertainment. The shark that once threatened Spielberg’s career now anchors his legend, and the museum has mounted it as both warning and celebration.