Director Steven Spielberg, kneeling with camera, during production of Jaws (1975). Standing, left to right: Tom Joyner (first assistant director), Bill Butler (director of photography), James Contner (first assistant camera), Michael Chapman (camera operator). Courtesy of Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
About the Exhibition
Experience Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) like never before. Jaws: The Exhibition is the first-ever exhibition of this scale at the Academy Museum, focused exclusively on a single film, and the largest mounted exhibition ever for Jaws, the Oscar®-winning film from Universal Pictures. It celebrates the film’s 50th anniversary and revisits Jaws scene by scene, through original objects, behind-the-scenes revelations, and interactive moments. Curated with direct access to the collections from Steven Spielberg and The Amblin Hearth Archive, NBCUniversal Archives & Collections, and more, the exhibition dives deep into the film’s production history and explores its enduring impact.
Directed by Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster that forever changed the movie industry. The suspenseful adventure film, adapted from the novel by Peter Benchley, is centered on three main characters—Brody, Hooper, and Quint—who hunt a great white shark menacing the seaside town of Amity Island. The monumental success of Jaws belies uncertain beginnings, where production challenges arising from an unprecedented mechanical shark spurred creative problem-solving. Over five decades later, it remains clear that the tenacity of its cast and crew led to the realization of this beloved classic, one of the most influential films in motion picture history.
Jaws: The Exhibition is organized by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jenny He and Assistant Curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez, with Curatorial Assistant Alexandra James Salichs.
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Screenings
Jaws in 4K
Steven Spielberg’s second feature film as a director set the standard for edge-of-your-seat suspense and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. When the seaside community of Amity Island finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. A box office record-breaker as well as a Best Picture nominee, Jaws earned Oscars for its film editing, sound, and John Williams’s thrilling score.
On the occasion of Jaws: The Exhibition—the largest mounted exhibition ever organized around Spielberg’s film, opening to coincide with its 50th anniversary—this screening is your chance to experience the movie on the big screen before diving into the exhibition, the museum’s first-ever of this scale focused exclusively on a single film. Featuring scene breakdowns, interactive experiences, behind-the-scenes stories, and over 200 original objects, many never before put on public display, the exhibition will follow the structure of the film, taking visitors from the opening credits to its gripping conclusion.
Programmed and note by K.J. Relth-Miller.
Jaws: The Exhibition is curated by Jenny He, senior exhibitions curator, and Emily Rauber Rodriguez, assistant curator, with Alexandra James Salichs, curatorial assistant, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
4K DCP
Tours
Jaws: The Tour
Join museum educators Thursdays through Sundays for 30-minute guided tours of the Jaws: The Exhibition.
Tours
Jaws: The Tour (En Español)
Join museum educators on the first Saturday of the month for a 30-minute guided bilingual tour of the Jaws: The Exhibition.
Screenings
In-Gallery
Member Previews | Jaws: The Exhibition
Join us for exclusive member previews of Jaws: The Exhibition on Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, from 10am to 6pm.
Conversations
Jaws and its Community Impact: Sharks, Science, and Blockbusters
Special guests representing community partners of the museum and a curator of Jaws: The Exhibition will discuss the impact of Jaws on sharks, science, the influence of blockbusters, and more.
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Supported by
Jaws: The Exhibition is generously supported by Kimberly V. Strauss. Additional support provided by Ashby & Graff Real Estate, Howard and Mirjam Berger, the Givenchy Family, Emma Koss, John Ptak and Margaret Black, The Yeardley Smith Foundation, Richard Talley, and Jon Turteltaub. Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie®.