Spielberg Reflects on Jaws Struggles at Academy Museum Exhibit
Steven Spielberg recently stepped onto the stage at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles to unveil Jaws: The Exhibition , the largest display the museum has ever dedicated to a single film. At 78 years old, the legendary filmmaker found himself revisiting the project that almost ended his career before it ever truly began. And in true Spielberg fashion, he did so without a prepared speech, joking that just as he wasn’t fully prepared to make Jaws in 1974, he decided to risk showing up empty-handed again.
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What followed was not a polished speech but a heartfelt reflection. As Spielberg wandered through the exhibit—filled with props, photos, set pieces, costumes, and even “Bruce,” the only surviving full-scale shark model—memories came flooding back. He recalled how, in the middle of filming Jaws , he was convinced his directing career was finished. At just 26, facing a runaway schedule, constant technical failures, and the unpredictability of the Atlantic Ocean, he was told again and again that he would never work in Hollywood once the film was done. The production went more than 100 days over schedule, pushing the cast and crew to exhaustion. “I thought we were sunk,” he admitted, remembering how he was even offered chances to step aside and let the film be shut down.
But no one quit. The crew, though seasick, frustrated, and far from home, pulled together out of sheer determination. Spielberg described the camaraderie as the glue that held everything together. Rewrites were being made the night before key scenes, the animatronic shark failed repeatedly in saltwater, and tempers ran high. Yet, through persistence and teamwork, the film was finished. “It certainly cost me a pound of flesh,” Spielberg confessed, “but it gave me a ton of career.”
The exhibition itself captures both the chaos and the magic of Jaws . Visitors can see John Williams’ original sheet music, annotated scripts, concept art of the shark, a clapperboard from Spielberg’s personal collection, and even interactive stations where fans can attempt the iconic “dun dun” theme on a keyboard or re-create the famous dolly zoom shot. One piece that amazed Spielberg most was the buoy from the film’s opening scene—somehow preserved for 50 years by an unknown fan before being donated to the Academy.
The event also featured a live performance of Williams’ haunting score by the Hollywood Scoring Orchestra, including two musicians who played in the original recording session. It was a fitting tribute to a film that didn’t just survive its troubled production but went on to win three Oscars, reshape Hollywood marketing, and cement itself as the first true summer blockbuster.
Now, half a century later, Jaws continues to bite into the box office with its anniversary re-release and inspire new generations of filmmakers. And as Spielberg stood before the exhibit honoring his once-doomed project, he summed it all up with humility: the struggle nearly ended him, but the result gave him everything.
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