The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will open Jaws: The Exhibition on September 14, marking the film’s 50th anniversary with what the museum bills as its largest presentation ever devoted to a single title. At a preview, Steven Spielberg endorsed the show and reflected on the famously difficult 1974–75 production, calling it “kind of an impossible production that somehow happened.” The installation spans about 11,000 square feet on the museum’s fourth floor.
The exhibition is structured to follow the movie scene by scene and features interactive moments alongside more than 200 original objects, many never before publicly displayed. The museum’s full-size fiberglass “Bruce” shark—cast from the original mold and restored by effects artist Greg Nicotero—anchors the presentation. Member previews run September 12–13; the show then remains on view through July 26, 2026.
Programming around the opening includes a 4K screening, additional showings tied to the franchise, guided tours in English and Spanish, and a public talk examining the film’s impact on sharks, science, and blockbuster culture. The museum notes that materials come from Spielberg and Amblin collections, studio archives, and private lenders, underscoring the film’s long tail among collectors and fans.
During the preview event, leaders also signaled future plans: a first-ever retrospective exhibition on Spielberg slated for 2028. The Jaws show situates the 1975 release as a turning point in studio filmmaking, citing its Best Picture nomination and wins for editing, sound, and John Williams’s score, while foregrounding the on-set problem solving that helped define its lasting style.
