The Summer Blockbuster That Still Dominates Pop Culture

Steven Spielberg’s killer fish turns 50 this summer and apparently everyone wants a bite. Hollywood is rolling out the blood-red carpet for the Jaws anniversary, and the celebration goes way beyond movie marathons. There are themed festivals, nostalgia-fueled merch drops and a booming shark tourism industry that has people everywhere humming dun… dun… dun-dun… dun-dun…

I’m old enough to remember the buzz of the 1975 premiere (just not old enough for my parents to actually let me see it). My older brother won a free pass from a local radio station that got him in on opening night, and he couldn’t stop raving—for years, actually—about how scary and amazing the movie was, and also what a complete loser I was for missing it. Thanks, bro. But I get it. Jaws took big-screen adrenaline to a whole new level.

Fifty years later, that same thrill is still paying dividends. The Jaws franchise has earned Universal around $800 million across four films, quite a haul considering Spielberg’s original cost only around $12 million to make. And the frenzy continues for publishers, toy makers, theme park operators and tour companies.

Here’s how to take a huge bite of the Jaws anniversary.

Where To Watch Jaws @ 50

To mark the actual June 20 anniversary of the Jaws premiere, NBC is airing the film this Friday in a three-hour primetime telecast at 8 p.m. ET, complete with an exclusive introduction from Spielberg, who was only 26 when the film rolled out on 400 screens in 1975. The festivities will also include Jaws-themed Major League Baseball games hosted by the Giants, Yankees and Phillies between June 20–22, plus giveaways and custom scoreboard content. All four Jaws movies are streaming on Peacock this week through July 14.

For those fans looking to go even deeper, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is today releasing a Jaws 50th anniversary edition digital and combo pack (4K, Blu-ray and digital). That includes National Geographic’s Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Story, an all-new documentary that premiered last week, with behind-the-scenes insight and commentary from Spielberg, John Williams and filmmakers Jordan Peele, James Cameron and others.

No doubt the most immersive place to watch is where the film was shot—on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. I’ve experienced the thrill of seeing Jaws there on a summer night, and it’s as close as you can get to the feeling of fictional Amity Island (since principal filming took place in real-life Edgartown). A summer-long celebration kicks off this week with outdoor screenings, swag giveaways and even a synchronized swim show at an iconic Martha’s Vineyard resort.

Jaws Merch: You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Storage Unit

It’s not just your imagination. Jaws is everywhere this summer. The list of product tie-ins and and commemorative merchandise is so vast, you could outfit a beach day, a bar cart, a kids’ playroom and my brother’s Jaws-themed man cave and still have enough left over to decorate your Richard Dreyfuss shrine.

Penguin Random House released Big Shark, Little Boat: A Book of Opposites for the littlest fans, while Scholastic’s official Jaws coloring book lets older kids color in the carnage. For grownups, there’s Jaws wine — yes, an Amity Island red blend by Fior di Sole, a Jaws pinball machine from Stern and a collectible resin Dunny by Kidrobot. Universal’s online Jaws shop alone could devour your summer budget (but, serious question: what exactly does a $23 “Amity Island-scented” candle smell like? Fear? Leg?)

Fashion collabs are also out of control: UNIQLO, H&M, Nautica, Vineyard Vines and Eastpak bags have all dropped limited collections timed to the anniversary. There’s a Jaws LEGO set and a Fisher-Price Little People Collector pack, because nothing, I suppose, says “toddler fun” like a tiny figurine of actor Robert Shaw being chomped off the deck of the Orca. We’re gonna need a bigger child psychiatrist’s office!

Shark Tourism: When The Big Screen Isn’t Close Enough

For travelers chasing the thrill of a face-to-face encounter with a great white shark like the one in Jaws, there’s no shortage of terror-level-eleven options around the globe.

Prime viewing spots include South Africa’s Gansbaai, Australia’s Neptune Islands, and Mexico’s now-restricted Isla Guadalupe, once famed for its crystal-clear visibility. In the U.S., San Francisco’s Farallon Islands offer cage dives for around $925 per person—no experience needed, although definitely bring a strong stomach.

For the ultra-adventurous, Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions in Australia runs four-day liveaboard tours (about $1,600 USD), complete with lectures by leading shark biologists and the world’s only ocean-floor cage. Closer to home in Oahu, multiple tour operators offer cage-free snorkeling with reef sharks starting around $150, led by family-run crews focused on education and, let’s hope, safety.

In Florida alone, shark tourism brings in over $221 million a year and supports more than 3,700 jobs, proof that sharks are worth far more alive than with an exploding scuba tank in its mouth. From cage-free snorkels in the Keys to tagging expeditions off Palm Beach, the shark tourism industry has become a cornerstone of Florida’s eco-economy. Now that the Jaws anniversary is here, I guess my big brother was right. This fish story really is worth bragging about.