2025 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest movies ever made, director Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws, which first reached theatres on June 20, 1975. To mark the occasion, Jaws will air over three hours on June 20 at 8pm ET on NBC – and Variety reports that Spielberg has filmed a special new introduction for this screening!
Directed by Spielberg from a screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb that was based on a best-selling novel by Benchley, Jaws has the following synopsis: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper and grizzled ship captain Quint offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature. The film stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton.
Variety also detailed some of the other Jaws 50th anniversary celebrations NBCUniversal has planned, including Major League Baseball tie-ins with “in-stadium activations around the country. Themed home games for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies will take place between June 20 and 22, and feature themed home games with custom scoreboard content, exclusive fan giveaways and more.” Jaws will be on the Peacock streaming service through July 14th, accompanied by its three sequels and the Spielberg introduction. It will also be paired with other “Trouble in the Water” movies like Piranha, 47 Meters Down, Night Swim, and Captain Phillips. Plus, there’s the new 4K UHD and Blu-ray release, which includes the never-before-seen documentary, Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. New Jaws products in fashion, toys, publishing, collectibles, and more are also in the works.
Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, provided the following statement: “Universal is home to the biggest movies in the world and it doesn’t get any bigger than Jaws. We want to celebrate 50 years of this enduring film that has captured the public imagination for generations by bringing it to audiences at home in all the ways they love to watch.“
How will you be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws? Will you be watching the NBC screening on June 20th? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
