The first summer blockbuster

Despite its ballooned budget and hellish production, ‘Jaws’ proved to be worth all of the blood, sweat and tears.

The 1975 movie was the first film to gross over $100 million in its theatrical run, though wouldn’t hold that title for too long, as two years later, ‘Star Wars’ became the biggest picture in cinematic history up until that point.

Still, Spielberg was shocked at how well ‘Jaws’ did.

He recalled: “I never would have guessed that so many people would have gone to see Jaws. In my mind, the shark looked dumb. When I went to the first preview, in Dallas, and people were screaming and popcorn was flying at the screen, my first feeling was, ’Oh my god! I didn’t think any of this was going to work.’ The truth is, you never ever know.”

Its success changed the landscape of cinema, particularly when movies are released to obtain the biggest audiences, and is the reason why summer blockbusters exist today.