Jaws: Horror Box Office King
Forbes recently released a list of the top box office performing horror (US), under their definition it included every sub-genre of horror, which meant Ghostbusters was as valid as Scream, which was as eligible as Alien.
In that unadjusted for inflation list Jaws still swam into third position, but the more interesting list was the adjusted for inflation one. Obviously a ticket to see Jaws in 1975 was much cheaper than buying one today.
Can I pay for that $3,000 cinema ticket in cash or cheque? So, the below list is adjusted to 2019 ticket prices, which even after nearly 50 years still sees Jaws at the top of the horror box office food chain.
Not a bad record for this vicinity. Our Chief Writer, Dean Newman, turns off his phone and heads off into a darkened cinema to explore how each of these films or its stars can be linked to Jaws - think of it as six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but for Jaws.
1 Jaws (1975) ($1.154 billion)
Did for swimming what Psycho did for showers. Genuinely, beach numbers were down in 1975, and it was all attributed to Jaws.
It went over production, over budget and the mechanical shark, fondly nicknamed Bruce after Director Steven Spielberg’s Lawyer, often didn’t work. The film should never have worked, but all of this extra time meant the film matured, like a fine wine (red and white of course), to become the classic that we have today.
Jaws still packs a punch (or should that be bite radius) of a juggernaut. The opening night Chrissie attack sequence has never looked so uncomfortably clear, her nakedness making you almost feel voyeur like – making it even closer akin to the shower scene it Psycho in that respect – right up until that moment of impact that’s like a train, when the John Williams score and sound effects really kick into high gear. It’s the perfect opener for a movie.
It’s estimated that an astonishing 67 million Americans saw it upon release, meaning it’s unlikely to ever leave the top of this adjusted list. Jaws is still the apex predator.
2 The Exorcist (1973) ($996.5 million)
Also based on a best-selling novel, by William Peter Blatty. The author also penned the screenplay, but perhaps most significantly - like Jaws - The Exorcist took its inspiration from a true story.
Roy Scheider featured in William Friedkin’s previous film, The French Connection, as a New York cop, which is exactly where Chief Brody had worked. Scheider and Friedkin would work together again in 1977 on Sorcerer.
3 Ghostbusters (1984) ($641.3 million)
At one time Ghostbusters was the world’s top grossing comedy. Written by Ghostbusters stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.
Aykroyd has a cameo in Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he put Indy on his plane, and Aykroyd made his film debut in Spielberg’s World War 2 comedy, 1941. That film featured Murray Hamilton, Lorraine Gary and a Jaws opening scene homage with Susan Backlinie and a Japanese submarine. Yes, you read that correct the first time.
4 The Sixth Sense (1999) ($518.8 million)
I see dead people, but do you also see that the colour red is the signifier of death, much in the same way Jaws utilised the colour yellow to signify the presence of the shark - yellow barrels, yellow inflatable and yellow t-shirt worn by Pippet’s owner.
The Sixth Sense was produced by longtime Spielberg collaborators Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy.
5 Gremlins (1984) ($409.8 million)
Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg, but its director - Joe Dante - also directed what Spielberg called the best Jaws spoof, the original Piranha. The 2010 remake of Piranha featured Richard Dreyfuss, looking very much like a certain Matt Hooper.
6 It (2017) ($328.9 million)
Pennywise takes the shape of the thing its victim fears most. In the book he even takes the form of the shark from Jaws.
King recently that Jaws had the best line of dialogue from any film, it was of course “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
King’s son, Joe Hill, - also an author - proposed that the mystery victim in an unsolved murder could be potentially lurking as an extra in Jaws. Discover our article about it here: JAWS & ORDER
7 Jaws 2 (1978) ($312.8 million)
Despite Hollywood’s love of sequels, especially prevalent in the horror genre, Jaws 2 is the only one that has burst through into the top ten.
The original gang is mostly all here, Scheider (contractually but you wouldn’t know it and he still gives it his all), Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, many of the iconic bit players and behind the scenes, Gottlieb, Alves and John Williams, with a blistering score. Dreyfuss and (for obvious reasons) Shaw are absent, as is Steven Spielberg.
Read our retrospective 40th anniversary review of Jaws 2 here: 40 Years Of Jaws 2
8 The Amityville Horror (1979 ($310.3 million)
Again, based on a best-selling novel that takes its cue from a series of (supposed) true events. The film also co-starred Mayor Vaughn himself, Murray Hamilton.
One of its main actors, James Brolin, had previously starred in The Car (1977) which was essentially Jaws with wheels. It tells the story of a mysterious car which goes on a murderous rampage, terrorizing the residents of a small town.
9 Alien (1979) ($286.4 million)
Pitched as Jaws in space, one might be set in space and the other at sea, but we explored the filmic DNA they share here: ALIEN: JAWS IN SPACE
10 Scary Movie (2000) ($262.5 million)
Jesus H Christ! Look, this wasn’t our list. And don’t blame Forbes; blame those people who saw this film in the first place. Scary Movie was the original title for Scream, which was directed by Wes Craven. In his 1977 shocker, The Hills Have Eyes, he featured a poster for Jaws.
By Dean Newman
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