How many summer dollars JAWS would make if it was released today
JAWS, it's synonymous not just with being a classic film, putting Steven Spielberg on the map, frightening and fascinating generations, but also for changing film history.
Rather fittingly for a film about a giant great white shark ("that's a 20-footer." "25, three tons of him.") it was a monster success upon its release.
With some 67 million Americans seeing it on the big screen in 1975, it was hardly surprising it became the first film in US history to swim past the magic $100 million milestone.
And that shark film, directed by Spielberg and based on the best-selling book by Peter Benchley, would keep on swimming and chewing up box office receipts until it reached £260 million.
Not a bad record for the 1975 vicinity, taking out The Godfather as the biggest grossing film of all time. Presumably leaving Ben Gardner's head in a bed as a warning, rather than a horse's one.
But what would that figure equate to, adjusted for inflation, in today's cinematic landscape? Of course - to paraphrase Chief Brody - that's gonna mean a bigger box office taking, to the tune of $1.52 billion. A whaaaaaat?
Yep, that's some pretty good stuff. And - according to an article by Screen Rant - that is just from its original 1975 run, not taking into account when it has been released numerous times, including most recently in Real 3D and IMAX.
After almost 50 years that still puts the shark film classic in the 11th spot, which sees it swimming above 2012’s The Avengers on the list of the highest-grossing movies in the US ever made.
Ross Williams, creator of The Daily Jaws, the world's number one JAWS fan site, said: "Nudging 50, Bruce the shark may be getting long in the tooth, but he's still got plenty of box office bite. Those adjusted for inflation figures show Bruce is bigger than Barbie and out-blasted Top Gun: Maverick's $1.4 billion."
That also means the film jumped The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s gross of $1.3 billion, and sliced through Deadpool & Wolverine’s $1.2 billion.
He added: "No wonder Hollywood keeps looking back to JAWS and its influential blockbuster magic, which adjusted for inflation also makes it the highest grossing horror film of all time. It's legacy and our love for it remains timeless."
Words by Dean Newman
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