Jaws 50th Anniversary... Could Universal Pictures have something special in store?

Hello, Islanders!

This past weekend’s successful return of JAWS to cinemas worldwide got me thinking about what could possibly be on the agenda should Universal choose to sponsor a 50th Anniversary Celebration which I’ll call JAWS 50.

In June 2005, the first official JAWSFest was held on Martha’s Vineyard. It included celebrity appearances by many of the film’s cast and crew and sadly marked one of the last public appearances of author Peter Benchley, who passed away in February 2006. Also on the agenda that weekend: a display of props, an outdoor screening of the film – with accompanying music by musician Michael Haydn, who can be seen/heard at the bonfire at the beginning of the film – concluding with the “Amity Ball” and a clambake.

Greg Nicotero with Bruce the shark during Jawsfest 2005

The weekend brought fans from literally all over the world. I know because I was part of a small group that rented the log cabin that Steven Spielberg lived in during filming and my cabin-mates included fans from the US, the UK and Australia. While the Island leaders planned on 500 people attending, they were stunned when an approximate 3,000 people showed up.

In August 2012, JAWS: THE TRIBUTE was held. This event featured many of the same events from 2005, but, in the opinion of many fans, including myself, it didn’t have the same “feel” of the 2005 Fest. So why am I thinking about JAWS 50? Why wouldn’t I?

Earlier this month, a Facebook group – JAWS 50 – debuted, gaining over 700 members in the first week. The page is a collaborative effort between the Daily Jaws, Let’s Talk Jaws Live!, and the JAWS Facebook group, a combined membership of over 100,000 fans. The group’s goal is to get fans – and Universal – excited about not only celebrating the film’s Golden Anniversary, but to share ideas about what they would like to see at such a celebration. Workshops? Screenings? An awesome Cosplay contest? Ian Shaw starring on stage in “The Shark is Broken?” The ideas are endless.

If you’d like to be a part of the group, please head over to JAWS 50 on facebook, say hello and share your ideas. You never know who may be reading them!

Words by Michael A Smith. Michael is co-author of Jaws 2: The Making Of The Hollywood Sequel. You can order the book by contacting Michael at OsFanMike@aol.com.

If you would like to write for The Daily Jaws, please visit our ‘work with us’ page

For all the latest Jaws, shark and shark movie news, follow The Daily Jaws on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.