New Jaws IMAX poster autopsy

This is what happens…as designs go, sharks are pretty much perfect and have remained unchanged for millions of years. The same could be said for the iconic Jaws poster, which through its various releases – including the latest ahead of its release on IMAX - has stayed faithful to that original vision created by Roger Kastel.

We get the classic image of the shark with bubbles - an attacking squalus considerably larger than any normal squalus found in these waters - as it races to the surface to meet the unsuspecting Chrissie Watkins, talk about spoilers. But it works beautifully, dragging us into the film before we have even seen a frame of it.

On this latest IMAX incarnation, above the red Jaws logo the poster invites us to ‘experience the original summer blockbuster’, and below the shark – reading almost like a personal invitation – it states ‘Director Steven Spielberg invites you to see it in IMAX for the first time.’ And in a cute move, the A on IMAX has a bite out of it.

Being IMAX, which is a bigger screen, it is something of a surprise that that they haven’t played on the “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” line by Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), with you’re gonna need to see it on a bigger screen. Because now it exists, that is exactly what we are going to do.

With that personal sounding invite by Spielberg it would be lovely if he has shot a special introduction for it, that you can only see at the IMAX screening. Here’s hoping this was not a quoting accident.  

Also loving that the warning that sits on the 2022 poster isn’t about scenes that may be too intense for younger children, but one that says ‘this film contains depictions of tobacco consumption.’ Do not smoke in here, thank you very much! How times change.

Jaws swims onto IMAX screen on September 2 in the US, and we can’t wait. Will you be seeing Jaws in IMAX?

Jaws fans on The Daily Jaws YouTube channel are already looking forward to the bigger screen experience, with Stellar commenting: “Looking forward to this! It's virtually impossible to watch Jaws too many times.”

Babyshambler added: “Every opportunity I get to see this on the big screen, I grab (it) by the buster browns.”

Words by Dean Newman

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