National Geographic is diving deep for the 50th anniversary of Jaws with a fully authorized documentary that puts Steven Spielberg front and center. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story will premiere Thursday, July 10 at 9/8c on National Geographic, and stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
The 90-minute doc, directed by longtime Spielberg collaborator Laurent Bouzereau, is produced by Amblin Documentaries in partnership with National Geographic. It features fresh interviews with Spielberg, rare footage pulled from his personal archives, and candid input from cast, crew, and a who’s who of Hollywood—including J.J. Abrams, George Lucas, and Jordan Peele.
This is the first fully sanctioned look behind the curtain of the original 1975 blockbuster, which turned a troubled shoot on Martha’s Vineyard into a seismic box office hit and cultural landmark. Jaws @ 50 retraces that journey with never-before-seen material, plus insights from Wendy Benchley, wife of author Peter Benchley, and ocean experts like Philippe Cousteau and Brian Skerry exploring the “Jaws effect” on shark science and conservation.
Jaws alumni Lorraine Gary and Jeffrey Kramer also return to reflect, while John Williams—whose iconic two-note theme still sends chills—lends his perspective on scoring the fear.
Jaws @ 50 is as much about the movie as the cultural wake it left behind, capturing the evolution from mass hysteria to marine advocacy, all through the lens of one of cinema’s most enduring thrillers.
