Take a Bite Out Of This: Behind the Scenes Facts About Jaws

Dun dun…It scared an entire generation from going into the ocean. Dun dun…It reminded people that not even kids are safe. Dun Dun… It’s the reason people wouldn’t even swim in pools. Dun dun dun…This is what Jaws did and continues to do since the summer of 1975.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws is considered one of the greatest and scariest films of all time. See what happened behind the scenes, and what went into making the movie that made going to the beach a seemingly dangerous endeavor.

See what makes the movie different from the book.

The Fake Shark Weighed Enough To Be Real

Photo Credit: Universal Studios

The shark prop used in the film was built by production designer Joe Alves. The shark weighed a whopping 1.2 tons and measured 25 feet in length. One reason that Martha’s Vineyard was chosen as the location for filming was partially due to the size of the shark.

The ocean bed in the area has a depth of 35 feet for a stretch of 12 miles offshore. Those conditions made for an ideal location to shoot because they could rest the behemoth mechanical shark on the ocean floor when it wasn’t being used.