Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuce. The animatronic shark used inSteven Spielberg’s shark-attack classicJawshas become the stuff of legend, mostly for the way it absolutely would not work, forcing the then-26-year-old filmmaker to improvise a classic. So, naturally, the still-unopened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures—which has suffered its own fair share ofsetbacks and delays—will play host to the fourth and only surviving shark model from the film, fully restored with the help of FX legendGreg Nicotero. The Academy released a video of the shark model getting installed today, and for reasons that are still unclear, I cannot stop watching it.
I have no idea why this video is both deeply funny and oddly soothing to me. Maybe we’ve all lost our minds. Look, it’s calming muzak playing over a massive shark that appears to be screaming as it gets carried through a large window. It’s the simple things.
Check out the video below. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will finally open its doors on August 05, 2025. For more onJaws, here’s why Collider’s own Tom Reimannhas seen it more than 100 timesand absolutely will not stop.
Here’s an official description of theJawsmodel from the Academy Museum:
The monumental model is the fourth, final, and only surviving version of the shark model derived from the originalJawsmold. The creation of the infamous mechanical shark—which Spielberg is rumored to have named “Bruce” after his lawyer—was tasked to art director Joe Alves, whose original schematics depict the 25-foot long body, 400-pound head, and jaws nearly five feet wide. The three screen-used production molds cast in latex and rubber rotted and were destroyed. The Academy Museum’s version, cast in fiberglass for photo opportunities at Universal Studios Hollywood surrounding the film’s 1975 release, survived at Universal until 1990 when it found its way to Nathan Adlen’s family’s junkyard business in Sun Valley, California. In 2010, it was authenticated by Roy Arbogast, a member of the originalJawsfilm’s special effects crew, and in 2016, the Academy Museum acquired the shark model through a contribution by Nathan Adlen. The museum worked with special effects and make-up artist Greg Nicotero, co-founder of KNB EFX, to meticulously restore the fiberglass shark which had deteriorated from being outdoors for 25 years.
