--- description: The movie defined the summer blockbuster title: 'Jaws' Turns 40 and Returns to Theaters for Another Feeding image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b0ce4d4bb8e975a/69885205e53aba61cc4ddea9/jaws.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Jaws_ Will Return to Theaters to Celebrate Turning 40 by [Jeff Labrecque / EW](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Jeff Labrecque / EW Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 28, 2015 2:12 PM CUT  Crowds run out of the water in a scene from the film 'Jaws', 1975. Crowds run out of the water in a scene from the film 'Jaws', 1975.Universal Pictures—Getty Images by [Jeff Labrecque / EW](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Jeff Labrecque / EW Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 28, 2015 2:12 PM CUT Summer movies, as we know them, began 40 years ago. For decades, the warm-weather months had been a dumping ground for Hollywood’s genre fare and B-movies. But in 1975, a different kind of movie was unleashed in theaters. _Jaws_ was like chum to the media and movie audiences, who couldn’t get enough of Steven Spielberg’s terrifying adaptation of Peter Benchley’s best-seller. It became an instant and defining blockbuster, with repeat customers who still jumped with fright at the scariest moments—even though John Williams’ score warned them that danger lurked beneath the waves. On June 21, fans of _Jaws_ will have another opportunity to see the classic on the big screen, as it was intended. Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies, and Universal Pictures will present special screenings in nearly 500 theaters around the country. TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz will provide a special introduction for an afternoon and evening showing, as well as an encore presentation on June 24\. “_Jaws_ is a classic thriller enjoyed by generations and it is ready for a comeback,” said Fathom Events vice president of programming Kymberli Frueh-Owens. “Movie buffs will love seeing their favorite killer shark larger than life on the big screen. No risk of shark bite!” There’s the famous anecdote that Spielberg tells how he knew _Jaws_ was going to be a huge hit only after a member of the audience rushed out of a preview screening in the middle of the movie, threw up in the lobby… and then hurried back in to watch the rest. For those types of _Jaws_ nerds, fans who rightfully treat [Quint’s _Indianapolis_ soliloquoy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9S41Kplsbs "undefined") with Shakespearean reverance and already know every behind-the-scenes story about the near-disastrous making of the film on and around Martha’s Vineyard, the June screenings will be a celebration of a movie that helped define their childhood. And for the younger generation, which may not have been introduced to _Jaws_ yet despite frequent Blu-ray editions and constant cable showings, it’s about time to dip their toes in the water, and finally see why Williams’ simple score still has the power to get swimmers out of the water. Tickets can be purchased at [FathomEvents.com](http://www.fathomevents.com/event/jaws "undefined"), or at participating theaters. _This_ [_article_](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/28/jaws-rerelease-40th-anniversary "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_EW.com_](http://www.ew.com/ "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3899709/jaws-back-in-theaters/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3899709/jaws-back-in-theaters/"},"headline":"Jaws Will Return to Theaters to Celebrate Turning 40","datePublished":"2015-05-28T14:12:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T07:42:10.712Z","description":"Da-Dum...Da-Dum...Da-Dum Da-Dum Da-Dum","url":"https://time.com/3899709/jaws-back-in-theaters/","keywords":["movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b0ce4d4bb8e975a/69885205e53aba61cc4ddea9/jaws.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jeff Labrecque / EW"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b0ce4d4bb8e975a/69885205e53aba61cc4ddea9/jaws.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Jaws","caption":"Jaws","creditText":"Universal Pictures—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3899709/jaws-back-in-theaters/","name":"Jaws Will Return to Theaters to Celebrate Turning 40"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"5 Ways You Know You're Watching a Spielberg Movie","description":"Like any director who has worked as long as he has — 26 films over almost 40 years — Steven Spielberg has both stylistic and thematic tics that pop up again and again in his work. 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