Steven Spielberg’s iconic shark thriller Jaws (1975) is celebrating its 50th anniversary—that’s half a century of terrifying cinemagoers and beachgoers alike.
Not only did Jaws pave the way for the modern blockbuster as we know it (“it was the first”), but it also made others with state-of-the-art animatronic creatures like the ground-breaking Jurassic Park (1993)—also directed by Spielberg—possible in the first place. It even gave birth to the shark movie genre, which has yet to wow us like the 1975 film.
Jaws at Universal Studios: Then and Now
While Jaws continues to enjoy life as a successful franchise, with four films under its belt (even if the last two are terrible), it’s also getting a fair bit of attention at the parks. Recently, the San Francisco area of Universal Studios Orlando in Florida was temporarily transformed into “Little Amity” to mark the film’s monumental moment in cinema history, offering up everything from Jaws-themed photo ops to bite-size Jaws-themed merch.
Of course, this is also a something of a bitter pill, as the theme park resort was once home to the truly iconic Jaws ride, which opened its gigantic mouth in 1990 and terrified guests for 22 years, until it was forced to make way for an expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley) in 2012. Fortunately, the ride lives on at Universal Studios.
There’s a mini version on the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood (the original ride was actually based on this backlot tour) and a version of the original attraction at Universal Studios Japan, which has been open since 2001. While there are no plans to reintroduce the world’s most famous Great White Shark into any of the resorts, with Universal Studios Great Britain now officially underway, Jaws could find a new territory.
Related: New ‘Jaws’ Ride Update at Universal, 30 Lucky Guests Get First Ride
Is Jaws Coming to Universal Studios GB?
For the first time ever, Universal Studios is heading to the UK, with an opening set for 2031 (specific dates are yet to be announced). Universal has shared concept art but very little else, including what attractions and themed lands the new resort will be made up of.
But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from spinning, with the destination expected to feature attractions and/or themed lands based around iconic blockbuster franchises such as Paddington, The Lord of the Rings, James Bond, Back to the Future, and Jurassic World.
Jaws has also been thrown around here and there, although it isn’t among the more frequently-named IPs. But if the world’s deadliest shark finds its way into British waters (an isolated body of water within Universal Studios, of course), then what could guests expect? The same layout as the original ride, or something new to sink their teeth into?
The Original and Current Jaws Attractions at Universal Studios
Both the original Jaws ride and the current Universal Studios Japan version are essentially the same.
While queuing, guests enter Captain Jake’s Amity Boat Tours at Amity Harbor. Once onboard the tour boat, which is intended to take a guided scenic cruise of the sites of the shark attacks from the summer of 1974 (which are supposed to be the “real-life” events that inspired Spielberg’s 1975 film), guests are then plunged into a terrifying situation that begins with the captain receiving a radio distress call from a fellow tour, which is later discovered to be sinking under the murky surface of the water.
That’s when the shark’s dorsal fin appears, just before the aquatic monster swims under the boat and rocks it back and forth. The skipper then uses a grenade launcher to fend off the shark, but eventually, “Bruce” the shark—a frightening animatronic not dissimilar to the one in the film—surfaces and terrifies the guests (it’s a genuinely unnerving model).
This is followed by an explosion at the gas dock shortly afterwards, before your skipper finally manages to destroy the shark, eventually returning the passengers to safety.
The ride also features several callbacks to moments from the film, in particular the character of Chief Brody, famously played by the late Roy Scheider. There’s no reason to think that, if Jaws made it to the UK, that it wouldn’t feature references to the 1975 film. But would it, or should it, follow the same path as the original ride?
What’s particularly unique about the aesthetics of Steven Spielberg’s terrifying blockbuster is that there are no tropical themes—something you’d expect from a movie about a killer shark. Instead, just like the Peter Benchley book the film is based on, Jaws (1975) takes place in New England. Instead of crystal blue water, there’s nothing but murky opaqueness. Instead of palm trees and musclebound beachgoers, there are rickety piers and ordinary folk like fishermen and locals in regular attire.
And no unsuspecting sea turtles on the water—just rusty oil drums.
So, perhaps the next New England Jaws winds up terrorizing will actually be England. With all that said, if Universal Studios GB ends up with its own Jaws ride, it would do well to make a few tweaks, including a more refined animatronic shark (please, no on-screen CGI) and perhaps a slightly different story, just to separate it from the original and give it its own identity, especially in a theme park resort that will likely make some effort to break away from its counterparts in Hollywood, Orlando, Japan, Singapore, and Beijing.
When Does Universal Studios GB Open?
Universal Studios Great Britain is being built in Bedfordshire and will reportedly cover an area of 700 acres (3 km2). While no themed lands or attractions have been revealed, the opening date has been confirmed to be sometime during 2031, six years from now.
Where Can I Watch Jaws?
Jaws (1975) is currently available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. As the film celebrates its 50th anniversary, there’s no better time to relive the terrifying adventure in which police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw) take on a massive, man-eating Great White Shark in the murky waters of New England during a busy summer.
How do you feel about seeing a Jaws ride at the new Universal Studios in Great Britain? Do you think the iconic shark deserves a major comeback? Let us know in the comments down below!
