Steven Spielberg has revealed that his 1975 classic, Jaws, not only cemented his place in cinematic history but also granted him the creative freedom that would define his career. Speaking at the Academy Museum's Jaws exhibition press preview, Spielberg reflected on the film's challenging production and its lasting impact.

Jaws tells the story of a menacing great white shark that terrorizes a summer resort town, and a police chief, a marine scientist, and a grizzled shark hunter who team up to stop it. Spielberg was just 26 years old when he took on the project, adapting Peter Benchley's novel for the big screen. Despite initial excitement, the production was plagued with difficulties. The mechanical sharks, each nicknamed "Bruce" after Spielberg's lawyer Bruce Ramer, were constantly malfunctioning due to burst hoses, kelp-clogged gears, and sleds running aground. Unpredictable weather and drifting sailboats caused further delays, and seasickness among the cast and crew added to the chaos.

As the budget ballooned and the schedule stretched from the planned 55 days to 159, Spielberg feared his career was over. "Everybody was saying to me, 'You are never going to get hired again. This film is way over budget, way over schedule and you are a real liability as a director. You are not going to get hired again,'" Spielberg recalled. He was even offered multiple opportunities to "gracefully bow out" of the film, with the studio considering shutting down production altogether.

However, Spielberg and his team persevered, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie that he remembers to this day. "I've never been closer to a crew or a cast until many years later," he said. "But this was the ultimate example that when you work as a team, you can actually get the ball across the finish line".

Against all odds, Jaws became a massive success, revolutionizing the film industry and becoming the first true summer blockbuster. The film grossed over $7 million during its opening weekend and quickly surpassed its total expenses, becoming the highest-grossing film of the summer season. Spielberg noted, "The film certainly cost me a pound of flesh, but gave me a ton of career".

The success of Jaws gave Spielberg the clout to pursue projects he was passionate about. Before Jaws, he was a "director-for-hire," but afterward, "Hollywood just wrote me a cheque!". He used this newfound freedom to make Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a science fiction drama about flying saucers that studios had previously rejected. "I wanted to make this movie about flying saucers, nobody wanted to make it before Jaws and I tried to get people to make this crazy movie," Spielberg explained.

Jaws' impact extends far beyond its box office success. It has inspired countless filmmakers and continues to influence modern horror and thriller movies. The film's success also transformed the summer movie season, proving that studios could release big-budget films during the summer months to huge profits.

Despite the challenges and anxieties he faced during production, Spielberg acknowledges that Jaws was a turning point in his career. It not only saved him from potential career ruin but also gave him the freedom to become one of the most influential and successful filmmakers of all time.