JAWS —asnes The Great White Way 20 years ago, Jaws’ gave birth to Hollywood's blockbusters, 'By Maryiynn Uricchio: from the July 30, 1995 issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ‘The summer of 1975 was just like any other, until a great white shark called "Jaws" came out of the water and terrified an entire nation, Attendance went down at beaches across the country, especially when commonplace shark sightings were reported with @ new zeal by the media, Never before had a movie captured the popular imagination so successfully. "lows" cut across the barriers of race, age and income to attract an enormous audience, ‘The reviews were good, but word of mouth was better. “Jaws” eventually grossed $458 milion worldwide ‘end ranks sixth among the highest grossing films of all time. In many ways, "Jaws" set the stage for what would become the quintessential summer movie. Tt was based on a best-seller, in tis case by Peter Benchley, It was lightweight but engrossing entertainment, with lots of special effects and natural sequel potential. It did mare then establish a young director named Steven Spielberg as the hottest new talent in Hollywood; it changed the way Hollywood did business, Twenty years later, Universal, the studlo that released "Jaws," has made history once again with the most expensive movie ever made. *Waterworid” reportedly cost close to $200 million, and will have to gross ‘nearty twice that amount to show a profit. But the difference this time around ig that it has @ lot of competition vying for that summer box-office dollar, Since "Jaws" first tested the summer waters and Surfaced with a blockbuster, every studio has been trying ta find a formula to repeat that success. ‘That's why there are so many fiims to choose from this season -= flashy, super-hyped movies like "Batman Forever” and "Die Hard With A Vengeance” that the studios hope will provide the lion's share of their annual revenue. The average cost of this summer's blockbuster contender is $80 million -- a typical movie budget ranges from $20 milion to $40 million. But between 40 and 50 percent of a studio's yearly income is now generated during the 10-week summer season, With that much riding on these films, no ‘expense is spared in search of the elusive summer blockouster. Before "Jaws," things were different, “This is a complete about-face from 20 years ago, when summer was an elephant's graveyard and isinbutors buried their mistakes or released chesple genre pictures. Studie executives assumed that in summertime people went to the beach," says Leonard Klady, the movie industry box-office analyst for Variety. ‘Kung fu, exploitation, horror, beach perty bingos, spaghetti Westerns, kiddie films. That was the summer menu unti) Jaws" came slong. "Studios wouldn't release big pictures during the summer," Klady says. "They walted until the fall or ‘Christmas, which was the premiere time. In the wake of Jaws,’ distributors started releasing higher- profile films during the surnmer.* Severe! elements set the stage for "Jaws" to become @ monster. Two winters before Its release, “The Exorcist” was @ surprise hit. It, to0, was based on a best-seller, and although ft was a harror film, it was given e big-budget production. Anything thet succeeds in Hollywood is imitated, and so studios looked for € way to follow up an "The Exorcist” with anather horror film based on a best-seller. Universal backed Benchiley's "Jaws" with a name cast -- Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw -- and enoughmoney to produce 2 grade A thriller. “The second factor wes the decision by Universal to give "Jaws" a wide release, Most films at that time were generally "platformed” ~ they apened in the key big aties first and then spread out across the Country to secondary markets. “Jaws” opened nationwide on the same day, producing a runaway box- office total. It opened big, end It stayed big, dispraving the theory that people -- especially thinking adults ~- didn't go to the movies in the summer. “C think the big chenge since “Jaws' was whet pictures they decided to release during the summers. You have any day of the week that you can generate the kinds of grosses you can only get on the weekend the rest of the year," Klady says. ‘What took the studios so jong to realize thera was a gold mine waiting in the summer montns? Maybe we got smarter," says Nikki Rocco, executive vice president of distribution for Universal Pictures. “There are more theaters today, and more dollars available, Tt evolved." Rocco says that while it's important for the studios to have blockbusters, "Yl take a blockbuster whenever I can get it. & fall blockbuster, a Christmas blockbuster." The difference, she polnts Out, Is that at Christmas there is only @ two-week window of opportunity compared to the three manths of summer. The changes in industry thinking were not instantaneous -- “Jaws" simply showed what could be done with the right movie, the right marketing campaign and the Fight timing. "Probably the first year there was a concentration by the studios to release high-profile fllms in the summer wes 1980. "The Empire Strikes Back," 'Urben Cawboy," Airplane’ and ‘Brubaker.’ From that point on, the stigma was off the summer,” Klady says. ‘The success of "Jaws" was notable for yet another reason. It marked the frst time that merchandising played a prominent rote in seling a picture and in returning revenue to the studio, John Willems Unforgettable soundtrack, with the famous "laws" theme music, was for sale along with stuffed sharks, baseball caps, action figures and T-shirts, A scant two years later, "Star Wars" would make as much money from merchandising as it took in at the ox office. More recently, both “Jurassic Park” and "The Lion King” earned more than $1 bilion trom total sales, boosted in large part by extraordinary merchandising profits and commercial tie-ins, such as. MeDonale's or Burger King promotions. Today every movie designed to becorne # blockbuster arrives at the gate with a host of licensees attached to the title. “ludge Dredd" toys may sit on the shelves this summer, reflecting the Sly Stallone futuristic action film's allure to achieve blockbuster status, but had the flm been huge, they would have been very hot items. The merchandising is risk the assorted toy, game and apparel manufacturers are Prepared to take. As with the movie itself, fit hits, t can hit big, As the stakes have become higher, so have the costs involved in producing the films. While ticket sales fre growing at an annual rate of 3 to 5 percent, the costs involved in making and marketing movies ere Zooming into double-digit inflation. "Waterworld" js @ cleer case of the thinking that permeates the Industry today. Te takes money to make money. The more they spend trying t bring something fresh and different to the public, the better their chances ta score, Yes, "Waterworid" got out of hand, but the truth is that how it does at the box office in America is no longer that decisive 2 factor. Overseas ticket sales now outstrip domestic returns. Add cable, broadcast and video rights into the pie and the pieces get bigger. "The Last Action Hero" cost $100 milion to make ‘nd flopped in America, taking in only $50 milion at the box office. But foreign distribution alone brought in enother $91 millon, making the film profitable. \Wihat is key to @ movie's success is that it open big -- that the business its opening weekend replenish the caffers and start a buzz before word of mouth, if i's a bad movie, stops audiences from coming, “Batman Forever" broke all records this summer when it earned more than $52 milion the first weekend ‘The movie then developed "legs," which in industry jargon meens audiences have continued to supportthe fim. In its first three weeks, "Batman Forever” made $141 million Conversely, the number of summer releases has been steadily increasing, which makes & more difficult to find @ niche in the marketplace, not to mention on the multiplex screen. “It’s been getting more and more crowded for the last three years," Kiady seys. "The major distributors «don't sit down and say "We're only going to release this many fils this summer.’ There's more of 2 Pavlovian response to summer from the distributors, the prospect of generating a lot of money ar more. ‘money during the summer. They just can't help themselves." Rocco points out that the distributors and the exhibitors are partners. The growing number of movie theaters demands more end more product to fil the screens. It’s tough. There are so many flims out there. It's tough to get your play dates. Too many movies are probably being made. Yet exnibitors beg for filme in the slow months." ‘The result this summer is a major pile-up at local screens. Movies are being bumped before they're played out in order to fulfill contractual obligations and make room for the next release. With so many stil doing business, the question becomes how much more business could they do if given halt the chance? Perhaps realizing this, the studios are scrambling like never before to re-errange thelr schedules. Two July fims have been pushed back to the fall; four were removed from last Friday's slate to avoid a colision with "Waterworld." Three movies scheduled to open Aug. 4 nave been moved to the end of August and early fell, and four movies from Aug. 11 have been pushed back, "We have some great films coming out," says Rocco. " ‘Sudden Death’ is the perfect summer film, We're waiting until the fall. ‘The bottom line is that to open in any significant way, movies need to have some roam to breathe. Ro says the casualties most often are the smaller flms,flims like "Wine Months” or "The Indian in the Cupboard’ that have a one-week opening and then get shoved aside, But she believes that audiences will alvaays find 8 genuinely good small movie and make ita hit, like "Steepless in Seattle," "Fried Green Tomatoes" or this spring's "While You Were Sleeaing." So what will hanpen if "Waterworla” sinks after this weekend? Will studios take another look at the ‘money that’s being spent and perhaps cut back on the number of releases, or at least on the more ambitious vanity projects that always seem to cause trouble? “I don't recall ‘Wyatt Earp! or "The Last Action Hero! having any echoes," says Klady, "No," says Rocco. "We're going to do the same thing next year." ‘Among the top 25 all-time highest grossing movies to date, 14 have besn summer blockbusters, They "The Lion King" 1994 "Forrest Gump” 1994 "Jurassic Park" 1993 “The Fugitive” 1993 “Batman Returns" 1992 “Terminator 2" 1991 Ghost" 1990 "Batman" 1989 "Back to the Future” 1985 "Ghostbusters" 1984 "ET" 1982 “Raiders of the Lost Ark" 1981 “Grease” 1978