Wendy Benchley reflects on ‘Jaws’’ lasting impact, shark conservation, and the new documentary celebrating 50 years of the iconic film and its ocean legacy.
“I think the legacy of ‘Jaws’ is that interest in sharks has continued for 50 years, and I hope it will continue for another 50,” Benchley says of the film’s legacy as it marked its 50th anniversary in June.
In this interview, Wendy Benchley, widow of ‘Jaws’ author Peter Benchley and executive producer on ‘Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,’ discusses the film’s enduring cultural influence and its unexpected role in promoting shark conservation. She shares her perspective with Awards Focus on the surge of interest in marine science sparked immediately after the film’s release, addresses the challenges of combating shark fear and hunting, and expresses pride in how the new documentary expands the story to highlight ocean health. Benchley emphasizes the importance of sharks for a balanced ecosystem and encourages people to appreciate and respect the ocean as their domain.
‘Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story’ is the only authorized documentary marking the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking film. Produced by Amblin Documentaries and Nedland Films in collaboration with Wendy Benchley and Laura Bowling, the film features exclusive interviews, rare footage from Spielberg’s and the Benchley family’s personal archives, and reflections from original cast, crew, and modern filmmakers influenced by ‘Jaws.’ It dives deep into the production chaos, emotional toll, and cultural legacy of the first summer blockbuster—reframing the “Jaws effect” as one of wonder and conservation rather than fear.
‘Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story’ will have its TV premiere on July 10, at 9/8c on National Geographic and will be available to stream the following day, July 11, on Disney+ and Hulu. If you have the digital copy of Jaws on Movies Anywhere, the film was automatically added to the ‘Jaws’ bonus features when the 50th anniversary edition was released on June 17.
It’s so nice to meet you today. How are you doing?
Wendy Benchley: Thank you. Very well. I’m pleased to meet you.
The film, ‘Jaws,’ is turning 50 years old this week and remains very much a pop culture phenomenon. What do you think Peter would make of this week?
Benchley: I think he would be very proud and thrilled that Jaws continues to have such popularity and interest and continues to keep the focus on sharks and how important they are to the health of the ocean.
Did you all have any idea that the film would have the impact that it did when it opened in June 1975?
Benchley: We absolutely were stunned at how successful it was and thrilled because Spielberg put in four or five really, really tough months making it and he did such a brilliant job. So bravo to him and bravo to the National Geographic for doing this documentary about ‘Jaws’ on the 50th because the documentary goes into not only the superb job that Spielberg did and the magic of the movie, but also into the positive effect of Jaws and Peter and my work in ocean conservation so that’s very exciting for me.
Yeah. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the film, just given how much has been said about ‘Jaws’ over the years. I was like, what else is new that you could bring to the story of the making of the film that we haven’t already heard? And then as I’m watching it, we’re getting this whole angle of conservation that I definitely was not expecting to be part of the story.
Benchley: Well, I’m so pleased that it is part of the story, and that you’re pointing out that that makes this documentary into a completely new documentary about ‘Jaws.’ Laurent Bouzereau knew that that would be fascinating to people, because he actually did an earlier documentary about Jaws, and then he followed Peter and me and our conservation work and came to me and said, I would love to do this kind of a movie. I give him gold stars for this and for his dedication and talent in putting it together.
Yeah. I cannot say that I’m surprised by ‘Jaws’ leading to an increase in fear of sharks or shark hunting.
Benchley: Yeah, that horrified Peter and me and why people took a fictional film and decided it was a license to kill sharks. I’m so pleased. I mean, I actually fought against the shark tournaments and they did die off.
But there was immediate uptick in shark science and interest in sharks. And as I say to people at the University of Miami—the Rosenstiel School—there was a 30% increase in applications for marine science right after Jaws so it didn’t take 20 or 30 years for that interest to happen. It happened right away. People wanted to be Hooper, right? But also families, school teachers, and scientists from around the world wrote Peter letters saying how fascinated they were in the movie, in sharks, how much excitement it gave them, and they wanted to learn more.
If you were to sum up the lasting legacy of ‘Jaws,’ what would it be?
Benchley: I think the legacy of ‘Jaws’ is that interest in sharks has continued for 50 years, and I hope it will continue for another 50. So bravo to Steven Spielberg and to my husband Peter for having written the book, and Spielberg for doing the movie, and for the National Geographic for doing this documentary that I think will keep interest going. We need sharks for a healthy ocean.
Is it safe to get back in the water?
Benchley: (Laughs) Sharks have always been there. They didn’t appear in the ocean because of Jaws. They’ve always been there and people have always been swimming with them.
And in fact, 50 years ago when you swam, there were 100% more sharks than there are now in the ocean, so yes, it’s safe to go in the water. You have to be cautious and be smart, but please swim, enjoy the ocean, but remember it’s the shark’s ocean, not ours.