‘Jaws’ Re-Release Takes a Bite Out of Jennifer Lawrence’s $661 Million Sci-Fi Novel Adaptation

Steven Spielberg’s landmark hit Jaws has officially turned 50, with a re-release of the film now lurking in the mysterious waters of modern cinema. Across the most recent box office weekend, the re-release incredibly finished second in the domestic rankings with a total of $8.1 million over the three days. This helped the movie outperform the weekend’s two new eye-catching titles: Darren Aronofsky‘s pulse-racing Caught Stealing and Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman‘s biting comedy reimagining, The Roses.

However, perhaps its biggest accomplishment, following a Monday, September 1, haul of $1.73 million, has been moving higher in the all-time ranks, now sitting at #129. In doing so, Jaws has taken a bite out of a movie forty years its junior and from one of the 21st century’s biggest franchises. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 earned a domestic haul of $281.7 million back in 2015, with Jaws having now surpassed that with a total of $282.1 million. In global revenue, Jaws has earned an astonishing $492.8 million, which, adjusted for inflation, would be roughly $1.5 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

In the top 200 of all-time, Jaws is one of just two to come from the 1970s, with the other unsurprisingly Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. However, with the George Lucas classic releasing in 1977, that makes Jaws the oldest title in the top 200. With 50 years having passed, it is still just as important as ever, with its influential role in birthing the modern blockbuster still felt today. Arguably, cinema wouldn’t have franchises like the MCU without Jaws proving that tentpole summer releases could prove undeniably popular. For those who have never seen Jaws, who should make the most of the movie being back in theaters, here’s a look at the synopsis:

“When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.”

Jaws is back in theaters for its 50th anniversary. Stay tuned to Collider for more box office stories.