The Original Shark From JAWS Has Been Restored For The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
I’m sure you are all aware of the nickname that was given to the main shark prop that was used in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, but if you don’t… it was Bruce. Bruce is the only surviving shark prop from the 1975 film and it has been restored for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
According to THR, Bruce has been “fully transformed.” The only details awaiting to be added are eyes and teeth. You can see photos of the various stages of the the restoration below thanks to special effects artist Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead). It was his team at studio KNB EFX, and the Academy Museum conservation team that brought Bruce back to life.
Just in time for the 44th anniversary of #Jaws (1975)...🦈
— Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (@AcademyMuseum) June 20, 2019
An update on Bruce the shark's restoration! Special effects legend @G_Nicotero, his studio KNB EFX, and the #AcademyMuseum conservation team have fully transformed this undersea giant.
Photos by Greg Nicotero. pic.twitter.com/np2SEzPkld
There are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories of the making of Jaws and how the production was plagued with issues, most of those issues came from the mechanical sharks constantly malfunctioning. I can only imagine that seeing this Shark again after all these years would bring back the frustrations and panic attacks that Spielberg must have experienced while shooting the film!
Before Bruce ended up in the museum, it was displayed at a junkyard after the studio scrapped it in 2016. Thankfully, the shark is now being taken care of properly.
Fans won’t be able to see the shark until after the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens the museum, which won’t happen before the 92nd Academy Awards on in 2020. So we’ve got a while to wait.