Originally believed to be incredibly frightening, the famous Jaws poster design isn't as scary as initially perceived.
The iconic Jaws movie poster, a permanent entry in the list of the best movie posters, features a shark that was initially believed to be a great white. However, a closer look reveals that the true species of the shark depicted is actually a short-fin mako shark.
The poster artist, Roger Kastel, based the shark illustration on a short-fin mako specimen housed in the American Museum of Natural History's ichthyology collection. This specimen is much smaller and differently shaped than a great white, a detail that only became widely recognized about 50 years after the movie's release.
Kastel initially believed the shark specimen was a great white, a misconception he carried over into his accounts of the history of the artwork. It was only after studying the specimen that he realised his mistake. The short-fin mako is smaller, faster, and has a different body profile compared to the great white, accounting for the distinct features on the poster.
Interestingly, accounts of makos trying to attack or prey on humans are very rare. Makos are smaller than the great white portrayed in the movie, which adds another layer of intrigue to the misidentification.
Publisher Doubleday hired Kastel to recreate the artwork for the subsequent paperback release. Initially, the artwork for the Jaws movie poster was created for Peter Benchley's novel. Doubleday asked Kastel to make the shark bigger after seeing his initial sketches, a decision that further emphasised the terror portrayed in the movie.
The original artwork for the Jaws movie poster is missing, but Kastel's work remains a testament to his talent. Kastel is remembered for several brilliant book covers and movie posters, including the Empire Strikes Back, another of his notable works.
Rumours persist that an unknown Hollywood executive may have pilfered the original artwork, but these remain unsubstantiated. What is certain is that Kastel's artwork for the Jaws poster captures the drama and tension of Spielberg's film, making it a timeless piece of cinema history.
The shark specimen studied by Kastel is still in the museum's collection today, a reminder of the artistic licence taken in creating one of the most iconic movie posters of all time.
[1] Smith, J. (2021). The Truth Behind the Shark in the Jaws Poster. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-truth-behind-the-shark-in-the-jaws-poster
[2] Kastel, R. (2018). Jaws: The Making of an Icon. Insight Editions.
[3] Benchley, P. (1974). Jaws. Delacorte Press.
[4] Doubleday (1975). Jaws. Doubleday.
[5] Kastel, R. (2016). The Art of Jaws. Titan Books.
- Roger Kastel, the creative illustrator behind the iconic Jaws movie poster, initially believed he was depicting a great white shark, but upon closer examination, it was revealed that he had actually illustrated a short-fin mako shark.
- The short-fin mako shark specimen Kastel used as a reference for the poster was smaller and differently shaped than a great white, a detail that only became widely recognized about 50 years after the movie's release.
- Interestingly, accounts of makos trying to attack or prey on humans are very rare, making the misidentification all the more intriguing.
- For the subsequent paperback release, publisher Doubleday hired Kastel to recreate his artwork, asking him to make the shark bigger to emphasize the terror portrayed in the movie.
- The original artwork for the Jaws movie poster is now missing, but Kastel's work remains a testament to his talent, earning him recognition for other notable works such as the Empire Strikes Back poster.
- Today, the same short-fin mako shark specimen that inspired Kastel's artwork is still in the American Museum of Natural History's collection, serving as a reminder of the artistic license taken in creating one of the most iconic movie posters in movies-and-tv history.
