Steven Spielberg feared Jaws would end his directing career

In 1974, during the filming of Jaws in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, director Steven Spielberg faced severe production challenges. The film, which was later released in 1975, had a budget that tripled to $9 million and the shooting schedule extended from 55 days to 159 days. This overwhelming experience led Spielberg to have a panic attack after wrapping up the film, believing that Jaws would be the final movie offered to him due to the difficulties experienced. Despite these challenges, Jaws became a significant success, earning over $475 million at the box office and is credited as the first summer blockbuster. This overwhelming pressure left Spielberg with consistent nightmares for years and has led him to reflect on the experience as transformative. Spielberg noted that it was the audience's reception in 1975 that allowed him to continue his filmmaking career, regarding the film's success as a life preserver thrown to him amidst great distress. Decades later, Spielberg emphasizes that the experience of making Jaws remains one of the most rewarding aspects of his career, cementing its place in cinema history and revitalizing his trajectory in Hollywood, leading to the many acclaimed films that followed in his career.