25-foot 'Jaws' shark dives into upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures as opening day swims nearer
You're gonna need a bigger... museum?
As its opening date nears, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has a killer new installation within its permanent collection: the last surviving full-scale shark model from Steven Spielberg's 1975 Oscar-winning film "Jaws."
A week-long installation process wrapped on Friday, the academy announced in a news release Monday. The 25-foot, 1208-pound shark, nicknamed Bruce (after Spielberg's lawyer) hangs from the third floor above escalators, where guests can view it through the window before entering and from several points within the museum.
"It’s been a long journey for Bruce since he was acquired in 2016, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him to his new home,” said Bill Kramer, Director and President of the Academy Museum, in a statement. “We look forward to our opening when museum visitors can engage with our exhibitions, experience our beautiful Renzo Piano-designed building, and come face to face with one of the most iconic characters in film history."
Bruce is the fourth and only surviving version of the shark model "derived from the original Jaws mold," according to the museum. It originally had tenure at Universal Studios Hollywood until 1990, when it moved to the Adlen Brothers Auto Wrecking firm in Sun Valley, California. The business closed in 2016 and owner Nathan Adlen donated the shark to the Academy Museum. It has since undergone a 7-month restoration process thanks to years of wear and tear from sitting outside.
The museum, previously slated to open in 2018, is now scheduled for opening day on April 30, 2021.
Other props in the Academy Museum's collection include an underwater apparatus and fin used in "Jaws" and "Jaws II," plus Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" and 10,000 other production drawings, costumes, props and film equipment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Jaws' shark to be displayed at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
