The rise of the summer blockbuster season in North America (1975-1999)

1. Jaws opens with a wide national rollout

   Jun 20, 1975Labels: Jaws, Universal Pictures

   • AFI Catalog
   • Jaws film

2. Star Wars launches in late May theaters

   May 25, 1977Labels: Star Wars, George Lucas

   • AFI Catalog
   • Star Wars film

3. Superman shows blockbuster-scale marketing power

   Dec 15, 1978Labels: Superman, Warner Bros

   • Superman 1978

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark opens wide in June

   Jun 12, 1981Labels: Raiders of, Steven Spielberg

   • Raiders film

5. E.T. becomes the season’s defining family hit

   Jun 11, 1982Labels: E T, Universal Pictures

   • E T film

6. Return of the Jedi anchors a planned May release

   May 25, 1983Labels: Return of, Star Wars

   • Return of Jedi

7. Ghostbusters proves summer comedy can be an event

   Jun 8, 1984Labels: Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures

   • AFI Catalog
   • Ghostbusters

8. PG-13 rating debuts, reshaping summer targeting

   Jul 1, 1984Labels: MPAA, PG-13 rating

   • History com

9. Top Gun opens in mid-May, ahead of the holiday

   May 16, 1986Labels: Top Gun, Paramount Pictures

   • Top Gun

10. Batman ignites “Batmania” with massive tie-ins

    Jun 23, 1989Labels: Batman, Warner Bros

    • Batman 1989
    • LA Times

11. Jurassic Park pairs June release with huge marketing

    Jun 11, 1993Labels: Jurassic Park, Universal Pictures

    • Jurassic Park

12. The Lion King uses limited-to-wide summer rollout

    Jun 24, 1994Labels: The Lion, Disney

    • Lion King
    • Box Office Mojo

13. Independence Day turns July 4 into a blockbuster frame

    Jul 3, 1996Labels: Independence Day, July 4

    • Independence Day

14. Titanic’s winter release dominates 1998 box office

    Dec 19, 1997Labels: Titanic, James Cameron

    • Titanic film
    • UPI Archives

15. The Blair Witch Project scales from limited to wide

    Jul 30, 1999Labels: The Blair, Sundance

    • Blair Witch