Steven Spielberg Says He Was ‘Surprised’ by Oscar Snub for Jaws as He Looks Back on Classic 50 Years Later

Steven Spielberg Was Surprised by Oscar Snub for Jaws – For Steven Spielberg, making Jaws was an unforgettable — and notoriously stressful — experience. So much so that he thought the ordeal would land him a Best Director nod at the Academy Awards. But as the famed filmmaker recalls in National Geographic’s upcoming documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, he my have counted his chickens (or sharks) a little early.

“When a film is on the cusp of being considered for awards, it’s not so much what you want for yourself — it’s what everyone else says is going to happen for you,” says Spielberg, 78. “So I just understood, ‘I guess I’m getting nominated.’ ”

“So when I wasn’t, I was surprised. And I was disappointed,” he admits. “Because I was believing the noise, and you have to not believe that stuff.”

Despite Spielberg missing out on a Best Director nomination, Jaws was nominated for four Oscars in 1976 and won three, only missing out in the Best Picture category.

John Williams took home Best Original Score for his iconic music, while the shark thriller also clinched trophies for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

As for the biggest awards at the 48th Academy Awards, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest swept the evening, winning Best Picture, Best Director for Miloš Forman, Best Actor for Jack Nicholson and Best Actress for Louise Fletcher.

“Oh yeah, I would’ve One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for Best Picture over Jaws. I would’ve done that,” Spielberg concedes in Jaws @ 50, laughing.

Spielberg, of course, went on to become one of the most revered directors of all time and has notched multiple loops on his Oscars belt, including two Best Director trophies: for Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Directed by Laurent Bouzereau and produced in partnership with Spielberg’s Amblin Documentaries, Jaws @ 50 includes the only interview with Spielberg about the movie’s milestone 50th anniversary.

Other famed directors who appear in the documentary to reflect on Jaws‘ legacy include James Cameron, J.J. Abrams, George Lucas, Jordan Peele and Guillermo del Toro.

Bouzereau tells PEOPLE that making Jaws @ 50 was “totally a dream come true,” as he has “been a Jaws fanatic since it came out” on June 20, 1975.

Of Spielberg, the French filmmaker adds, “He never gave up, and he honored his commitments. And I think that’s a great message for young people today.”

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story premieres July 10 on National Geographic, and is streaming the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

For more on the 50th anniversary of Jaws, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, June 20.

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