Broadway Licensing Global is going to need a bigger boat.

The reason?  The company has announced its acquisition of The Shark is Broken, by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon. Described by The Telegraph as a “profound dive behind the scenes of the making of Jaws”, the crisp 95 minute, three-person play received a highly praised premiere at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019. It has since gone on to widely celebrated runs on London’s West End and a recently closed run, on Broadway.

“The Shark is Broken is an equal-parts hilarious and moving story about the making of one of the most celebrated films of all time,” says Ted Chapin, Interim Chief Executive Officer of BLG. “Moreover, the fact that the play was co-written by Ian adds an authenticity to the tale which makes it all the more remarkable.”  Ian Shaw, who also starred in the show’s original stage run, is the son of the late stage and screen actor, Robert Shaw, who, in 1975, starred in the groundbreaking Stephen Spielberg-directed movie, Jaws.

Produced for only $12 million, and originally opening on 409 screens, Jaws immediately became the first global cinematic blockbuster.  According to The Numbers, when combined with its original theatrical release and continued re-releases, gross ticket revenue for Jaws has surged past $483 million worldwide – over 40 times its original budget.  Even for those who have never seen Jaws, says The Wall Street Journal, The Shark is Broken is “perfect late-summer entertainment if you want to stay away from the ocean.”

In the past seven years, BLG has evolved from a startup with 900 titles to a dominant force representing more than 8,000 titles. This remarkable increase of 789% has established BLG as the world’s fastest expanding catalog for live stage plays and musicals across the globe.

The Shark is Broken is represented by the prestigious BLG imprint, Dramatists Play Service, and is currently, available for professional licensing.