How can one define a “cinematic event?” It’s a somewhat subjective, largely relative label; but, in broad terms, an event film is a blockbuster so high-profile that it generates unusual amounts of mainstream buzz upon release, making watching it for the first time in theaters a true “event.” There have been plenty of these throughout the history of blockbusters, but the 2000s in particular saw some of the highest-profile event films in history.
The decade’s biggest cinematic events were mostly sequels and adaptations of popular IPs, but they all managed to feel fresh and exciting enough to bring audiences to watch them on the big screen in droves. From huge legacy sequels to first installments in what would become major franchises, these noteworthy event films are ranked in order of how much hype was generated around their release.
10
‘The Matrix Reloaded’ and ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ (2003)
The Wachowskis took the world by storm in 1999 with The Matrix, one of the most groundbreaking action sci-fi films that the world had ever seen. By the end of that same year, it was public knowledge that the directors would be shooting a couple of sequels back to back: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The public’s hype couldn’t possibly have been higher.
In a rather unprecedented release strategy, Reloaded and Revolutions were released just months from one another. Though praise for them wasn’t as high as the one the original received, all Matrix films are actually really good. These two sequels are full of iconic moments and thrilling set pieces, and the level of anticipation that fans felt in the months building up to their nearly simultaneous release was huge.
9
‘Shrek 2’ (2004)
Shrek became the winner of the first-ever Best Animated Feature Academy Award, and to this day, it’s still remembered as one of the most revolutionary animated films ever made. As such, the bar was high for its sequel. Somehow, Shrek 2 managed to surpass its predecessor in virtually every way imaginable, and today, it remains the best animated sequel of the 21st century.
The expectation was that the movie would be just as much of a cultural tentpole as its predecessor, and that expectation was right. Shrek 2 became the second-highest-grossing animated movie of the 2000s, and for a while, it was the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. It received high praise for its humor and voice performances, and it introduced fan-favorite characters like Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders). Audiences loved it then, and over two decades later, they still do.
8
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl marked the first time that Disney made a truly successful movie adaptation of one of their iconic theme park rides. The franchise that it spawned has seen its highs and lows, but even though critics felt that Dead Man’s Chest was a “low” upon its release, fans today—especially with the benefit of retrospect—couldn’t disagree more.
This sequel is one of the most misunderstood masterpieces of the 2000s, a massive swashbuckling epic with some of the greatest visual effects in history — one single frame of Davy Jones is better than those of many blockbusters produced nowadays, that’s for sure. Following in the terrific excitement that its predecessor generated, but on a far larger scale that audiences appreciated greatly, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest‘s release felt like a true cultural event.
7
‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ (2008)
Born in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the whip-bearing archaeologist Indiana Jones is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters in blockbuster history. When a sequel to 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was announced a whopping 18 years later, fans couldn’t believe that they’d get another chance to watch their childhood hero on the big screen.
Quite famously, the reception for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was less than enthusiastic, though fans have warmed up to it a bit with the passage of time. But while it ended up proving itself to be one of the most disappointing movies of the 21st century so far, there’s no denying that it felt like a true event film. The trailers built up tremendous excitement for Harrison Ford’s return after a nearly twenty-year absence as the popular adventurer, and nostalgic fans ran to theaters to check out the movie once it was released.
6
‘Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith’ (2005)
There’s no need to make introductions for the Star Wars franchise. Anyone familiar with the history of blockbusters, the craft of cinema, or modern pop culture as a whole knows precisely what the galaxy far, far away is all about, even if they’ve never checked out one of its entries. So, anticipation for 1999’s prequel Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace was through the roof, and that was one of the biggest cinematic events of the ’90s. Of its two sequels, the most impactful one is evident: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.
This movie was the momentous closing chapter in the history of Anakin Skywalker, the sci-fi epic that would bridge the gap between the Clone Wars era and the setting of the original trilogy. Fans adored it, and today, it’s by far one of the most nostalgic movies of the 2000s. It was a gargantuan release marked by the tagline “The saga is complete,” giving fans a beautiful sense of closure and a Shakespearean tragedy that has aged like fine wine.
5
‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
Spider-Man was already a huge part of the cultural zeitgeist going into the 21st century, thanks to the comics and shows like Spider-Man: The Animated Series. As such, audiences around the world were thrilled by the idea of a film adaptation directed by none other than Sam Raimi, a cult filmmaker known for the likes of Darkman and the Evil Dead trilogy.
Spider-Man is a joyous celebration of the magic of superheroes that arguably launched the boom that has characterized the genre since then.
Spider-Man lived up to expectations, and then some. Everyone and their grandmother went to see the movie, a joyous celebration of the magic of superheroes that arguably launched the boom that has characterized the genre since then. Though its 2004 sequel may be even more often praised as one of the best superhero movies of the last 100 years, the first Spider-Man is undoubtedly one of the biggest cinematic events in the history of the superhero genre.
4
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)
The Harry Potter books became more than a sensation; they were a cultural landmark. The world was four books into the series when Chris Columbus directed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the long-awaited adaptation of the first book in the saga. The movie’s release was just as massive, if not even more so, than the release of any other Harry Potter book.
For a couple of years, the movie was the second-highest-grossing ever. Needless to say, both fans and non-fans absolutely fell in love with its charming characters, enchanting world, and fun fantasy elements. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone became a pop-cultural beast with an instant legacy and a growing fanbase, and even then, people knew that they were watching what would in the future be remembered as one of 2001’s biggest classics.
3
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
In the history of superhero movies and comic book movies alike, there’s a before The Dark Knight and an after The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan‘s sequel to Batman Begins was a huge event for audiences of all sorts: Comic book nerds, people who had loved the original film in the trilogy, and people who simply enjoyed good action cinema. Today, people still praise it as the greatest comic book movie of all time.
The film was a cultural earthquake that sent shockwaves down the box office, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2008 by a decent margin. Thanks to Nolan’s phenomenal direction, one of the best introductory 10 minutes in the history of action movies, and a standout villain played by an Oscar-winning Heath Ledger, the movie became one of the most beloved cinematic successes of the whole 2000s. Its snub in the Best Picture Oscar category in 2009 was one of the biggest reasons why the Academy expanded its maximum number of nominees in the category to 10 the year after.
2
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
The film that took Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone‘s record as second-highest-grossing film of all time, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was seen as more than just the conclusion to one of the most thrilling trilogies in movie history: It was a major cinematic event in its own right. The ending of the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned itself an admirable 11 Academy Awards (tied with Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most that any film has ever won), and they were all well-deserved.
Everyone wanted to go see what was easily the biggest blockbuster of the 21st century at that point. Word of mouth was exceptional, critical praise was through the roof, and the film’s smashing of box office records wasn’t all that much of a surprise considering how crazy people were going for it. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was a cultural triumph and the biggest cinematic event in the history of the fantasy genre.
1
‘Avatar’ (2009)
It isn’t really close at all. When it comes to talking about the biggest cinematic events in history, let alone the 2000s, there’s a definitive winner whose eventfulness is backed by objective data. After all, Avatar didn’t get to become the highest-grossing movie in history just through a niche audience. Everyone saw James Cameron‘s sci-fi epic at least once in theaters, and the most admirable part? It was an original IP, something very rarely seen among the decade’s biggest blockbusters.
Avatar‘s Pandora became one of the best universes in the sci-fi genre. The production qualities in general received much love from the audience, and the visual effects in particular were marketed as groundbreaking—and very fairly so. There was the James Cameron hype factor, the 3D hype factor, the IMAX hype factor, and the fact that it felt like absolutely everyone at the time was talking about Avatar. Cameron’s gargantuan box-office monster was easily the biggest cinematic event of not just the 2000s, but the 21st century as a whole. It was in theaters for a whopping 54 weeks (one of the longest theatrical runs ever), and when it was re-released in 2022, it smashed the box office yet again.
