The following is an overview of events in 2006, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Pixar celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006 with the release of its 7th film,
''Cars''.
Evaluation of the year
Philip French
Philip Neville French (28 August 1933 – 27 October 2015) was an English film critic and radio producer. French began his career in journalism in the late 1950s, before eventually becoming a BBC Radio producer, and later a film critic. H ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described 2006 as "an outstanding year for British cinema". He went on to emphasize, "Six of our well-established directors have made highly individual films of real distinction:
Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom (born 29 March 1961) is an English film director. He began his career working in British television before moving into features. Three of his films—''Welcome to Sarajevo'', ''Wonderland (1999 film), Wonderland'' and ''24 ...
's ''
A Cock and Bull Story'',
Ken Loach
Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...
's
Palme d'Or
The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
winner ''
The Wind That Shakes the Barley'',
Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
's ''
The Prestige'',
Stephen Frears
Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...
's ''
The Queen'',
Paul Greengrass's ''
United 93'' and
Nicholas Hytner's ''
The History Boys''. Two young directors made confident debuts, both offering a jaundiced view of contemporary Britain:
Andrea Arnold's Red Road and Paul Andrew Williams's London to Brighton. In addition the gifted Mexican
Alfonso Cuaron came here to make the dystopian thriller ''
Children of Men''." He also stated, "In the (United) States,
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
of ''
The Sixth Sense'' fame fell flat on his over-confident face with ''
Lady in the Water'', but
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's ''
The Departed
''The Departed'' is a 2006 crime film, crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both an English-language remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-lif ...
'' was his best for years, and he was with
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
at last. Apart from that, the best American films were political (''
Syriana
''Syriana'' is a 2005 American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, loosely based on Robert Baer's 2003 memoir '' See No Evil''. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wr ...
'', ''
Good Night, and Good Luck'',
''The New World'') or very personal (''
Little Miss Sunshine
''Little Miss Sunshine'' is a 2006 American tragicomedy road movie, road film directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (in their directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Michael Arndt. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of G ...
'',
''Little Children'', ''
The Squid and the Whale''). Sadly,
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
's
9/11 picture
''World Trade Center'' was neither. Asian cinema produced a string of elegant thrillers and horror flicks. The best Eastern European movie was ''
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu'', a devastating look at the Romania Ceausescu left behind him. Most of the best Western European films came from France, with
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, Ge ...
's ''
Caché'', proving the most widely discussed art-house puzzle picture since ''
Last Year at Marienbad''. The award of 18 certificates by the BBFC to Shortbus and Destricted has brought close the abolition of censorship, but not of classification, and
Ang Lee
Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
's ''
Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from Brokeback Mountain (short story), the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx, the screenplay ...
'' was a real step forward for the representation of homosexuals in mainstream cinema, though
Gore Vidal
Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...
claims that there's a gay subtext to every western. However, the year's most extraordinary event, or conjunction, was the almost simultaneous release of
Tommy Lee Jones's directorial debut ''
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'' and
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
's documentary ''
An Inconvenient Truth''. Who would have predicted in the Sixties, when they were roommates at Harvard and used by
Erich Segal as joint models for Oliver Barrett IV in ''
Love Story'', that both Jones and Gore would end up as movie stars - if, in Gore's case, accidentally and temporarily?"
Highest-grossing films
The top 10 films released in 2006 by worldwide gross are as follows:
Box office records
*
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
grossed more than in annual worldwide box office revenue for the first time in its history.
* ''
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' became the third film in cinema history to gross over $1 billion and is the
43rd highest-grossing film of all time.
Events
Awards
2006 films
By country/region
*
List of American films of 2006
*
List of Argentine films of 2006
*
List of Australian films of 2006
*
List of Bangladeshi films of 2006
*
List of Bengali films of 2006
*
List of Bollywood films of 2006
*
List of Brazilian films of 2006
*
List of British films of 2006
*
List of Canadian films of 2006
*
List of Chinese films of 2006
*
List of French films of 2006
*
List of Hong Kong films of 2006
*
List of Italian films of 2006
*
List of Japanese films of 2006
*
List of Kannada films of 2006
*
List of Malayalam films of 2006
*
List of Mexican films of 2006
*
List of Pakistani films of 2006
*
List of Russian films of 2006
*
List of South Korean films of 2006
This is a complete list of Cinema of Korea, South Korean films that received a domestic theatrical release in 2006.
Source for release dates and box-office admission results (except where cited otherwise): ''Koreanfilm.org''.
Box office
The high ...
*
List of Spanish films of 2006
*
List of Tamil films of 2006
*
List of Telugu films of 2006
By genre/medium
*
List of action films of 2006
*
List of animated feature films of 2006
*
List of avant-garde films of 2006
*
List of crime films of 2006
*
List of comedy films of 2006
*
List of drama films of 2006
*
List of horror films of 2006
*
List of science fiction films of 2006
*
List of thriller films of 2006
Births
* March 1 -
Julian Grey, American actor
* April 20 -
Kailia Posey, American actress and reality television show contestant (died 2022)
* April 22 -
Nathanael Saleh, English actor
* April 28 -
Kiawentiio, Canadian-American actress
* April 29 -
Xochitl Gomez, American actress
* May 6 -
Aryan Simhadri, American actor
* May 22 -
Mattea Conforti, American actress
* June 25 –
Mckenna Grace, American actress
* June 29 -
Sam Lavagnino, American voice actor and YouTuber
* July 8 –
Isabella Sermon, English actress
* July 12 –
Kevin Vechiatto, Brazilian actor
* July 19 -
Beau Gadsdon, British actress
* August 5 - Elle McKinnon, Canadian actress
* September 7 -
Ian Chen, American actor
* September 12
**
Alexander Molony, British actor
**
Zackary Arthur, American actor
* September 17 -
Ella Jay Basco
Ella Jay Basco (born September 17, 2006) is an American actress best known for her work in ''Birds of Prey (2020 film), Birds of Prey'' (2020). In 2020, she released an EP, ''Middle School''. In February 2022, she released her single Eye to Eye ...
, American actress
* October 1 -
Priah Ferguson, American actress
* October 5 –
Jacob Tremblay, Canadian actor
* December 6 -
Millie Davis, Canadian actress
* December 9 -
Pixie Davies, English actress
* December 18 -
Malia Baker, Canadian actress
Deaths
Film debuts
*
David Ajala – ''
Kidulthood''
*
Dianna Agron
Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. List of Dianna Agron performances, Her work spans screen and stage, and her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and nomination for a Brit Award. Agron bega ...
– ''
When a Stranger Calls''
*
Moisés Arias – ''
Nacho Libre''
*
Dave Bautista – ''
Relative Strangers''
*
Leïla Bekhti – ''
Sheitan''
*
Mario Casas
Mario Casas Sierra (born 12 June 1986) is a Spanish film and television actor. Known for his roles in Spanish cinema and television, he has received various accolades including a Goya Award, a Gaudí Award, and three Feroz Awards.
In 2006, ...
– ''
Summer Rain''
*
Justin Chon – ''Fleetwood''
*
Common
Common may refer to:
As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin.
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Com ...
– ''
Smokin' Aces''
*
Ana de Armas – ''
Virgin Rose''
*
Scott Eastwood – ''
Flags of Our Fathers''
*
Verónica Echegui – ''
My Name Is Juani''
*
Greta Fernández – ''
Fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
''
*
Greta Gerwig – ''
LOL''
*
Bill Hader
William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...
– ''
Doogal''
*
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Maria Hall (born 3 May 1982) is an English actress and director. She made her first onscreen appearance at the age of 10 in the 1992 The Camomile Lawn (TV serial), television adaptation of ''The Camomile Lawn'', directed by her father, ...
– ''
Starter for 10''
*
Scott Haze – ''
Danny Roane: First Time Director''
*
Sandra Hüller – ''
Requiem''
*
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor, martial artist and model. He made his film debut in '' Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has ...
– ''
Stick It''
*
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone (; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She is India's highest-paid actress, as of 2023, and List of awards and nominations received by Deepika Padukone, her accolades include thre ...
– ''
Aishwarya''
*
Imogen Poots
Imogen Gay Poots (born 3 June 1989) is an English actress. She played Tammy in the post-apocalyptic horror film ''28 Weeks Later'' (2007), Linda Keith in the Jimi Hendrix biopic ''Jimi: All Is by My Side'' (2013), Debbie Raymond in the Paul Ray ...
– ''
V for Vendetta
''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (comics), David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing Serial (li ...
''
*
Andrea Riseborough – ''
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
''
*
Evan Ross – ''
ATL''
*
Xavier Samuel – ''
2:37''
*
Léa Seydoux
Léa Hélène Seydoux-Fornier de Clausonne (; born 1 July 1985) is a French actress. Prolific in both French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood, she has received five César Award nominations, two Lumière Awards, a Palme d'Or a ...
– ''
Girlfriends''
*
Olivia Thirlby
Olivia Jo Thirlby (born October 6, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Leah in the comedy-drama film '' Juno'' (2007),Louie, Rebecca (June 28, 2008).Olivia Thirlby is smoking in 'The Wackness'". '' Daily News''. Retr ...
– ''
United 93''
*
Tessa Thompson – ''
When a Stranger Calls''
*
Adriana Ugarte – ''
Doghead''
*
Mia Wasikowska – ''
Suburban Mayhem''
References
External links
Box Office Mojo film release schedule.List of 2006 filmsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
2006 Domestic Grossesat
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
List of 2006 deathsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
List of 2006 birthsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
{{Portal bar, Film
Film by year