Fantasy films are films that belong to the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

genre with fantastic themes, usually

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

events,

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, or exotic

fantasy world A fantasy world is a world created for/from fictional media, such as literature, film or games. Typical fantasy worlds involve magic or magical abilities, nonexistent technology and, sometimes, either a historical or futuristic theme. Some wor ...

s. The

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

is considered a form of

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, na ...

alongside

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

s and

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s, although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic,

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary. Prevalent elements include fairies,

angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

mermaids In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

, witches,

monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...

, wizards,

unicorns The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicor ...

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

talking animals Talking may refer to: * Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk'' * Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion Other uses * "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007 * "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983 * "Talking", a son ...

ogres An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes " ...

trolls A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

white magic White magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for selfless purposes. Practitioners of white magic have been given titles such as wise men or women, healers Alternative medicine is any practice that aims t ...

gnomes A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its character ...

, vampires,

werewolves In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

, ghosts, demons, dwarves,

giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) *Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'gi ...

goblins A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

or magical objects,

familiars In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (sometimes referred to as familiar spirits) were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic. According to r ...

curses A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular ...

and other enchantments, worlds involving magic, and the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Subgenres

Several sub-categories of fantasy films can be identified, although the delineations between these subgenres, much as in fantasy literature, are somewhat fluid. The most common fantasy subgenres depicted in movies are

High Fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...

and Sword and Sorcery. Both categories typically employ quasi-medieval settings, wizards, magical creatures and other elements commonly associated with fantasy stories. High Fantasy films tend to feature a more richly developed fantasy world, and may also be more character-oriented or thematically complex. Often, they feature a hero of humble origins and a clear distinction between good and evil set against each other in an epic struggle. Many scholars cite

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

's ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' novel as the prototypical modern example of High Fantasy in literature, and the recent

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

of the books is a good example of the High Fantasy subgenre on the silver screen. Sword and Sorcery movies tend to be more plot-driven than high fantasy and focus heavily on action sequences, often pitting a physically powerful but unsophisticated warrior against an evil wizard or other supernaturally endowed enemy. Although Sword and Sorcery films sometimes describe an epic battle between good and evil similar to those found in many High Fantasy movies, they may alternately present the hero as having more immediate motivations, such as the need to protect a vulnerable maiden or village, or even being driven by the desire for vengeance. The 1982 film adaptation of Robert E. Howard's ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'', for example, is a personal (non-epic) story concerning the hero's quest for revenge and his efforts to thwart a single megalomaniac—while saving a beautiful princess in the process. Some critics refer to such films by the term

Sword and Sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budge ...

rather than Sword and Sorcery, although others would maintain that the Sword and Sandal label should be reserved only for the subset of fantasy films set in ancient times on the planet Earth, and still others would broaden the term to encompass films that have no fantastic elements whatsoever. To some, the term Sword and Sandal has pejorative connotations, designating a film with a low-quality script, bad acting, and poor production values. Another important subgenre of fantasy films that has become more popular in recent years is

contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy, also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy. Strictly, supernatural fiction c ...

. Such films feature magical effects or supernatural occurrences happening in the "real" world of today.

Films with live action and animation This is a list of films with live-action and animation, films that combine live action and animated elements, typically interacting. Shorts by decade 1900s * 1900 – '' The Enchanted Drawing'' 1910s * 1914 – '' Gertie the Dinosaur'' * 1917 ...

such as

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'', '' Pete's Dragon'', '' Enchanted'', and the Robert Zemeckis film ''

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American live-action/animated comedy mystery film directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by Frank Marshall and Robert Watts, and loosely adapted by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman from Gary K. Wolf's 1 ...

'' are also fantasy films although are more often referred to as Live action/animation hybrids (2 of those are also classified as musicals). Fantasy films set in the

afterlife The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...

, called

Bangsian Fantasy Bangsian fantasy is a fantasy genre which concerns the use of the afterlife as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact. It is named for John Kendrick Bangs (1 ...

, are less common, although films such as the 1991

Albert Brooks Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein ; July 22, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's '' Broadcast News'' and was widely praised for his performance as a ...

comedy ''

Defending Your Life ''Defending Your Life'' is a 1991 American romantic comedy- fantasy film about a man who finds himself on trial in the afterlife, where proceedings examine his lifelong fears, to determine whether he'll be (yet again) reincarnated on Earth. W ...

'' would likely qualify. Other uncommon subgenres include

Historical Fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthu ...

and

Romantic Fantasy Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre. One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, ...

, although 2003's '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' successfully incorporated elements of both. As noted above, superhero movies and fairy tale films might each be considered subgenres of fantasy films, although most would classify them as altogether separate movie genres.

Fantasy movies and the film industry

As a cinematic genre, fantasy has traditionally not been regarded as highly as the related gee of science fiction film. Undoubtedly, the fact that until recently fantasy films often suffered from the "

" afflictions of inferior production values, over-the-top acting, and decidedly poor special effects was a significant factor in fantasy film's low regard. Since the early 2000s, however, the genre has gained new respectability in a way, driven principally by the successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's ''

'' and

J.K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...

's ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' series. Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy is notable due to its ambitious scope, serious tone, and thematic complexity. These pictures achieved phenomenal commercial and critical success, and the third installment of the trilogy became the first fantasy film ever to win the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

. The ''Harry Potter'' series has been a tremendous financial success, has achieved critical acclaim for its design, thematic sophistication and emotional depth, grittier realism and darkness, narrative complexity, and characterization, and boasts an enormous and loyal fanbase. Following the success of these ventures, Hollywood studios have greenlighted additional big-budget productions in the genre. These have included adaptations of the first, second, and third books in

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...

' ''

The Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been adapted for radio, tele ...

'' series and the teen novel ''

Eragon ''Eragon'' is the first book in ''The Inheritance Cycle'' by American fantasy writer Christopher Paolini. Paolini, born in 1983, began writing the novel after graduating from home school at the age of fifteen. After writing the first draft for a ...

'', as well as adaptations of

Susan Cooper Susan Mary Cooper (born 23 May 1935) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for '' The Dark Is Rising'', a contemporary fantasy series set in England and Wales, which incorporates British mythology such as the Arthurian le ...

's '' The Dark Is Rising'',

Cornelia Funke Cornelia Maria Funke () (born 10 December 1958) is a German author of children's fiction. Born in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, she began her career as a social worker before becoming a book illustrator. She began writing novels in the late 19 ...

's ''

Inkheart ''Inkheart'' (german: Tintenherz) is a 2003 young adult fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke, and the first book of the ''Inkheart'' series, which was continued with ''Inkspell'' (2005) and ''Inkdeath'' (2007). The novel won the 2004 BookSense Boo ...

'',

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy ''His Dark Materials'' and ''The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ'', a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, ''The ...

's ''

The Golden Compass ''Northern Lights'' (titled ''The Golden Compass'' in North America and some other countries) is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Be ...

'',

Holly Black Holly Black (''née'' Riggenbach; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. ...

's ''

The Spiderwick Chronicles ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spid ...

'', Nickelodeon's TV show ''

Avatar: The Last Airbender ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (abbreviated as ''ATLA''), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in some regions or simply ''Avatar'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and ...

'', and the ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

'' segment (along with

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...

's original poem) ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving ...

'' Many fantasy movies starting in the 2000s, such as ''The Lord of the Rings'' films, the first and third ''Narnia'' adaptations, and the first, second, fourth and seventh ''Harry Potter'' adaptations have most often been released in November and December. This is in contrast to science fiction films, which are often released during the northern hemisphere summer (June–August). All three installments of the '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' fantasy films, however, were released in July 2003, July 2006, and May 2007 respectively, and the latest releases in the ''Harry Potter'' series were released in July 2007 and July 2009. The huge commercial success of these pictures may indicate a change in Hollywood's approach to big-budget fantasy film releases. Screenwriter and scholar Eric R. Williams identifies fantasy films as one of eleven super-genres in his screenwriters’ taxonomy, claiming that all feature length narrative films can be classified by these super-genres. The other ten super-genres are

Action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

, Crime, Horror,

Romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

Science Fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

, Slice of Life, Sports, Thriller, War and Western.Williams, Eric R. (2017). ''The screenwriters taxonomy : a roadmap to collaborative storytelling''. New York, NY: Routledge Studies in Media Theory and Practice. . . P. 21

History

Fantasy films have a history almost as old as the medium itself. However, fantasy films were relatively few and far between until the

1980s File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...

, when high-tech filmmaking techniques and increased audience interest caused the genre to flourish. What follows are some notable Fantasy films. For a more complete list see: List of fantasy films

1900–1920s

In the era of

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

, the earliest fantasy films were those made by French film pioneer Georges Méliès from 1903. The most famous of these was 1902's '' A Trip to the Moon''. In the

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

of Silent film (1918–1926) the most outstanding fantasy films were

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

' '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924),

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

's ''

Die Nibelungen ''Die Nibelungen'' ("The Nibelungs") is a two-part series of silent fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924, consisting of ''Die Nibelungen: Siegfried'' and ''Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge''. The scenarios for bo ...

'' (1924), and ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'' (1921). Other notables in the genre were F.W. Murnau's romantic ghost story ''

Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...

'', ''

Tarzan of the Apes ''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released as a novel in June ...

'' starring

Elmo Lincoln Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 an ...

, and D. W. Griffith's ''

The Sorrows of Satan ''The Sorrows of Satan'' is an 1895 Faustian novel by Marie Corelli. It is widely regarded as one of the world's first best-sellers – partly due to an upheaval in the system British libraries used to purchase their books, and partly due to its ...

''.

1930s

Following the advent of

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

s, audiences of all ages were introduced from 1937's ''

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

'' to 1939's '' The Wizard of Oz''. Also notable of the era, the iconic 1933 film ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' borrows heavily from the

Lost World The lost world is a subgenre of the fantasy or science fiction genres that involves the discovery of an unknown Earth civilization. It began as a subgenre of the late- Victorian adventure romance and remains popular into the 21st century. The ...

subgenre of fantasy fiction as does such films as the 1935 adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's novel ''

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

'' about an African expedition that discovers an immortal queen known as Ayesha "She who must be obeyed". Frank Capra's 1937 picture ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...

'' transported audiences to the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

n fantasy kingdom of

Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel '' Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ...

, where the residents magically never age. Other noteworthy fantasy films of the 30s include ''

Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to * Tarzan, a fictional character * ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...

'' in 1932 starring

Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...

starting a successful series of talking pictures based on the fantasy-adventure novels by

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

and the

G. W. Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

directed '' The Mistress of Atlantis'' from 1932. 1932 saw the release of the

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

monster movie ''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...

'' which combined horror with a romantic fantasy twist. more light-hearted and comedic affairs from the decade include films like 1934s romantic drama film ''

Death Takes a Holiday ''Death Takes a Holiday'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. It is based on the 1924 Italian play ''La morte in vacanza'' by Alberto Casella (1891–1957), as adapted in English ...

'' where

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...

plays Death who takes a human body to experience life for three days and 1937s '' Topper'' where a man is haunted by two fun-loving ghosts who try to make his life a little more exciting.

1940s

The 1940s then saw several full-color fantasy films produced by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940), a film on par with ''The Wizard of Oz'', and ''

Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...

'' (1942). In 1946,

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...

's classic adaptation of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' won praise for its

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

elements and for transcending the boundaries of the

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

genre. ''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghdad ...

'' (1947), starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., has the feel of a fantasy film though it does not actually have any

fantastic The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces. Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, charac ...

elements. Several other pictures featuring supernatural encounters and aspects of Bangsian fantasy were produced in the 1940s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. These include '' Beyond Tomorrow'', ''

The Devil and Daniel Webster "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1936) is a short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. He tells of a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is later defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the noted 19th-c ...

'', and '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'', all from 1941, '' Heaven Can Wait'' the musical '' Cabin in the Sky'' (1943), the comedy ''

The Horn Blows at Midnight ''The Horn Blows at Midnight'' is a 1945 comedy fantasy film directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Jack Benny. Following its poor box-office, Benny often exploited the film's failure for laughs over the next 20 years in his radio and television c ...

'' and romances such as ''

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' is a 1947 American romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. I ...

'' (1947), ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

'' and ''

Portrait of Jennie ''Portrait of Jennie'' is a 1948 American fantasy film based on the 1940 novella by Robert Nathan. The film was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick. It stars Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. At the 21st Academy A ...

'', both 1948. An astonishing anticipation of the full "sword and sorcery" genre was made in 1941 in Italy by Alessandro Blasetti. ''La Corona di Ferro'' presents the struggles of two imaginary kingdoms around the legendary Iron Crown (historically the ancient crown of Italy), with war, cruelty, betrayal, heroism, sex, magic and mysticism, a whirl of events taken from every possible fairy tale and legend source Blasetti could find. This movie is unlike anything done before; indeed, considering that it was finished fifteen years before the publication of Lord Of The Rings, its invention of a vast, national epic mythology is an act of genius. And while the storytelling is rough - due to the need to insert everything - and the resources limited, Blasetti shows how to make a little go a long way through beautifully staged and designed battle and crowd scenes. Although it's not classified as a fantasy film, Gene Kelly's ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' had a fantasy sequence called "The King who Couldn't Dance" in which Gene did a song and dance number with

Jerry Mouse Gerald Jinx "Jerry" Mouse is a fictional character and one of the two titular characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of ''Tom and Jerry'' theatrical animated short films and other animated media, usually acting as the protagonist opposite his ...

from

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

. Because these movies do not feature elements common to high fantasy or sword and sorcery pictures, some modern critics do not consider them to be examples of the fantasy genre.

1950s

In the 1950s there were a few major fantasy films, including ''

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ''Darby O'Gill and the Little People'' is a 1959 American fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, adapted from the ''Darby O'Gill'' stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Lawrence ...

'' and '' The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.'', the latter penned by

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Orphic Trilogy ''The Orphic Trilogy'' is a series of three French films written and directed by Jean Cocteau: * ''The Blood of a Poet'', or ''Le sang d'un poète'', 1930 * ''Orpheus'', or ''Orphée'' (also the title used in the UK), 1950 * ''Testament of Orpheu ...

, begun in 1930 and completed in 1959, is based on

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

and could be classified either as fantasy or surrealist film, depending on how the boundaries between these genres are drawn. Russian fantasy director

Aleksandr Ptushko Aleksandr Lukich Ptushko (russian: Александр Лукич Птушко, – 6 March 1973) was a Soviet animation and fantasy film director, and a People's Artist of the USSR (1969). Ptushko is frequently (and somewhat misleadingly) referr ...

created three mythological epics from Russian fairytales, ''

Sadko Sadko (russian: Садко) is the principal character in a Russian medieval epic '' bylina''. He was an adventurer, merchant, and '' gusli'' musician from Novgorod. Textual notes "Sadko" is a version of the tale translated by Arthur Ransome ...

'' (1953), ''

Ilya Muromets Ilya Muromets (russian: Илья Муромец), or Ilya of Murom, sometimes Ilya Murometz, is one of the ''bogatyrs'' (epic knights) in Bylinas of Kievan Rus. He is often featured alongside fellow bogatyrs Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popo ...

'' (1956), and '' Sampo'' (1959). Japanese director

Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Ugets ...

's 1953 film ''

Ugetsu Monogatari is a collection of nine supernatural tales first published in 1776. It is the best known work of Japanese author Ueda Akinari. Largely adapted from traditional Japanese and Chinese ghost stories, the collection is among the most important work ...

'' draws on Japanese classical ghost stories of love and betrayal. Other notable pictures from the 1950s that feature fantastic elements and are sometimes classified as fantasy are ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

'' (1950), featuring a

púca The púca ( Irish for ''spirit/ghost''; plural púcaí), puca (Old English for ''goblin''; plural pucel) pwca, pooka, phouka, puck is a creature of Celtic, English, and Channel Islands folklore. Considered to be bringers both of good and bad ...

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed a ...

; '' Scrooge'', the 1951 adaptation of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

' '' A Christmas Carol''; and

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

's 1957 masterpiece, ''

The Seventh Seal ''The Seventh Seal'' ( sv, Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of ch ...

''. Disney's 1951 animated film '' Alice in Wonderland'' is also a fantasy classic. There were also a number of lower budget fantasies produced in the 1950s, typically based on Greek or Arabian legend. The most notable of these may be 1958's ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures ...

'', featuring special effects by

Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Might ...

and music by

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing for films. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely r ...

1960s

Harryhausen worked on a series of fantasy films in the 1960s, most importantly '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963). Many critics have identified this film as Harryhausen's masterwork for its stop-motion animated statues, skeletons, harpies, hydra, and other mythological creatures. Other Harryhausen fantasy and science fantasy collaborations from the decade include the 1961 adaptation of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's ''

Mysterious Island ''The Mysterious Island'' (french: L'Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's fam ...

'', the critically panned ''

One Million Years B.C. ''One Million Years B.C.'' is a 1966 British adventure fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey. The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions and Seven Arts, and is a remake of the 1940 American fantasy film ''One Million B.C.''. The film star ...

'' starring

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

, and ''

The Valley of Gwangi ''The Valley of Gwangi'' is a 1969 American fantasy Western film produced by Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen, directed by Jim O'Connolly, written by William Bast, and starring James Franciscus, Richard Carlson, and Gila Golan. Creature ...

'' (1969). Capitalising on the success of the

sword and sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budge ...

genre several Italian

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

s based on classical myth were made, including the ''

Maciste Maciste () is one of the oldest recurring characters of cinema, created by Gabriele d'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone. He is featured throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the mid-1960s. He is usually depicted as a Herc ...

'' series. Otherwise, the 1960s were almost entirely devoid of fantasy films. The fantasy picture ''

7 Faces of Dr. Lao ''7 Faces of Dr. Lao'' is a 1964 American Metrocolor Western fantasy-comedy film directed by George Pal (his final directorial effort) and starring Tony Randall. The film, an adaptation of the 1935 novel ''The Circus of Dr. Lao'' by Charles G. ...

'', in which

Tony Randall Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play '' The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...

portrayed several characters from Greek mythology, was released in 1964. But the 1967 adaptation of the Broadway musical ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...

'' removed most of the fantasy elements from T. H. White's classic ''

The Once and Future King ''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...

'', on which the musical had been based. The 1960s also saw a new adaption of Haggard's ''

'' in 1965 starring

Ursula Andress Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...

as the immortal "She who must be obeyed" and was followed by a sequel in 1968 ''

The Vengeance of She ''The Vengeance of She'' is a 1968 British fantasy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring John Richardson (actor), John Richardson, Olga Schoberová, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, André Morell and Colin Blakely. It bears little in common with th ...

'' based loosely on the novel '' Ayesha: The Return of She'' both produced by

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve class ...

, 1968 also saw the release of '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' based on a story by

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...

with a script from

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

1970s

gye the former being predominantly from the same team who did ''Mary Poppins'' the latter again being from Roald Dahl in both script and novel. golu golu madarchaut

1980s

1980s fantasy films were initially characterized by directors finding a new spin on established mythologies. Ray Harryhausen brought the monsters of Greek legends to life in '' Clash of the Titans'' while Arthurian lore returned to the screen in John Boorman's 1981 ''

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

''. Films such as

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

's 1985 ''

Legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

'' and

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

's 1981–1986 trilogy of fantasy epics (''Time Bandits'', ''Brazil (1985 film), Brazil'', and ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'') explored a new artist-driven style featuring surrealist imagery and thought-provoking plots. The modern sword and sorcery boom began around the same time with 1982's ''Conan the Barbarian (1982 film), Conan the Barbarian'' followed by ''Krull (film), Krull'' and ''Fire and Ice (1983 film), Fire and Ice'' in 1983, as well as a boom in

-like fantasy films such as ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), ''The Princess Bride (film), The Princess Bride'' (1987), and ''Willow (film), Willow'' (1988). The 1980s also started a trend in mixing modern settings and action film effects with exotic fantasy-like concepts. ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (1986), directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, combined humor, martial arts and classic Chinese folklore in a modern Chinatown setting. ''Highlander (film), Highlander'', a film about immortal Scottish swordsmen, was released the same year. Jim Henson produced two iconic fantasy films in the 80s, the solemn ''The Dark Crystal'' and the more whimsical and lofty ''Labyrinth (1986 film), Labyrinth''. Meanwhile, Robert Zemeckis helmed ''

'', featuring various famous cartoon characters from animation's "Golden Age," including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Droopy, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Pie, and Jiminy Cricket, among others.

1990s

The 90s saw the Disney Renaissance in which many successful adaptations of written fantasy works were released by Disney Animation. :''Aladdin (1992 Disney film), Aladdin'' (1992) :''Army of Darkness'' (1992) :''Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) :''Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film), Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992) :''Dragonheart'' (1996) :''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990) :''Fantasia 2000'' (1999) :''The Green Mile (film), The Green Mile'' (1999) :''Groundhog Day (film), Groundhog Day'' (1993) :''Ghost in the Machine (film), Ghost in the Machine'' (1995) :''Hercules (1997 film), Hercules'' (1997) :''Hook (film), Hook'' (1991) :''The Indian in the Cupboard (film), The Indian in the Cupboard'' (1995) :''Jumanji (film), Jumanji'' (1995) :''Kazaam'' (1996) :''Matilda (1996 film), Matilda'' (1996) :''Meet Joe Black'' (1998) :''Mulan (1998 film), Mulan'' (1998) :''Nightbreed'' (1990) :''The Prince of Egypt'' (1998) :''Princess Mononoke'' (''Mononoke Hime'') (1997) :''Toy Story'' (1995) :''Toy Story 2'' (1999) :''The Wind in the Willows (1996 film), The Wind in the Willows'' (''Mr Toad's Wild Ride'') (1996)

2000s

The 2000s saw a boom in the genre. This was compounded by the success of Lord of The Rings (film franchise), Lord of The Rings and

, which spurred a movement in film adaptations of fantasy literary works including

, Tales from Earthsea (film), Tales from Earthsea,

, Inkheart (film), Inkheart, and The Golden Compass (film), The Golden Compass. The Star Wars prequel trilogy and Pirates of the Caribbean (film series), Pirates of the Caribbean also saw success at the box office. : ''13 Going on 30'' (2004) : ''17 Again (film), 17 Again'' (2009) :''300 (film), 300'' (2006) : ''Alvin & The Chipmunks (film), Alvin & the Chipmunks'' (2007) : ''Anji (film), Anji'' (2004) : ''Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' (2001) : ''Big Fish'' (2003) : ''Bridge to Terabithia (2007 film), Bridge to Terabithia'' (2007) : ''The Brothers Grimm (film), The Brothers Grimm'' (2005) : ''

'' (2005-10) : ''Coraline (film), Coraline'' (2009) : ''Corpse Bride'' (2005) : ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' (2000) : ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008) : ''D-War'' (2007) : ''Dorian Gray (2009 film), Dorian Gray'' (2009) : ''Dungeons & Dragons (film series), Dungeons & Dragons'' (2000-12) : ''Elf (film), Elf'' (2003) : ''The Emperor's New Groove'' (2000) : '' Enchanted'' (2007) : ''

'' (2006) : ''Fat Albert (film), Fat Albert'' (2004) : ''The Golden Compass (film), The Golden Compass'' (2007) : ''

'' (2001–11) : ''The Hexer (film), The Hexer'' (2001) : ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film), How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (2000) : ''Howl's Moving Castle (film), Howl's Moving Castle'' (2004) : ''The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'' (2009) : ''Imagine That (film), Imagine That'' (2009) : ''Inkheart (film), Inkheart'' (2008) : ''The Invention of Lying'' (2009) : ''King Kong (2005 film), King Kong'' (2005) : ''Lady in the Water'' (2006) : ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (2004) : ''Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' (2003) : ''The Lord of the Rings (film series), The Lord of the Rings'' (2001–03) : ''The Lovely Bones (film), The Lovely Bones'' (2008) : ''The Master of Disguise'' (2002) : ''Monsters, Inc. (franchise), Monsters Inc.'' (2001-13) : ''Nanny McPhee'' (2005) : ''Night Watch (2004 film), Night Watch'' (2004) : ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) : ''Peter Pan (2003 film), Peter Pan'' (2003) : ''Pirates of the Caribbean (film series), Pirates of the Caribbean'' (2003-17) : ''Prezzemolo'' (2003) : ''Race to Witch Mountain'' (2009) : ''The Science of Sleep'' (2006) : ''The Secret of Kells'' (2009) : ''The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising'' (2007) : ''Shrek (film series), Shrek'' (2001-10) : ''Spider-Man in film, Spider-Man (Raimi trilogy)'' (2002-07) : ''The Spiderwick Chronicles (film), The Spiderwick Chronicles'' (2008) : ''Spike (2008 film), Spike'' (2008) : ''Spirited Away'' (2002) : ''Stardust (2007 film), Stardust'' (2007) : ''Star Wars prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episodes I-III'' (1999-2005) : ''Tales from Earthsea (film), Tales from Earthsea ((2006) : ''Treasure Planet'' (2002) : ''Twilight (film series), Twilight'' (2008–12) : ''Underworld (film series), Underworld'' (2003-16) : ''Where the Wild Things Are (film), Where the Wild Things Are'' (2009) : ''Zathura: A Space Adventure'' (2005)

2010s

: ''Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (film), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'' (2012) : ''Aladdin (2019 film), Aladdin'' (2019) : ''Alice in Wonderland (2010 film), Alice in Wonderland'' (2010) : ''Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016 film), Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016) : ''Aquaman (2018 film), Aquaman'' (2018) : ''A Wrinkle in Time (2018 film), A Wrinkle in Time'' (2018) : ''Baahubali: The Beginning'' (2014) : ''Baahubali 2: The Conclusion'' (2017) : ''Beauty and the Beast (2017 film), Beauty and the Beast'' (2017) : ''Black Panther (film), Black Panther'' (2018) : ''Brave (2012 film), Brave'' (2012) : ''Christopher Robin (film), Christopher Robin'' (2018) : ''Cinderella (2015 Disney film), Cinderella'' (2015) : ''Clash of the Titans (2010 film), Clash of the Titans'' (2010) and its 2012 sequel, ''Wrath of the Titans'' : ''Conan the Barbarian (2011 film), Conan the Barbarian'' (2011) : ''Crimson Peak (film), Crimson Peak'' (2015) : ''Dark Shadows (film), Dark Shadows'' (2012) : ''Doctor Strange (2016 film), Doctor Strange'' (2016) : ''Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' (2018) : ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (2016) : ''Frozen (2013 film), Frozen'' (2013) : ''Frozen II'' (2019) : ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film), Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019) : ''Goosebumps (film), Goosebumps'' (2015) : ''Gulliver's Travels (2010 film), Gulliver's Travels'' (2010) : ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'' (2010) : ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2'' (2011) : ''Hop (film), Hop'' (2011) : ''How to Train Your Dragon (franchise), How to Train Your Dragon'' (2010–19) : ''Immortals (2011 film), Immortals'' (2011) : ''Into the Woods (film), Into the Woods'' (2014) : ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (2010) : ''John Carter (film), John Carter'' (2012) : ''Life of Pi (film), Life of Pi'' (2012) : ''Maleficent (film), Maleficent'' (2014) : ''Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'' (2019) : ''Mary Poppins Returns'' (2018) : ''Maximum Shame'' (2010) : ''Midnight in Paris'' (2011) : ''Mirror Mirror (film), Mirror Mirror'' (2012) : ''Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (film), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'' (2016) : ''Oz the Great and Powerful'' (2013) : ''Paddington (film), Paddington'' (2014) : ''Pan (2015 film), Pan'' (2015) : ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Sea of Monsters'' (2013) : ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010) : ''Pete's Dragon (2016 film), Pete's Dragon'' (2016) : ''Peter Rabbit (film), Peter Rabbit'' (2018) : ''Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time'' (2010) : ''Puss in Boots (2011 film), Puss in Boots'' (2011) : ''Sardaar Ji'' (2015) (Punjabi) : ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' (2010) : ''Snow White and the Huntsman (film), Snow White and the Huntsman'' (2012) : ''Song of the Sea (2014 film), Song of the Sea'' (2014) : ''Sucker Punch (2011 film), Sucker Punch'' (2011) : ''The Bastard Sword'' (2018) : ''The BFG (2016 film), The BFG'' (2016) : ''The Hobbit (film series), The Hobbit'' (2012–14) : ''The Jungle Book (2016 film), The Jungle Book'' (2016) : ''The Kid Who Would Be King'' (2019) : ''The Last Airbender (2010 film), The Last Airbender'' (2010) : ''The Lorax (film), The Lorax'' (2012) : ''The Muppets (film), The Muppets'' (2011) : ''The Nutcracker and the Four Realms'' (2018) : ''Trolls (film), Trolls'' (2016) : ''The Shape of Water'' (2017) : ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film), The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2010) : ''Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017) : ''Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) : ''Thor (film), Thor'' (2011) : ''Toy Story 3'' (2010) : ''Toy Story 4'' (2019) :''Wonder Woman (2017 film), Wonder Woman'' (2017) : ''Your Highness'' (2011)

2020s

: Bloodshot (film), ''Bloodshot'' (2020) : Dolittle (film), ''Dolittle'' (2020) : ''Dragonheart: Vengeance'' (2020) : ''Encanto'' (2021) : ''Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'' (2022) : Fantasy Island (film), ''Fantasy Island'' (2020) : Jiu Jitsu (film), ''Jiu Jitsu'' (2020) : Monster Hunter (film), ''Monster Hunter'' (2020) : Mulan (2020 film), ''Mulan'' (2020) : ''Nahuel and the Magic Book'' (2020) : Onward (film), ''Onward'' (2020) : Sonic the Hedgehog (film), ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (2020) : ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' (2022) : ''Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021) : The Old Guard (2020 film), ''The Old Guard'' (2020) : The Witches (2020 film), ''The Witches'' (2020) : ''Trolls World Tour'' (2020) : ''Wonder Woman 1984'' (2020) : ''Wolfwalkers'' (2020)

References

External links

{{Authority control Fantasy films, Film genres History of fiction

Subgenres

Fantasy movies and the film industry

History

1900–1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

See also

References

External links