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2001 in film

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The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first installments of the Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, Spy Kids, Monsters, Inc. and Shrek franchises, and The Lord of the Rings and Ocean's trilogies. Significant non-English language films released included Monsoon Wedding, Amélie and Spirited Away. There was one film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that passed over $1 billion in a re-release of 2020.

The inaugural entries of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings film franchises prompted a shift in both the film and literary communities by propelling fantasy into mainstream culture, popularising young adult novels, and reforming the blockbuster to promote film franchises and cater to fandom communities.

Highest-grossing films

The top 10 films released in 2001 by worldwide gross are as follows:

RankTitleDistributorWorldwide gross12345678910
*Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*Warner Bros.$974,755,371
*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*New Line$883,726,270
*Monsters, Inc.*Buena Vista$528,773,250
*Shrek*DreamWorks$487,853,320
*Ocean's Eleven*Warner Bros.$450,717,150
*Pearl Harbor*Buena Vista$449,220,945
*The Mummy Returns*Universal$435,040,395
*Jurassic Park III*$368,780,809
*Planet of the Apes*[Fox](20th-century-fox)$362,211,740
*Hannibal*MGM / Universal$351,692,268

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone grossed $974 million, and became the second highest-grossing film of all time. It was also the highest-grossing film in the Harry Potter film franchise before the finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, surpassed it in 2011.

2001 was the first time that two films released in the same year grossed more than $800 million at the box office, with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring surpassing the milestone.

The highest-grossing non-English film was Studio Ghibli's anime Spirited Away, which was the 15th highest-grossing film of the year.

Events

  • May 18 – Shrek was released to critical acclaim and went on to win the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature the following year beating out Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and Monsters, Inc.
  • June 22 – The Fast and the Furious is released, launching one of the highest-grossing franchises in film history.
  • August 8 – actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorce.
  • November 2 – Monsters, Inc. opens with the best ticket sales ever for an animated film and the 6th-best of all time.
  • November 16 and December 19 – The beginning of two acclaimed fantasy film series based on best-selling novels: Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, respectively.

Award ceremonies

Awards

Category/Organisation[7th Critics' Choice Awards](7th-critics-choice-awards)
January 11, 2002[59th Golden Globe Awards](59th-golden-globe-awards)
January 20, 2002[55th BAFTA Awards](55th-british-academy-film-awards)
February 24, 2002Producers, [Directors](54th-directors-guild-of-america-awards), [Screen Actors](8th-screen-actors-guild-awards), and Writers Guild Awards[74th Academy Awards](74th-academy-awards)
March 24, 2002DramaMusical or Comedy
Best Film*A Beautiful Mind**Moulin Rouge!**The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring**Moulin Rouge!**A Beautiful Mind*
Best DirectorRon Howard
*A Beautiful Mind*
Baz Luhrmann
*Moulin Rouge!*Robert Altman
*Gosford Park*Peter Jackson
*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*Ron Howard
*A Beautiful Mind*
Best ActorRussell Crowe
*A Beautiful Mind*Gene Hackman
*The Royal Tenenbaums*Russell Crowe
*A Beautiful Mind*Denzel Washington
*Training Day*
Best ActressSissy Spacek
*In the Bedroom*Nicole Kidman
*Moulin Rouge!*Judi Dench
*Iris*Halle Berry
*Monster's Ball*
Best Supporting ActorBen Kingsley
*Sexy Beast*Jim Broadbent
*Iris*Jim Broadbent
*Moulin Rouge!*Ian McKellen
*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*Jim Broadbent
*Iris*
Best Supporting ActressJennifer Connelly
*A Beautiful Mind*Helen Mirren
*Gosford Park*Jennifer Connelly
*A Beautiful Mind*
Best Screenplay, AdaptedChristopher Nolan
*Memento*Akiva Goldsman
*A Beautiful Mind*Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman and Roger S. H. Schulman
*Shrek*Akiva Goldsman
*A Beautiful Mind*
Best Screenplay, OriginalGuillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
*Amélie*Julian Fellowes
*Gosford Park*
Best Animated Film*Shrek***N/A****N/A****N/A****N/A***Shrek*
Best Original Score*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
Howard Shore*Moulin Rouge!*
Craig Armstrong**N/A***The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
Howard Shore
Best Original Song"May It Be"
*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*"Until..."
*Kate & Leopold***N/A****N/A**"If I Didn't Have You"
*Monsters, Inc.*
Best Foreign Language Film*Amélie**No Man's Land**Love's a Bitch***N/A***No Man's Land*

2001 films

By country/region

  • List of American films of 2001
  • List of Argentine films of 2001
  • List of Australian films of 2001
  • List of Bangladeshi films of 2001
  • List of British films of 2001
  • List of Canadian films of 2001
  • List of Chinese films of 2001
  • List of French films of 2001
  • List of Hong Kong films of 2001
  • List of Indian films of 2001
    • List of Bengali films of 2001
    • List of Hindi films of 2001
    • List of Kannada films of 2001
    • List of Malayalam films of 2001
    • List of Marathi films of 2001
    • List of Punjabi films of 2001
    • List of Tamil films of 2001
    • List of Telugu films of 2001
  • List of Japanese films of 2001
  • List of Mexican films of 2001
  • List of Nepalese films of 2001
  • List of Pakistani films of 2001
  • List of Russian films of 2001
  • List of South Korean films of 2001
  • List of Spanish films of 2001

By genre/medium

  • List of action films of 2001
  • List of animated feature films of 2001
  • List of avant-garde films of 2001
  • List of crime films of 2001
  • List of comedy films of 2001
  • List of drama films of 2001
  • List of horror films of 2001
  • List of science fiction films of 2001
  • List of thriller films of 2001
  • List of western films of 2001

Births

  • January 1
    • Angourie Rice, Australian actress
    • Carla Tous, Spanish actress
  • January 15 - Ethan Josh Lee, American actor
  • February 6 – Gabriel G. Mourreau, Spanish actor
  • February 15 – Haley Tju, American actress
  • February 16 - Chloe East, American actress
  • February 19 – David Mazouz, American actor
  • February 24 – Ramona Marquez, English actress
  • March 6 – Milo Manheim, American actor
  • March 25 – Daisy Tahan, American actress
  • April 10 – Noa Kirel, Israeli actress
  • April 20 – Ian Alexander, American actor
  • April 28 – Madeleine Harris, British actress
  • May 3 – Rachel Zegler, American actress
  • May 23 – Matt Lintz, American actor
  • May 27 – Izabela Vidovic, American actress
  • June 1 – Ed Oxenbould, Australian actor
  • June 3 – Rhea Norwood, English actress
  • June 5 - Lilly Krug, German actress
  • June 9 – Xolo Maridueña, American actor
  • June 14 – Samuel Bottomley, English actor
  • June 16 – William Sorenson, Canadian Representative
  • June 21 – Eleanor Worthington Cox, English actress
  • July 1 – Chosen Jacobs, American actor
  • July 2 – Abraham Attah, Ghanaian actor
  • July 10 – Isabela Merced, American actress
  • July 11 – Sophia Anne Caruso, American actress
  • July 16 – Tom Taylor, English actor
  • July 22 – Alisha Newton, Canadian actress
  • July 31 – Sean Michael Kyer, Canadian actor
  • August 5 – Josie Totah, American actress
  • August 6 – Ty Simpkins, American actor
  • August 21
    • Dallas Liu, American actor
    • Harry Gilby, English actor
  • August 31 – Garrett Wareing, American actor
  • August 31 Corey Maison Transgender activist OF Model
  • September 3 – Kaia Gerber, American actress and model
  • September 6
    • Freya Allan, English actress
    • Nuno Gallego, Spanish actor
  • September 11 - Mackenzie Aladjem, American actress
  • September 14 – Matías Recalt, Argentine actor
  • September 15 – Emma Fuhrmann, American actress
  • September 17 – India Amarteifio, English actress
  • September 19
    • Jack Downham, British actor
    • D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Canadian actor
  • September 29 – William Healy, Canadian actor
  • October 1 – Luna Blaise, American actress
  • October 5 – Dalila Bela, Canadian actress
  • October 8 – Percy Hynes White, Canadian actor
  • October 9 – Louis Hynes, English actor
  • October 10 – Blake Cooper, American actor
  • October 12 – Raymond Ochoa, American actor and musician
  • October 13 – Caleb McLaughlin, American actor
  • October 14 – Rowan Blanchard, American actress
  • October 19 - Art Parkinson, Irish actor
  • October 21 – Ashley Liao, American actress
  • October 23 – Mina Sundwall, American actress
  • October 27 – Lukita Maxwell, Indonesian-American actress
  • November 7
    • Noah Lomax, American actor
    • Amybeth McNulty, Irish-Canadian actress
  • November 12 – Raffey Cassidy, English actress
  • November 15 – Sadie Stanley, American actress
  • November 25 - Alex Bain, British actor
  • November 27 – Morgan Davies, Australian actor
  • December 12 - Britain Dalton, American actor
  • December 13 – Harley Bird, English actress
  • December 14 – Joshua Rush, American actor
  • December 16 – Sebastian Croft, English actor
  • December 22 - Lily Laight, English actress and singer
  • December 28 – Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Canadian actress

Deaths

MonthDateNameAgeCountryProfessionNotable films
**January***1*Ray Walston86USActor
*5*Nancy Parsons58USActress
*10*Jacques Marin81FranceActor
*11*James Hill84USProducer, Screenwriter
*11*Michael Williams65UKActor
*15*Ted Mann84USProducer
*16*Virginia O'Brien81USActress, Singer
*18*Al Waxman65CanadaActor
*21*Sandy Baron64USActor
*21*Joseph O'Conor84IrelandActor
*30*Jean-Pierre Aumont90FranceActor
*30*John Prebble85UKScreenwriter
*31*Bert Williams78USActor
**February***4*Tony Steedman73UKActor
*7*Dale Evans88USActress, Singer
*10*Lewis Arquette65USActor
*11*Sy Gomberg82USScreenwriter
*14*Charles B. Fitzsimons76IrelandProducer
*15*Burt Kennedy78USDirector, Screenwriter
*16*Howard W. Koch84USProducer
*19*Stanley Kramer87USDirector, Producer
*20*Rosemary DeCamp90USActress
*27*Ralf D. Bode59GermanyCinematographer
*27*Stan Margulies80USProducer
**March***6*Kim Walker32USActress
*8*Edward Winter63USActor
*9*Richard Stone47USComposer, Music Editor
*12*Morton Downey Jr.68USActor
*13*John A. Alonzo66USCinematographer, Actor
*15*Ann Sothern92USActress
*16*Norma MacMillan79CanadaActress
*17*Ralph Thomas85UKDirector
*19*Mentor Huebner79USIllustrator
*21*Anthony Steel80UKActor
*22*William Hanna90USAnimator, Director, Producer
*23*Sully Boyar77USActor
*24*Tambi Larsen86IndiaArt Director
*26*Piotr Sobociński43PolandCinematographer
**April***1*Larry Tucker66USScreenwriter
*7*David Graf50USActor
*7*Beatrice Straight86USActress
*10*Nyree Dawn Porter65New ZealandActress
*11*Harry Secombe79UKActor
*13*Jimmy Logan73UKActor
*13*Ken Weston53UKSound Engineer
*14*last=Magnierfirst=Markdate=20 April 2001title=Hiroshi Teshigahara; Broadened Japan’s Cinema (obituary)url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-20-me-53362-story.htmlwork=Los Angeles Timesurl-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531012719/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-20-me-53362-story.htmlarchive-date=31 May 2025access-date=31 May 2025}}74JapanDirector
*16*Michael Ritchie62USDirector
*20*Maria Karnilova80USActress
*21*Jack Haley Jr.67USDirector
*22*Edward Muhl94USStudio Executive
*27*Jack Murdock78USActor
*28*Ken Hughes79UKScreenwriter
*29*Walter Hannemann88USFilm Editor
**May***2*Gina Mastrogiacomo39USActress
*3*Ernie Wheelwright61USActor
*7*Gary Wissner37USProduction Designer, Art Director
*9*Leslie Sands79UKActor
*10*Deborah Walley59USActress
*12*Perry Como88USSinger, Actor
*13*Eddra Gale79USActress
*13*Jason Miller62USActor, Director
*13*Ralph Tabakin79USActor
*14*Mauro Bolognini78ItalyDirector, Screenwriter
*14*Armando Nannuzzi75ItalyCinematographer
*15*Sacha Vierny81FranceCinematographer
*16*Joe Baker72UKActor
*22*Connie Marshall68USActress
*22*Whitman Mayo70USActor
*22*Jack Watling78UKActor
*23*Lita Chevret92USActress
*25*John W. Holmes84USFilm Editor
*26*Anne Haney67USActress
*27*Ramon Bieri71USActor
*29*Russell Saunders82USStuntman
*31*Arlene Francis93USActress
**June***2*Imogene Coca92USActress
*3*Anthony Quinn86MexicoActor
*4*Joan Vohs73USActress
*7*Leonard Tepper61USActor
*15*Henri Alekan92FranceCinematographer
*21*Carroll O'Connor76USActor
*21*Vernon Sewell97UKDirector, Screenwriter
*23*Corinne Calvet76FranceActress
*26*Paul Berry40UKAnimator
*27*Jack Lemmon76USActor
*28*Joan Sims71UKActress
**July***2*Jack Gwillim91UKActor
*3*Mordecai Richler70CanadaScreenwriter
*5*A. D. Flowers84USSpecial Effects Artist
*7*Molly Lamont91South AfricaActress
*12*James Bernard75UKComposer
*13*Eleanor Summerfield80UKActress
*15*Ted Berman81USDirector, Screenwriter, Animator
*19*Paul Beeson79UKCinematographer
*21*Sivaji Ganesan72IndiaActor
*29*Alex Nicol85USActor
**August***1*Joe Lynch75IrelandActor
*3*Christopher Hewett79UKActor
*6*Alan Rafkin73USDirector
*6*Dorothy Tutin71UKActress
*8*Harry Julian Fink78USScreenwriter
*14*Missy Cleveland41USActress
*14*Jackie "Butch" Jenkins63USActor
*16*Dave Barry82USActor
*18*Jack Elliott74USComposer, Conductor
*20*Kim Stanley76USActress
*23*Kathleen Freeman82USActress
*25*Aaliyah22USActress, Singer
*25*John Chambers78USMakeup Artist
*25*Jane Greer76USActress
*25*Inigo Jackson68UKActor
*28*Lawrence B. Marcus84USScreenwriter
*29*Francisco Rabal75SpainActor
*30*Julie Bishop87USActress
**September***2*Troy Donahue65USActor
*3*Ferruccio Amendola71ItalyActor
*3*Pauline Kael82USFilm CriticNone; critiqued films for *The New Yorker*
*3*Thuy Trang27USActress
*4*Merrill Connally80USActor
*9*Tommy Hollis47USActor
*12*Victor Wong74USActor
*13*Barbara Matera72UKCostume Designer
*13*Dorothy McGuire85USActress
*15*Fred de Cordova90USDirector
*16*Samuel Z. Arkoff83USProducer
*25*Evan A. Lottman70USFilm Editor
*25*Dolores Michaels68USActress
*26*Hannes Nikel70GermanyFilm Editor
*27*Helen Cherry85UKActress
*28*Martin Garner74USActor
*29*Gloria Foster67USActress
**October***9*Herbert Ross74USDirector
*15*Robert Rutledge53USSound Engineer
*17*Jay Livingston86USComposer
*19*Ray Lovejoy62UKFilm Editor
*21*David Lowell Rich81USDirector
*23*Linden Travers88UKActress
*24*Jaromil Jireš65SlovakiaDirector
*26*Eugene Jackson58USActor
*28*Larry Jost80USSound Engineer
*29*Maura Fay43AustraliaCasting Director
*31*Jenny Laird89UKActress
**November***5*Roy Boulting87UKDirector
*6*Anthony Shaffer75UKScreenwriter
*7*Bobby Bass65USStuntman, Actor
*12*Albert Hague82GermanyActor
*13*Peggy Mount86UKActress
*14*Charlotte Coleman33UKActress
*21*Ralph Burns79USComposer, Arranger
*29*Budd Boetticher85USDirector
*29*George Harrison58UKSinger, Actor, Producer
*29*John Mitchum82USActor
**December***1*Danilo Donati74ItalyCostume Designer, Production Designer
*6*Walt Mulconery69USFilm Editor
*7*Pauline Moore87USActress
*10*Lance Fuller73USActor
*15*Wilkie Cooper90UKCinematographer
*16*Roy Brocksmith56USActor
*20*Foster Brooks89USActor
*20*Edward Evans87UKActor
*26*Nigel Hawthorne72UKActor
*29*Robert Patten76USActor
*30*Ray Patterson90USAnimator
*31*Eileen Heckart82USActress
*31*David Swift82USDirector

Film debuts

  • Scott Adkins – The Accidental Spy
  • Laz Alonso – 30 Years to Life
  • Malena Alterio – The Hold-Up
  • Morena Baccarin – Perfume
  • Ike Barinholtz – Down
  • Ty Burrell – Evolution
  • Luis Callejo – Luna's Game
  • Henry Cavill – Laguna
  • Jeff Chase – In the Shadows
  • Justin Chatwin – Josie and the Pussycats
  • Bradley Cooper – Wet Hot American Summer
  • Dominic Cooper – From Hell
  • Michael Ealy – Kissing Jessica Stein
  • Marta Etura – No Shame
  • Dakota Fanning – Tomcats
  • Elle Fanning – I Am Sam
  • Megan Fox – Holiday in the Sun
  • Kyle Gallner – Wet Hot American Summer
  • Tyrese Gibson – Baby Boy
  • Macarena Gómez – Dagon
  • Tom Hardy – Black Hawk Down
  • Sean Harris – The Discovery of Heaven
  • Naomie Harris – Crust
  • Anne Hathaway – The Princess Diaries
  • Freddie Highmore – Women Talking Dirty
  • Dwayne Johnson – The Mummy Returns
  • Jaime King – Happy Campers
  • Luke Kirby – Lost and Delirious
  • Fran Kranz – Donnie Darko
  • Bárbara Lennie – No Pain, No Gain
  • Scoot McNairy – Wrong Numbers
  • Sienna Miller – South Kensington
  • Michelle Monaghan – Perfume
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Believer
  • Eric Christian Olsen – Pearl Harbor
  • David Oyelowo – Dog Eat Dog
  • Daniel Radcliffe – The Tailor of Panama
  • James Ransone – The American Astronaut
  • Elizabeth Reaser – The Believer
  • Emma Roberts – Blow
  • Seth Rogen – Donnie Darko
  • Theo Rossi – The Myersons
  • Kristen Schaal – Kate & Leopold
  • Pablo Schreiber – Bubble Boy
  • Rafe Spall – Beginner's Luck
  • Omar Sy – La Tour Montparnasse Infernale
  • Jasmine Trinca – The Son's Room
  • Gaspard Ulliel – Brotherhood of the Wolf
  • Wilmer Valderrama – Summer Catch
  • Katheryn Winnick – Biohazardous
  • Benedict Wong – Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang)

References

References

  1. Grauso, Alisha. (2020-08-05). "How The 'Harry Potter' And 'Lord Of The Rings' Movies Made Being A Bookworm Cool Again".
  2. Albury, Whitley. (2021-12-22). "20 years ago, Harry Potter and LOTR changed culture".
  3. "2001 Worldwide Box Office". [[IMDb]].
  4. "2001 Worldwide Box Office". [[IMDb]].
  5. Gussow, Mel. (January 3, 2001). "Ray Walston, Broadway Star And TV Martian, Dies at 86". [[The New York Times]].
  6. Bergan, Ronald. (January 31, 2001). "Jean-Pierre Aumont".
  7. (2006). "Laid to Rest in California: a guide to the cemeteries and grave sites of the rich and famous". Globe Pequot Press.
  8. Lyman, Rick. (February 21, 2001). "Stanley Kramer, Filmmaker With Social Bent, Dies at 87". New York Times.
  9. Thomas, Bob. (March 17, 2001). "TV's 'Private Secretary' Ann Sothern dies at 92". Times Daily.
  10. Penny, Thomas. (12 April 2001). "Goon star Sir Harry Secombe dies aged 79". The Daily Telegraph.
  11. Magnier, Mark. (20 April 2001). "Hiroshi Teshigahara; Broadened Japan’s Cinema (obituary)". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  12. Riddle, Amanda. (May 14, 2001). "Crooning baritone Perry Como dies". The Madison Courier.
  13. Henn, Jennifer. (May 24, 2001). "Jason Miller dies". Scranton Times Tribune.
  14. Bergan, Ronald. (June 5, 2001). "Obituary: Anthony Quinn". [[The Guardian]].
  15. Leite, Marcelo. (2023-04-19). "Trini's Fate In Power Rangers Reminds Us Of What Happened To Thuy Trang".
  16. (12 October 2001). "Paid Notice: Deaths ROSS, HERBERT D.". [[The New York Times]].
  17. Reynolds, Nigel. (17 November 2001). "Four Weddings actress Charlotte is dead at 33". The Telegraph.
  18. "George Harrison's Death Certificate". [[The Smoking Gun]].
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