Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap. For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical or paranormal means. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A fantasy world is a type of fictional universe in which magic or other similar powers work. ... Poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey, an archetypal science fiction film Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Genre definition

Some critics classify the Star Wars films as Science Fantasy rather than Science Fiction. Note, for example, the similarites in composition of this image to that of Conan the Barbarian below.

The boundaries of the fantasy literary genre are not well-defined, and the same is therefore true for the film genre as well. Categorizing a movie as fantasy may thus require an examination of the themes, narrative approach and other structural elements of the film. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (592x768, 46 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (592x768, 46 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or subject matter (content). ...

For example, much about the Star Wars saga suggests fantasy, yet it has the feel of science fiction, whereas much about Time Bandits (1981) suggests science fiction, yet it has the feel of fantasy. Some film critics borrow the literary term Science Fantasy to describe such hybrids of the two genres. Opening logo to the Star Wars films Star Wars is a science fantasy saga and fictional galaxy created by writer / producer / director George Lucas during the 1970s. ... Time Bandits (first released on July 13, 1981) is a fantasy film, produced and directed by Terry Gilliam (who created animations for Monty Pythons Flying Circus). ... Science fantasy is a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements. ...

Animated films featuring talking non-human animals and other fantastic elements are not always classified as fantasy, particularly when they are intended for children. Bambi, for example, is not fantasy, nor is 1995's Toy Story, though the latter is probably closer to fantasy than the former. The Secret of NIMH from 1982, however, may be considered to be a fantasy film because there is actual magic involved. Bambi is the fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942 and produced by Walt Disney. ... Toy Story is a computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution in the United States on November 22, 1995, and the United Kingdom on 22 March 1996. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Other children's movies, such as Walt Disney's 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are also difficult to categorize. Snow White features a medieval setting, dwarven characters, the use of sorcery, and other tropes common to fantasy. Yet many fans of the genre do not believe such movies qualify as fantasy, placing them in instead in a separate fairy tale genre. Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966), was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, visionary, and philanthropist. ... Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ...

Superhero films also fulfill the requirements of the fantasy or science fiction genres but are often considered to be a separate genre. Some critics, however, classify superhero literature and film as a subgenre of fantasy (Superhero Fantasy) rather than as an entirely separate category. Here are some examples of movies that are based on comic book characters: Spider-Man 5/3/02 Spider-Man 2 6/30/04 Batman WB 6/23/89 Men in Black 7/2/97 X2: X-Men United 5/2/03 Men in Black II 7/3/02 Batman...

Films that rely on magic primarily as a gimmick, such the 1976 film Freaky Friday and its 2003 re-make in which a mother and daughter magically switch bodies, may technically qualify as fantasy but are nevertheless not generally considered part of the genre. Freaky Friday is a childrens novel by Mary Rodgers first published in the USA in 1972, in which a teenage girl and her mother switch bodies and learn to understand each other better. ...

Surrealist film also describes the fantastic, but it dispenses with genre narrative conventions and is usually thought of as a separate category. Finally, many Martial arts films feature medieval settings and incorporate elements of the fantastic (see for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), but fans of such films do not agree if they should also be considered examples of the fantasy genre. Psalm 69, egg tempera and oil on wood by Ernst Fuchs Surrealism[1] is a movement stating that the liberation of our mind, and subsequently the liberation of the individual self and society, can be achieved by exercising the imaginative faculties of the unconscious mind to the attainment of a... Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. ... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; Simplified Chinese: 卧虎藏龙; Pinyin: Wò Hǔ Cáng Lóng) is a wuxia (martial arts and chivalry) film released in 2000. ...

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 and Sword and Sorcery. Both categories typically employ quasi-medieval settings, wizards, magical creatures and other elements commonly associated with fantasy stories. High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that is set in invented or parallel worlds. ... This article is about a fantasy sub-genre. ...

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's The Lord of the Rings trilogy as the prototypical modern example of High Fantasy in literature, and the recent Peter Jackson film adaptation of the books is a good example of the High Fantasy subgenre on the silver screen. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and university professor who is best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as many other works. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by English academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Peter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961) is a three-time Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning New Zealand filmmaker best known as the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which he, along with his long time partner, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens adapted from the novels... The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie poster (2001) The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action fantasy epic films; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord...

Conan the Barbarian (1982), a typical Sword and Sorcery film

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. Image File history File links Conan_the_barbarian. ... Image File history File links Conan_the_barbarian. ...

The 1982 film adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, 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 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. Conan The Barbarian is a 1982 film by director John Milius and is recognized as the acting breakthrough of bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. ... Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936)[1] was a classic American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. ... Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Another important sub-genre of fantasy films that has become more popular in recent years is Contemporary Fantasy. Such films feature magical effects or supernatural occurrences happening in the "real" world of today. The most prominent example in the early 21st century is the Harry Potter series of films adapted from the novels of J. K. Rowling. Contemporary fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, also known as modern-day fantasy, or indigenous fantasy. ... Cover of the first book in JK Rowlings series: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (British/Canadian/Australian version) The Harry Potter books are an extremely popular series of fantasy novels by British writer J. K. Rowling. ... Joanne “Jo” Rowling, OBE (born July 31, 1965[1]) is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. ...

Fantasy films set in the afterlife, called Bangsian Fantasy, are less common, although films such as the 1991 Albert Brooks comedy Defending Your Life would likely qualify. Other uncommon subgenres include Historical Fantasy and Romantic Fantasy, although 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl successfully incorporated elements of both. The afterlife (or life after death) is a generic term referring to a continuation of existence, typically spiritual, experiential, or ghost-like, beyond this world, or after death. ... Bangsian fantasy is the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife. ... Brooks in The In-Laws, 2003 Albert Brooks (born July 22, 1947 as Albert Lawrence Einstein) is an Academy Award nominated American actor, writer, comedian and director. ... DVD cover of Defending Your Life (1991) Defending Your Life is a 1991 comedy fantasy movie about the afterlife. ... Historical fantasy (sometimes referred to as fantahistorical), is a subgenre of fantasy, related to historical fiction. ... Romantic fantasy can be considered a sub-genre of fantasy or of romance. ... Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a movie of adventure and romance set in the Caribbean during the seventeenth century. ...

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

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, winner of the 2004 Academy Award for Best Picture

As a cinematic genre, fantasy has traditionally not been regarded as highly as the related genre of science fiction film. Undoubtedly, the fact that until recently fantasy films often suffered from the "Sword and Sandal" afflictions of inferior production values, over-the-top acting and decidedly poor special effects was a significant factor in fantasy film's low regard. Even 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, which did much to improve the genre's reputation in public as well critical circles, was still derided in some quarters because of its comic book-like action sequences and tongue in cheek comedy. Uploaded LOTR: Return of the King movie poster by fair use/fair dealing usage This work is copyrighted. ... Uploaded LOTR: Return of the King movie poster by fair use/fair dealing usage This work is copyrighted. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. ...

Since the late 1990s, however, the genre has gained new respectability, driven principally by the successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is particularly 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. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ...

Following the success of these ventures, Hollywood studios have greenlighted additional big-budget productions in the genre. These have included a successful adaptation of the first book in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia series as well as upcoming adaptations of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising and the cult novel Eragon. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster. ... Susan Mary Cooper (born May 23, 1935) in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England is a British author. ... The Dark is Rising is a childrens novel by Susan Cooper. ... (first in series) | Eldest >> Eragon is a novel written by Christopher Paolini. ...

Fantasy movies in recent years, such as 2005's Narnia adaptation, have most often been released in November and December. This is in contrast to science fiction films, which are often released during the summer.

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, 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 List of fantasy films is a chronological listing of films in the fantasy genre. ...

Early Years

The Wizard of Oz (1939), a fantasy film classic

In the era of silent film the outstanding fantasy films were Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen (1924). Following the advent of sound films, audiences of all ages embraced what is surely the best loved fantasy film of all time, 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Also notable of the era, the iconic 1933 film King Kong is not a pure example of the genre, but borrows heavily from the Lost World subgenre of fantasy fiction. And Frank Capra's 1937 picture Lost Horizon transported audiences to the Himalayan fantasy kingdom of Shangri-La, where the residents magically never age. Image File history File links DVD cover for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz showing stars Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, Jack Haley as The Tin Man, Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Bert Lahr as The Cowardly Lion. ... Image File history File links DVD cover for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz showing stars Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, Jack Haley as The Tin Man, Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Bert Lahr as The Cowardly Lion. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Fairbanks (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer, who became noted for his swashbuckling roles in silent movies such as The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Black... This is about the 1924 film starring Douglas Fairbanks. ... Friedrich Anton Christian Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known émigrés from Germanys school of expressionism. ... Die Nibelungen is a duology of fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924. ... 1902 poster advertising Gaumonts sound films, depicting an optimistically vast auditorium A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. ... For the novel, see The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; For comparison of book and film, see The Wizard of Oz book to film comparison; For other senses of this title, see The Wizard of Oz. ... This is about the original movie and novel. ... The Lost World literary genre is a fantasy or science fiction genre that involves the discovery of a new world out of time, place, or both. ... This article is about the film director. ... Lost Horizon is a 1937 film directed by Frank Capra starring Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, John Howard, Margo, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Everett Horton, Isabel Jewell, H.B. Warner, and Sam Jaffe. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the novel, Lost Horizon, written by British writer James Hilton in 1933. ...

1940s

The 1940s then saw several full color fantasy films produced by Alexander Korda, including The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and Jungle Book (1942). In 1946, Jean Cocteau's classic adaptation of Beauty and the Beast won praise for its surreal elements and for transcending the boundaries of the fairy tale genre. Sinbad the Sailor (1947), starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has the feel of a fantasy film though it does not actually have any fantastic elements. Conversely, It's a Wonderful Life and A Matter of Life and Death, both from 1946, do not feel like fantasy films yet both feature supernatural elements and the latter movie could reasonably be cited as an example of Bangsian fantasy. Sir Alexander Korda (September 16, 1893 - January 23, 1956) was a film director and producer, a leading figure in the British film industry and the founder of London Films. ... This is about the 1940 film starring Sabu. ... DVD cover of The Jungle Book Jungle Book is an American color 1942 action/adventure and fantasy film based on the Rudyard Kipling novel, The Jungle Book. ... Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (July 5, 1889 – October 11, 1963) was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager and filmmaker. ... Beauty and the Beast (in French: La Belle et la Bête) is a French film, made in 1946, based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. The film was directed by Jean Cocteau, and starred his gay lover Jean Marais as the Beast and Josette Day as Beauty. ... Psalm 69, egg tempera and oil on wood by Ernst Fuchs Surrealism[1] is a movement stating that the liberation of our mind, and subsequently the liberation of the individual self and society, can be achieved by exercising the imaginative faculties of the unconscious mind to the attainment of a... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... This article is about the 1947 film. ... Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. ... The Fantastic is a literary genre of writing or art which intrudes fantasy elements into a story (or picture) that is basically representational or real-feeling. ... Its a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Frank Capra film, produced by his own Liberty Films and released originally by RKO Radio Pictures. ... A Matter of Life and Death (1946) is a film by the British writer-director-producer team of Powell and Pressburger. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bangsian fantasy is the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife. ...

In addition, several other pictures featuring supernatural encounters and aspects of Bangsian fantasy were produced in the 1940s. These include The Devil and Daniel Webster and Here Comes Mr. Jordan from 1941, Heaven Can Wait and the musical Cabin in the Sky from 1943, and 1947's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. But because these movies do not feature elements common to high fantasy or sword and sorcery pictures, some critics do not consider them to be examples of the fantasy genre. Daniel argues while the Devil whispers in the judges ear. ... Here Comes Mr. ... Heaven Can Wait Heaven Can Wait is a 1943 comedy film which tells the story of a man who has to prove he belongs in Hell by telling his life story. ... ... The Ghost and Mrs. ...

1950s

In the 1950's there were a few major fantasy films, including Darby O'Gill and the Little People and The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, the latter penned by Dr. Seuss. Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy, begun in 1930 and completed in 1959, is based on Greek mythology 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 created three mythological epics from Russian fairytales, Sadko (1953), Ilya Muromets (1956), and Sampo (1959). Darby OGill and the Little People is a Disney film released in 1959 set in rural Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century. ... The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a 1953 musical fantasy film. ... This article has been illustrated as part of WikiProject Illustrated Wikipedia. ... Orphée (also known as Orpheus) is a 1949 movie directed by Jean Cocteau starring Jean Marais. ... The Oricoli bust of Zeus, King of the Gods, in the collection of the Vatican Museum. ... Aleksandr Ptushko (April 19, 1900 in Lugansk, Ukraine--March 6, 1973 in Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet animation and film director. ... Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom, a painting by Ilya Repin (1876) Sadko (Садко in Russian) is an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. ... The film poster Ilya Muromets, also known in its Russian title Илья Муромец, in the US as The Sword and the Dragon, and in the UK as The Epic Hero and the Beast, is a Russian fantasy film directed by the noted fantasy director Aleksandr Ptushko and released in 1956. ... Sampo, also known in its edited US version The Day the Earth Froze, is a joint Finnish and Soviet production. ...

Three other notable pictures from the 1950s that feature fantastic elements and are sometimes classified as fantasy are: Harvey (1950), featuring a púca of Celtic mythology; Scrooge, the 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol; and Ingmar Bergman's 1957 masterpiece, The Seventh Seal. Harvey is a 1950 film based on a play of the same name, directed by Henry Koster, and starring Jimmy Stewart. ... The Púca (Old Irish), (also Pooka, Phooka, Phouka, Púka, Pwca in Welsh, pouque in Dgèrnésiais, also Glashtyn, Gruagach) is a creature of Celtic folklore, notably in Ireland and Wales. ... Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. ... Scrooge (1951) is one of the best-known and most acclaimed film adaptations of Charles Dickenss A Christmas Carol. ... Dickens redirects here. ... A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is Charles Dickens little Christmas Book first published on December 19,[1] 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ... Ingmar Bergman   (IPA: in Swedish) (born July 14, 1918) is a Swedish stage and film director who is one of the key film auteurs of the second half of the twentieth century. ... The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman about the allegorical journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) across a plague-ridden landscape. ...

There were also a number of low budget fantasies produced in the 1950s, typically based on Greek or Arabian legend. The most notable of these is probably 1958's The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, featuring special effects by Ray Harryhausen. The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is a 1958 fantasy movie starring Kerwin Matthews as the durable legendary sailor Sinbad. ... Ray Harryhausen (born June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles, California) is an American producer and, most notably, a special effects creator. ...

1960s and 1970s

Jason and the Argonauts (1963), featuring special effects by Ray Harryhausen

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's Mysterious Island, the critically panned One Million Years B.C. starring Raquel Welch, and The Valley of Gwangi (1969). Image File history File links Jason_and_the_Argonauts_DVD_cover. ... Image File history File links Jason_and_the_Argonauts_DVD_cover. ... Ray Harryhausen (born June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles, California) is an American producer and, most notably, a special effects creator. ... Jason and the Argonauts (1963) is a fictional fantasy adventure movie based upon the characters Jason and the Argonauts of Greek mythology, regarded by many critics as one of the best fantasy films ever made. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Greek mythology, Harpies (robbers) were first beautiful winged women: Hesiod (Theogony) calls them as two lovely-haired creatures. ... The 16th-century German illustrator has been influenced by the Beast of Revelation in his depiction of the Hydra. ... Jules Verne. ... Cover page of the Mysterious Island Map of Lincoln Island Mysterious Island (LÎle mystérieuse) is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1874. ... One Million Years B.C. is a 1966 (released in the U.S. in 1967) fantasy film starring Raquel Welch set - loosely - in the time of cavemen. ... Raquel Welch on the film poster for One Million Years B.C. Raquel Welch (born September 5, 1940) is an American actress. ... Gwangi fights and kills a Styracosaurus. ...

Otherwise, the 1960's were almost entirely devoid of fantasy films. The fantasy picture 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, in which Tony Randall portrayed several characters from Greek mythology, was released in 1964. But the 1967 adaptation of the Broadway musical Camelot removed most of the fantasy elements from T. H. White's classic The Once and Future King, on which the musical had been based. In 1935, Charles G. Finney, a newspaperman of Arizona, published his novel, The Circus of Dr. Lao. ... Randall in 2003 Tony Randall (February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was a Jewish-American comic actor. ... Camelot is the 1967 film version of the successful musical of the same name. ... Terence Hanbury White (May 29, 1906 - January 17, 1964) was a writer. ... The Once and Future King The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T.H. White. ...

Fantasy elements of Arthurian legend were again featured, albeit absurdly, in 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Harryhousen also returned to the silver screen in the 1970s with two additional Sinbad fantasies, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). The animated movie Wizards (1977) had limited success at the box office but achieved status as a cult film. Some would consider 1977's Oh God!, starring George Burns to be a fantasy film, and Heaven Can Wait (1978) was a successful Bangsian fantasy remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan (not 1943's Heaven Can Wait). The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, centering around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a comedy film released in 1975. ... The Golden Voyage of Sinbad made in 1974 and starring John Phillip Law as sinbad. ... Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is a 1977 fantasy movie, the final installment of Ray Harryhausens Sinbad Trilogy and the penultimate movie in which Harryhausen would use the stop-motion technique which he had pioneered since the late 1940s. ... Wizards (originally titled War Wizards[1][2]) is an animated post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, a good wizard representing the forces of magic and an evil wizard representing the forces of technology. ... Cult film is a colloquial term for a film that has accrued a devoted group of fans. ... Original 1977 poster Oh God! is a 1977 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner based on a novel by Avery Corman. ... George Burns, born Nathan Birnbaum (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), was an American comedian and actor. ... Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 comedy film directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry. ...

A few low budget "Lost World" pictures were made in the 1970s, such as 1975's The Land That Time Forgot. Otherwise, the fantasy genre was largely absent from mainstream movies in this decade, although 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory were two fantasy pictures in the public eye. Poster art for the Amicus/American International Pictures 1975 fantasy hit The Land That Time Forgot is a 1975 fantasy/adventure film based on the 1918 novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. ... Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions, which combines live action and animation; it premiered on October 7, 1971. ... Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is a motion picture based on the 1964 childrens book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by British author Roald Dahl. ...

1980s

As fantasy film's box office draw increased, so did its star power. 1985's Ladyhawke, for example, starred Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer.

The supernatural fantasy Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 began a fantasy explosion which continues into the Twenty-first Century. The modern sword and sorcery boom also began at approximately the same time, with 1982's Conan the Barbarian. Image File history File links Ladyhawke_DVD_cover. ... Image File history File links Ladyhawke_DVD_cover. ... Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American film and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as the title character in Ferris Buellers Day Off and as the adult voice of Simba in The Lion King. ... Michelle Pfeiffer (born April 29, 1958) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated American actress. ... Rutger Oelsen Hauer (IPA: [rʏtxɛr ulsɛn hʌuɛr]) (born in Breukelen, January 23, 1944) is a Dutch film actor. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. ... (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2001-2100. ... This article is about a fantasy sub-genre. ... Conan The Barbarian is a 1982 film by director John Milius and is recognized as the acting breakthrough of bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. ...

• For a more complete list see: List of fantasy films.

List of fantasy films is a chronological listing of films in the fantasy genre. ...

1990s

Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in 1990's Ghost, a popular example of the Romantic Fantasy subgenre

Edward Scissorhands

Ghost

Ghost in the Machine

Green Mile, The

Groundhog Day

Indian in the Cupboard, The

Jumanji

Meet Joe Black

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)

Sixth Sense, The

The 13th Warrior

Image File history File links Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in publicity still from Ghost (1990) This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... Image File history File links Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in publicity still from Ghost (1990) This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... Patrick Wayne Swayze (born August 18, 1952) is an American dancer, actor, singer and songwriter. ... Demi Moore Demetria Gene Guynes (born November 11, 1962), better known as Demi Moore, is an American actress. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ghost is a 1990 romantic comedy-drama-fantasy-thriller film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn and Rick Aviles, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker. ... Ghost in the Machine (a. ... The Green Mile has several different meanings, including: The Green Mile, a 1996 book by Stephen King. ... Groundhog Day is a 1993 comedy film and box office hit starring Bill Murray as Phil Connors, an egocentric Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV weatherman who, dreading his hated annual assignment covering Groundhog Day (February 2) in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the day over and over. ... Promotional movie poster for the film The Indian in the Cupboard is a 1995 film based on the childrens book The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. ... Jumanji is a 1995 feature film based on Jumanji, a 1982 childrens book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. ... Meet Joe Black is a 1998 remake of the 1934 film, Death Takes a Holiday, starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani. ... Princess Mononoke ) is a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki that was first released in Japan on July 12, 1997 and in the U.S. on October 29, 1999 in select cities and on November 26, 1999. ... The Sixth Sense is a 1999 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan that tells the story of a troubled, isolated boy (played by Haley Joel Osment) living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a child psychologist (played by Bruce Willis) who tries to help him. ... The 13th Warrior DVD cover The 13th Warrior is a 1999 action film based on Michael Crichtons novel Eaters of the Dead, directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton, and starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf (Beowulf). ...

2000s

Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong is an example of the "Lost World" subgenre of fantasy film and was the seventh film to feature the iconic giant ape.

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Harry Potter films

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

King Kong

Nanny McPhee

Bionicle: the Mask of light

Bionicle: Legends of Metru Nui

Bionicle: Web of Shadows

Image File history File links Kingkong_bigfinal1. ... Image File history File links Kingkong_bigfinal1. ... The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie poster (2001) The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action fantasy epic films; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord... Cover of the first book in JK Rowlings series: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (British/Canadian/Australian version) The Harry Potter books are an extremely popular series of fantasy novels by British writer J. K. Rowling. ... The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster. ... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; Simplified Chinese: 卧虎藏龙; Pinyin: Wò Hǔ Cáng Lóng) is a wuxia (martial arts and chivalry) film released in 2000. ... Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a movie of adventure and romance set in the Caribbean during the seventeenth century. ... King Kong is the three-time 2006 Academy Award-winning remake of the original 1933 King Kong film about a fictional giant ape called Kong. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

Additional examples

• Beowulf (2007 film)
• Ancanar (not yet released)
• Eragon (not yet released)
• Alice in Wonderland (1933 film) - 1933 version with Charlotte Henry, W.C. Fields, Cary Grant
• Alice in Wonderland (1951 film) - 1951 Disney animated film

Beowulf is a 2007 film directed by Robert Zemeckis. ... Ancanar is a fantasy feature film now in final production. ... Eragon is a fantasy/adventure movie based on the novel of the same name, by author Christopher Paolini. ... The movie Alice in Wonderland was first made in 1933 but was redone by Walt Disney in 1951. ... Alice in Wonderland is the thirteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ...

See also

• List of fantasy films
• Horror film
• List of horror films
• Science fiction film
• List of science fiction films
• Fantasy television

List of fantasy films is a chronological listing of films in the fantasy genre. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This is a chronological list of horror films. ... Poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey, an archetypal science fiction film Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. ... This is a list of science fiction films organised chronologically. ... Fantasy television is a genre of television featuring elements of the fantastic, often including magic, supernatural forces, or exotic fantasy worlds. ...

External links

• The Greatest Films: Fantasy Films
• Enchanted Whispers