Summary

• The Mummy, National Treasure, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace are approaching major anniversaries soon.
• The Lion King and X-Men: Days Of Future Past will also be celebrating significant milestones in the coming years.
• Fight Club, Napoleon Dynamite, and Ghostbusters, are classic films that are already at milestone anniversaries.

Some of the biggest movies and franchises in recent history are rapidly racing towards major anniversaries. Every year, more and more films are released, with the box office continuing to experience steady growth. With this growth in popularity and the booming business of cinema, there are a lot more films that have become widely recognized and favored by the public. While some of the earliest movies, such as silent and black and white films, have largely disappeared into the annals of history, many more movies from the 70s onward have become classics which continue to be celebrated and enjoyed today.

This is also aided by the fact that movies and the intellectual properties that they depict are increasingly being expanded. With this increase in popularity, and the expansion of popular IPs, there are many new releases that directly connect with much older films. However, it is surprising how many of these movies are rapidly approaching major milestone anniversaries, despite feeling as though they were released recently.

10 The Mummy – 25 Years

While a more modern version of The Mummy was released in 2017 starring Tom Cruise, the most popular version of the movie was released in 1999, 25 years ago. This version starred Brendan Fraser as the heroic and brave Rick O’Connell, opposite the incredible Rachel Weisz. However, the 1999 version was in turn a remake of the 1932 original film of the same name.

The Mummy was a huge hit when it first released, and it became a major hit for Fraser in his fledgling career as a Hollywood A-lister, but also spawned an entire series of films. The sequel even featured a heavily CGI version of The Rock in his debut theatrical appearance as The Scorpion King. However, despite the stars of the film continuing to have a presence in Hollywood today, the movie is approaching its 25th anniversary.

9 National Treasure – 20 Years

Slightly later, in 2004, the world was exposed to the incredible and mysterious adventure movie starring Nicolas Cage, National Treasure. The film became a financial success, despite mixed reviews, and remains one of Nicolas Cage’s best movies of his filmography. In addition, the movie also received a sequel which continued to feature Cage as the adventurous historian, Benjamin Franklin Gates.

More recently, National Treasure has received a resurgence in popularity when a sequel series starring Lisette Olivera was released in 2022. The series also featured Catherine Zeta-Jones as the antagonist, along with Justin Bartha, who reclaimed his role from the earlier films. However, the original film is just now approaching its 20-year anniversary in 2024.

8 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – 25 Years

Star Wars originally released the first installment, A New Hope, in 1977, almost 50 years ago. However, what is even more shocking is the fact that the fourth film, a prequel to the original trilogy, came out almost 25 years ago. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace provided some of the essential background of the events that would eventually lead to the downfall of the Republic, and the rise of the cruel Empire within the Star Wars universe.

The movie did receive some negative backlash from fans of the original trilogy and critics, but overall, it led to the series growing larger than ever before. In the 25 years since The Phantom Menace, six more mainline films were released, with even more announced, additional solo stories, and a whole batch of series, both live-action and animated. Star Wars may have found a new home at Disney, but the IP is larger than ever.

7 John Wick – 10 Years

Keanu Reeves has been a major star in Hollywood for decades, with many fans commenting on his almost timeless and ageless appearance. However, it is much more recently that he began working on an incredible new franchise that has taken his career to new heights and solidified his role as an action star. John Wick is one of the best modern action films in cinema, with four movies, a TV series, and spin-off plans currently in development.

However, the first John Wick film is already approaching its 10th anniversary. As Keanu Reeves rapidly approaches his 60th birthday, it is interesting to note that he was just about to turn 50 when the original movie was released, and now a decade has elapsed, and he continues to appear in the John Wick universe. However, the fate of his character in the main series is still ambiguously left unconfirmed.

6 The Lion King – 30 Years

Another property of Disney, The Lion King, is one of the most beloved children’s films of all time, with one of the most tragic and heart-wrenching deaths. When the movie initially released in 1994, it gained critical and commercial success as it received a wide array of awards, including Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys. The film also went on to inspire several sequels, although none reached the same height of popularity, and a live-action remake in 2019.

Animation may appear timeless, but the film itself is nonetheless approaching its 30th anniversary. However, the movie remains relevant, with a Broadway theater show that has become widely acclaimed, and another live-action sequel set to release in December 2024. The Lion King continues to live on and be widely loved and celebrated by multiple generations.

5 X-Men: Days Of Future Past – 10 Years

In 2014, superhero movies were in full swing with the MCU in the middle of Phase 2, the DCEU beginning to make waves, and separate franchises like the Fox X-Men making waves. DespiteX-Menfilms releasing in the early 2000s enjoying huge success and featuring spectacular talent like Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in iconic roles as Wolverine and Professor X, the rebooted X-Menfranchise from 2011 was proving a hit.

Then, in 2014, the new films tried to tie together the timelines from the earlier trilogy with X-Men: Days of Future Past. This may have seemed like a near impossible challenge, but by all accounts, the movie accomplished what it set out to do and became one of the most beloved films of the Fox X-Men series. However, this movie is not about to hit the 10-year mark since it was first released, and the X-Men are now gearing up to join the MCU proper, having just appeared in the Disney+ series, X-Men ’97.

4 Guardians Of The Galaxy – 10 Years

Alongside Days of Future Past, the MCU was hitting its stride and releasing hit movies from less celebrated IPs. And, in 2014, James Gunn revealed to the world his iconic version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The movie and its outstanding soundtrack was a welcome addition to the MCU, and the first time the franchise took their adventures far beyond the solar system where the other stories were playing out.

Now, the original Guardians have run their course in Gunn’s trilogy, and the team has had a reshuffling since they first banded together. The future of the Guardians and their leader, Peter Quill, is uncertain, but they continue to remain a part of the MCU. However, the same can’t be said for the writer-director Gunn, who is now leading the charge on the opposite side of the comic book movie arena, with the DCU. Proving once again just how much can happen in a short 10-year span.

3 Fight Club – 25 Years

Looking further back, one of the greatest films ever made came out in 1999, directed by the visionary David Fincher. Fight Club was based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, and starred the incredible talents of Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. The movie features one of the all-time best twists in any movie, and became an instant classic with fans quoting and debating the film and its themes at length.

Today, Fight Club is studied in universities globally, and continues to be celebrated for the ideas and messages it presents. However, it may be shocking to realize that the film is now approaching its 25th anniversary since its initial release. The messages remain timeless, while the film and the actors who brought the story to life continue to age.

2 Napoleon Dynamite – 20 Years

In 2004, a small independent film rose to incredible heights and developed a significant cult following thanks to its absurdist humor and outrageous characters. Napoleon Dynamite was the first ever feature length film made by most of the individuals involved, including the writer and director, Jared Hess. However, the movie found its audience at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive a wider theatrical release.

The movie continues to be widely quoted and maintains a dedicated fanbase who praise it as one of the best comedy films of all time. Despite being a small indie project, Napoleon Dynamite also spawned a short-lived animated series, and the original star of the film, Jon Heder, continues to promote the idea of a sequel being made. Whether the sequel gets made or not, the original movie is still iconic two decades after it was first released.

1 Ghostbusters – 40 Years

However, all of these movies are relatively new when compared with Ghostbusters, which is set to enjoy it’s 40th anniversary in 2024. The original film, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver to mention just a few of the biggest names, became a huge hit when it was released in 1984. Shortly after its release, the movie received a sequel, and it went on to have an animated cartoon and video games in the years that followed.

In 2016, the story was rebooted with a female-led cast, but due to less positive reviews, the original series received a long-awaited sequel which continued the legacy of the original Ghostbusters, following the Spengler family. The billion-dollar Ghostbusters franchise now lives on, and appears to have a future, despite beginning nearly half a century ago.