However, a few notes before we begin. One, we’re io9, so we just cover genre stuff – fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc. And two, we’re not doing a five-year anniversary. Ten years and above only. Sorry, 2021. You will reach there soon.
Plus, here are all the big genre movies celebrating anniversaries in 2026.
1926 – 100th anniversary
general – We’re breaking rules right away here because Buster Keaton’s unforgettable comedy isn’t really a “genre.” However, the things that happen in it are pretty magical, and we wanted some in this 100-year-old slot, so we’re making an exception. But this is the only exception.
1931 – 95th anniversary
frankenstein – Just a few months after the release of the new version by Guillermo del Toro, the most famous adaptation of the story, directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff, is having a big celebration.
Too: Dracula, M
1941 – 85th anniversary
dumbo – It’s kind of a wild thing when original Disney movies start getting so old. Almost as wild as an elephant with ears so big that it can fly.
Too: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hold That Ghost, The Wolf Man
1946 – 80th anniversary
it’s a Wonderful Life – Our pick for the greatest holiday genre movie of all time (it focuses on an alternate reality, don’t forget) is celebrating 80 years of perfection this year.
Too: Beauty and the Beast, Notorious, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Song of the South
1951 – 75th anniversary
something from another world – The movie that inspired your (probably) favorite John Carpenter film, talkCelebrating its diamond anniversary this year.
Too: Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Alice in Wonderland, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Superman and the Mole Men
1956 – 70th anniversary
Attack of the Body Snatchers – The film that students study when they want to learn about horror with a social commentary that also happens to be scary and terrifying, turns 70 this year.
Too: Around the World in 80 Days, Forbidden Planet
1961 – 65th anniversary
101 dalmatian -Can you believe it’s been 65 years since audiences first encountered Cruella De Vil and those adorable spotted puppies?
Too: absent-minded professor
1966 – 60th anniversary
Batman: The Movie – In our minds, this 60-year-old feature-length adaptation of the classic Adam West show might be the best Batman movie ever. Why? Because it has all the biggest villains at the same time, which no other movie has ever done.
Too: Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Fahrenheit 451, Fantastic Voyage, One Million Years BC, Thunderbirds Are Go
1971 – 55th anniversary
A Clockwork Orange – Right here, 1971 is when we start to see a rapid increase in the number of notable genre films. There were some great ones, especially in 1971 (as you can see below), but we still can’t get this masterpiece by Stanley Kubrick out of our minds and probably never will.
Too: Diamonds Are Forever, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, The Omega Man, THX 1138, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
1976 – 50th anniversary
carry – Marking 50 years since Sissy Spacek’s historic performance in this Stephen King adaptation, Hollywood is currently working on a new version from King superfan Mike Flanagan. A great movie, an incredible milestone and, frankly, a perfect way to celebrate an amazing year overall.
Too: Assault on Precinct 13, Freaky Friday, King Kong, Logan’s Run, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Marathon Man, The Omen, Robin and Marion
1981 – 45th anniversary
raiders of the lost ark – nothing is useless raiders of the lost ark Or the year it was released, but the 45th anniversary is kind of lame, right? This is so close to that all-important 50th anniversary that it’s almost not worth mentioning. But when you look at movies like this one and others released in 1981, it’s easy to get excited for this year and 2031.
Too: An American Werewolf in London, Clash of the Titans, Dragonslayer, Escape from New York, The Evil Dead, Excalibur, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Great Muppet Caper, Halloween II, Heavy Metal, History of the World Part I, Scanners, Superman II, Time Bandits
1986 – 40th anniversary
aliens – As you read this, James Cameron has grossed his fourth consecutive billion dollars in theaters. So it’s funny to remember that he did this long before he became “King of the World” aliensOne of the best sequels ever. He’s been kicking ass for over 40 years.
Too: An American Tale, Big Trouble in Little China, Blue Velvet, Critters, Flight of the Navigator, The Fly, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, The Golden Child, The Great Mouse Detective, Highlander, Howard the Duck, The Karate Kid Part II, King Kong Lives, Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, Maximum Overdrive, Night of the Creeps, Robotech: The Movie, Short Circuit, Solarbabies, Spacecamp, Stand by Me, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Transformers: The Movie, The Wraith
1991 – 35th anniversary
the silence of the Lambs – If you look back at the list of Best Picture Oscar winners, the silence of the Lambs Sticks like a bottle of Chianti. Never before has a film with so many distinctive horror elements been given this much respect. And, this year, we honor that milestone in the history of the genre.
Too: The Addams Family, An American Tale: Fievel Goes West, Beauty and the Beast, Hook, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, The People Under the Stairs, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Rocketeer, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of Oz, Terminator 2: judgment day
1996 – 30th anniversary
Independence Day – It’s hard to describe what the movies of 1996 were like. For me, at age 16, I was basically going to the theater every week, watching movies that changed the way I thought about life, love, and cinema. However, among my favorites was this sci-fi disaster epic, which at the time felt much bigger and grander than anything I’d ever seen before. Can’t believe it’s been 30 years.
Too: 101 Dalmatians, The Cable Guy, The Craft, Dragonheart, Fargo, The Frighteners, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Island of Dr. Moreau, James and the Giant Peach, Jingle All the Way, Mars Attacks!, Matilda, Mission: Impossible, Multiplicity, Muppet Treasure Island, The Nutty Professor, The Rock, Scream, Star Trek: First Contact, Space Jam, Twister
2001 – 25th anniversary
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – However, as creative as 1996 was, 2001 kind of blows it out of the water. Just look at this list of movies below. And, of course, the year ended the Fellowship of the RingA game-changer of an experience that we still look back on and discuss today. On this, and their silver jubilee, let’s celebrate all these films.
Too: AI Artificial Intelligence, Amélie, Donnie Darko, The Fast and the Furious, Hannibal, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Josie and the Pussycats, Jurassic Park III, A Knight’s Tale, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Memento, Monsters Inc., Moulin Rouge!, Mulholland Drive, The Mummy Returns, Planet of the Apes, Shrek, Spirited Away, Spy Kids, Vanilla Sky, Waking Life, Zoolander
2006 – 20th anniversary
children of Men – Alfonso Cuaron’s fantastic, dystopian vision of the future feels even more relevant now than it did 20 years ago. And yet, somehow, children of Men This seems like one of those incredible movies that doesn’t get talked about enough. It definitely should be.
Too: 300, Cars, Casino Royale, The Descent, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Fountain, Happy Feet, High School Musical, Mission: Impossible III, Night at the Museum, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Prestige, A Scanner Darkly, Slither, Snakes on a Plane, Superman Returns, V For Vendetta, X-Men: The Last Stand
2011 – 15th anniversary
fast Five – It took 10 years fast and furious A franchise that grew from a fun, street-level racing film in 2001 into a full-blown mega-franchise. But, this happened to Justin Lynn in 2011 fast FiveSince then, the results have certainly been mixed, and we still don’t know where things are going, but it can’t be denied that 15 years ago, fast Five Took action films to a different level.
Too: The Adventures of Tintin, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Cabin in the Woods, Cowboys and Aliens, The Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hobo with a Shotgun, Hugo, Insidious, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Muppets, Paul, Puss in Boots, Rango, Real Steel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes Apes, Scream 4, Sucker Punch, Super, Super 8, Thor, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, X-Men: First Class
2016 – 10th anniversary
dead pool – All the movies of 2016 are so fresh in our minds that it is difficult to choose just one to highlight. but i’m going along dead poolSimply because the character remains so popular and relevant. It honestly seems like a big-screen version of this character has been around for over 10 years, but alas, that hasn’t been the case. However, we also think he’ll be around for many more years, with all these excellent movies celebrating a decade.
Too: 10 Cloverfield Lane, Arrival, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Blair Witch, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, La La Land, Moana, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Sausage Party, Suicide Squad, Swiss Army Man, Terrorizer, Train to Busan, The Witch, Your Name, Zootopia
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
<a href