As cinephiles look on to what is anticipated to be an amazing year in film and television, it’s almost unbelievable that two decades have passed since the release of certain 2004 movies. 2004 was packed with several exciting, high box-office-earning sequels, first installments, and standalone films. Most notably, the year presented several blockbusters in several genres.
Interestingly, memorable movies like Starsky & Hutch, You Got Served, The Prince & Me, White Chicks, King Arthur, Man on Fire, The Machinist, Catwoman, Kung Fu Hustle, and Hotel Rwanda were all released in 2004. Although 2004 may seem a distant past to a newer generation of film audiences, to others, the 2000s remains one of the greatest decades in modern American cinema. These are some of the top, most popular movies of 2004 that are turning 20 in 2024.
50 First Dates (2004)
Peter Segal‘s romantic comedy 50 First Dates starred Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as the movie’s cast leads. The film’s plot follows a marine veterinarian, Henry Roth (Adam Sandler), who falls in love with Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore). After he discovers she has a form of amnesia that makes her forget who he is when she wakes up every day, he fights to win her heart and make her fall in love with him every day.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Perhaps one of the most notable movies turning 20 in 2024, the Mel Gibson-directed epic biblical drama The Passion of the Christ still remains the highest-grossing Christian film of all time two decades later. Grossing $612.1 million on a $30 million budget, The Passion of the Christ was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2004. It also holds the record as the highest-grossing independent film of all time. The Passion of the Christ focuses on the death of the biblical Jesus Christ.
Hellboy (2004)
Hellboy was the first of the two Guillermo del Toro-directed superhero films based on the comic character. With the movie’s theatrical release on April 2, 2004, Hellboy became the first live-action film in the franchise. It was the first time Ron Perlman was portraying the character.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
It seems like only yesterday that actress Jennifer Garner was playing Jenna Rink in the fantasy romantic comedy 13 Going on 30. The film’s plot follows 13-year-old Jenna Rink, who makes a wish to be 30. When she awakes the next morning to her wish being granted, she tries to piece together the last 17 years of her life and make amends. Besides its iconic musicals and dance, 13 Going on 30 also starred Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis.
Mean Girls (2004)
With the 2024 musical teen comedy Mean Girls releasing in 2024, it is the perfect two-decade celebration/reboot of the original film, which premiered theatrically on April 30, 2004. The Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams cast helped turn the 2004 teen comedy into a cult classic. Produced on an $18 million budget, the 2004 Mean Girls grossed a whopping $130.1 million at the Box Office. Not only is Mean Girls turning 20 in 2024, but the movie will be getting a musical adaptation which is set to arrive on the big screen on January, 19, 2024.
Van Helsing (2004)
Although not a critics’ favorite, Stephen Sommers‘ Van Helsing film was one of the biggest horror/vampire films of the 2000s. Between his early days of playing James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine, Hugh Jackman was cast as Van Helsing, the legendary hunter of monsters. Jackman co-starred alongside Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, and David Wenham.
Troy (2004)
If ever there was doubt on how long 20 years has been, a good reminder of how film audiences have aged is remembering Troy was released theatrically on May 14, 2004. Troy remains one of Hollywood’s most successful and iconic epic historical war films. Loosely based on Homer‘s Iliad, Troy depicted the fall of the historical city of Troy. The movie’s iconic cast included Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, and Rose Byrne.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Day After Tomorrow is one of the greatest end-of-the-world movies of the 2000s. The Roland Emmerich-directed science fiction disaster film cast top Hollywood actors like Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, and Sela Ward. With box office earnings of $552.6 million, falling behind The Passion of the Christ, it became the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2004.
The Notebook (2004)
An iconic movie turning 20 in 2024, The Notebook is still widely beloved. Although a sleeper hit, director Nick Cassavetes‘ romantic drama became a cult classic. The Notebook grossed $117.8 million on a $29 million production budget. Based on Nicholas Sparks‘ 1996 novel, The Notebook starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as its lead stars.
Collateral (2004)
The Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx-led neo-noir action thriller Collateral was voted amongst the year’s top ten films by the National Board of Review. It cast Tom Cruise in an against type role as a ruthless hitman who hires/holds hostage a Los Angeles cab driver as his getaway driver. Collateral was a commercial success, grossing $220.9 million on a $65 million budget.
I, Robot (2004)
I, Robot was one of the best Artificial Intelligence movies in the early to mid-2000s. While its plot felt more science fiction than possible, two decades later, it’s a worthy textbook for conspiracy theorists to use against the advancement of AI technology. I, Robot was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards but lost to Sam Raimi‘s sequel, Spider-Man 2. I, Robot, starred Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, and Bruce Greenwood.
The Aviator (2004)
The critically acclaimed epic biographical drama The Aviator received 11 Academy Awards nominations across the different categories. Regarded as one of director Martin Scorsese‘s masterpieces, The Aviator rode to success on the backs of its storyline and star-studded cast. The Aviator‘s top cast included Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, Danny Huston, Jude Law, and Willem Dafoe.
The Incredibles (2004)
2004 saw the release of the first installment, The Incredibles, of what would later become a popular franchise. Produced on a $92–145 million budget, The Incredibles finished its theatrical run with a box office gross of $631.6 million. It became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004. The Incredibles won two awards at the 77th Academy Awards – Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing.
Saw (2004)
The James Wan-directed Saw premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January but had a theatrical release in October 2004. It became the first installment of the super-successful Saw film series. Offered a small budget of $1 million–$1.2 million, Wan shot the horror film in less than three weeks (18 days). Grossing $103.9 million at the Box Office, Saw (2004) became one of the most profitable movies of that year.
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of RnB musician Ray Charles is regarded as one of the actor’s best performances of his career. 2004 was an exceptional year for Foxx, and he received Academy Awards nominations for two of his three roles in films released that year. Although he didn’t win for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Collateral, Jamie Foxx won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Ray. The independent biographical musical drama also starred Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis, Terrence Howard, Harry Lennix, and Bokeem Woodbine.
Besides these 15 movies, 2004 was also filled with several notable sequels like Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Kill Bill: Volume 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Meet the Fockers, and Ocean’s Twelve, which also turned 20 in 2024. Interestingly, the top 3 highest-grossing movies of 2004 were all sequels. These include Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 ($789 million), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ($798 million), and Shrek 2 ($935.3 million). A few other noteworthy mentions of movies that turn 20 in 2024 are Around the World in 80 Days, The Terminal, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Shark Tale, Cellular, National Treasure, Taxi, and Halle Berry‘s Catwoman.