Overview of the events of 2008 in film
The year 2008 involved many major film events. The Dark Knight was the year's highest-grossing film, while Slumdog Millionaire won the Academy Award for Best Picture (out of eight Academy Awards).
Evaluation of the year
2008 has been widely considered to be a very significant year for cinema.
The entertainment agency website IGN described 2008 as "one of the biggest years ever for movies." It stated, "2008 was the year when the comic book movie genre not only hits its zenith, but also gained critical respectability thanks to The Dark Knight. Animated films also proved a huge draw for filmgoers, with Pixar's WALL-E becoming not only the highest grossing toon but also the most lauded. Things got off on the right foot with the monster movie madness of Cloverfield. Marvel got down to business laying the groundwork for their superhero team-up The Avengers with the blockbuster hit Iron Man and their respectable attempt at rebooting The Incredible Hulk. The games-to-film genre took a hit this year, with only Max Payne proving to be a worthy adaptation of the source material. We also saw the highly anticipated big-screen returns of iconic characters like Batman, James Bond, and Indiana Jones – some were more successful than others."[1]
The film industry and review website IndieWire described 2008 as "a stellar year for movies" that "gave us tons of unforgettable classics" such as The Wrestler, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and Che.[2]
Highest-grossing films
The top 10 films released in 2008 by worldwide gross are as follows:[3]
- ^ Excludes grosses from subsequent re-releases.
For 2008, the top ten films consisted of three superhero films, three animated films, three action films and one musical film.
Box office records
- In the domestic box office, 2008 came very close in passing 2007 as the highest-grossing year, falling short by just $30 million.
- On August 4, The Dark Knight reached a $400 million domestic gross in a record time of 18 days. The previous record was held by Shrek 2, which reached it in 43 days.[5] On August 31, after 45 days in release, The Dark Knight reached $500 million domestically, becoming only the second film in history after Titanic to cross the half-billion-dollar domestic milestone, as well as the first film of the 2000s decade. Worldwide, it grossed $997 million on its initial release,[4] and an IMAX reissue[6] in 2009 saw it become the fourth film to gross $1 billion at the global box office.[7][8] It also surpassed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the highest-grossing film ever distributed by Warner Bros. until it was surpassed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011.
- Mamma Mia! became the highest-grossing film in UK history until it was surpassed by Avatar in 2010.
- Slumdog Millionaire set several records. At the worldwide box office, it became the most successful British independent film of all time.[9] At the UK box office, it became the highest-grossing British independent film (surpassing Four Weddings and a Funeral),[9][10] the highest-grossing British film without US studio investment,[10] and the biggest ever weekly "increase for a UK saturation release" (surpassing Billy Elliot).[11]
Events
Awards
2008 films
By country/region
By genre/medium
Births
- January 24 – Chlaui Malayao, Filipina child actress
- March 14 – Abby Ryder Fortson, American actress
- June 3 – Harshaali Malhotra, Indian actress
- June 10 – Helena Zengel, German actress
- June 14 – Giulia Benite, Brazilian actress
- July 15 – Iain Armitage, American actor
- July 31 – Banks Repeta, American actor
- August 1 – Emma Berman, American actress
- August 5 – Izzy G., American actress
- August 31 – Milo Machado-Graner, French actor
- September 18 – Jackson Robert Scott, American actor
- November 23 – Asher Blinkoff, American actor
- December 22 – Madeleine McGraw, American actress
- December – Chloe Coleman, American actress
Deaths
Film debuts
See also
References
- ^ "Movies 2008 Year in Review". IGN. 2008-12-17. Archived from the original on 2023-04-17.
- ^ 10 Best Films of 2008
- ^ "2008 Worldwide Box Office". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Warner Bros. Entertainment Wraps Record-Breaking Year" (Press release). Warner Bros. January 8, 2009. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016.
- ^ a b "The Dark Knight Breaks $400 Million in Record Time". 2008-08-05. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ "The Dark Knight Re-Release IMAX Locations". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline. January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Gray, Brandon (February 20, 2009). "Billion Dollar Batman". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "All Time Worldwide Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009.
- ^ a b "Statistical Yearbook 10" (PDF). UK Film Council. 2010. pp. 6, 16–9, 24–6, 32–7, 46–7, 83–9, 112–8. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via British Film Institute.
- ^ a b "Statistical Yearbook 11" (PDF). UK Film Council. 2011. pp. 25–6, 109. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via British Film Institute.
- ^ "Slumdog Mauls Box Office Record". Sky News. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 January 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
- ^ Adam Dawtrey (2008-04-28). "Edinburgh Launches Cult Film Sidebar". Variety. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
External links
- List of 2008 films at IMDb
- 2008 Domestic Grosses at Box Office Mojo
- List of 2008 deaths at IMDb
- List of 2008 births at IMDb
