There’s something about movie anniversaries that sharpen the passage of time. 2005 doesn’t seem that long ago, and then you remember that Borat or 300 wouldn’t come out for another year.
But 2005 was a big year. American Idol. The White Sox swept the Astros. iPod Nano. YouTube launched. Mid-2000s nostalgia is real.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. So go pick up some Just For Men hair dye and a walker, because these 20 movies turn 20 next year (2025).
1. Batman Begins
- Release Date: June 15, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Liam Neeson as Ra’s al Ghul, and Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes.
- Fun Fact: Christian Bale’s intense workout regimen allowed him to gain over 100 pounds after drastically slimming down for The Machinist just a year prior.
2. Wedding Crashers
- Release Date: July 15, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Owen Wilson as John Beckwith, Vince Vaughn as Jeremy Grey, Rachel McAdams as Claire Cleary, and Isla Fisher as Gloria Cleary.
- Fun Fact: The “crashers’ rules” were so popular that fans created real-life versions and shared them online.
3. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
- Release Date: August 19, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Steve Carell as Andy, Catherine Keener as Trish, Paul Rudd as David, and Seth Rogen as Cal.
- Fun Fact: The waxing scene was completely real, and Steve Carell’s hilarious reaction was 100% authentic.
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Release Date: November 18, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort.
- Fun Fact: Ralph Fiennes insisted on barefoot rehearsals for Voldemort to capture the character’s eerie movements.
5. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Release Date: June 10, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Brad Pitt as John Smith and Angelina Jolie as Jane Smith.
- Fun Fact: The house used for the Smiths’ home had been featured in other productions, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Release Date: December 9, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, and Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan.
- Fun Fact: Georgie Henley’s reaction to seeing Narnia for the first time was genuine—she wasn’t allowed to see the set before filming.
7. Hitch
- Release Date: February 11, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Will Smith as Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, Kevin James as Albert Brennaman, Eva Mendes as Sara, and Amber Valletta as Allegra.
- Fun Fact: Eva Mendes improvised the memorable allergic reaction scene, making it one of the film’s standout moments.
8. Walk the Line
- Release Date: November 18, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter.
- Fun Fact: Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon performed all the songs themselves, earning critical acclaim for their singing.
9. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- Release Date: May 19, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala, and Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine.
- Fun Fact: The film includes the longest lightsaber duel in the entire Star Wars franchise, lasting over 12 minutes.
10. Brokeback Mountain
- Release Date: December 9, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar, Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist, Michelle Williams as Alma, and Anne Hathaway as Lureen.
- Fun Fact: The actors spent a month learning how to herd sheep to prepare for their roles.
11. V for Vendetta
- Release Date: March 17, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond.
- Fun Fact: The mask worn by V became a symbol for activist groups like Anonymous in the years following the movie.
12. Madagascar
- Release Date: May 27, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Ben Stiller as Alex, Chris Rock as Marty, Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria, and David Schwimmer as Melman.
- Fun Fact: Sacha Baron Cohen improvised much of King Julien’s dialogue, including the iconic “Move It, Move It.”
13. The Descent
- Release Date: August 4, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Shauna Macdonald as Sarah and Natalie Mendoza as Juno.
- Fun Fact: The cast trained with professional cavers to make their performances more realistic.
14. Sin City
- Release Date: April 1, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Mickey Rourke as Marv, Bruce Willis as Hartigan, Jessica Alba as Nancy, and Rosario Dawson as Gail.
- Fun Fact: The entire movie was shot against a green screen, with the backgrounds added in post-production.
15. King Kong
- Release Date: December 14, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll, and Andy Serkis as King Kong (motion capture).
- Fun Fact: Andy Serkis studied gorilla behavior for weeks to prepare for his motion-capture performance.
16. Fantastic Four
- Release Date: July 8, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba as Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as The Thing.
- Fun Fact: Chris Evans was known for bringing his own sense of humor to the role of Human Torch, improvising several of his lines.
17. Crash
- Release Date: May 6, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Sandra Bullock as Jean, Don Cheadle as Graham, Matt Dillon as Ryan, and Thandiwe Newton as Christine.
- Fun Fact: The movie was shot on a relatively small budget of $6.5 million but went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
18. The Island
- Release Date: July 22, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Ewan McGregor as Lincoln Six Echo and Scarlett Johansson as Jordan Two Delta.
- Fun Fact: The futuristic vehicles were designed by the same team behind Minority Report.
19. War of the Worlds
- Release Date: June 29, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier and Dakota Fanning as Rachel Ferrier.
- Fun Fact: The eerie alien tripod sound was created by blending various animal noises and mechanical sounds.
20. Serenity
- Release Date: September 30, 2005
- Actors and Roles: Nathan Fillion as Mal Reynolds, Gina Torres as Zoe Washburne, and Summer Glau as River Tam.
- Fun Fact: Fans of Firefly campaigned for years to bring the series to the big screen, and their dedication paid off with Serenity.
Conclusion
It’s hard to believe these movies are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025. Each one played a role in defining the pop culture of 2005, and they still hold a special place in our hearts.
