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15 years ago - May 2001

May 4th new releases:
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy was big, but The Mummy Returns was bigger. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz return for the sequel to the Indiana Jones-style adventure released in 1999. In this film, the archaeologists trigger the resurrection of Imhotep, played by Arnold Vosloo. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) gets his first film role as The Scorpion King; he'd play the lead role in the 2002 spinoff prequel. Reviews were not as strong for this film as its predecessor, but audiences returned to see the adventure, special effects, and some light comedy. The Mummy Returns opened at #1 with $68 million from 3,401 theaters, the third biggest opening of 2001 and a new May opening weekend record, previously held by Mission: Impossible II. The Mummy Returns went on to gross $202 million in the U.S. and $433 million worldwide, putting it just above Pearl Harbor for the year.

May 11th new releases:
A Knight's Tale
I need to redo my all-time favorite movies list because A Knight's Tale belongs in my Top Ten. Some criticized the use of modern music (Queen, David Bowie, AC/DC) in a movie set during the Middle Ages, but I thought it was perfectly suited to the tone of the comedy-adventure. The energy we saw from Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You is in full effect here in the form of his squire-turned-faux-knight who is desperate to change his fate and win the heart of the girl played by Shannon Sossamon. Paul Bettany also comes out of nowhere to nearly steal the show as hype-master Geoffrey Chaucer. Even the villain and Ledger's supporting cast are great. It's one of those movies that just inspires boundless optimism, and is that much more bittersweet when you think about how much more Ledger had in store had he not passed prematurely. A Knight's Tale opened at #2 with $16.5 million from 2,980 theaters and went on to gross $56 million. This was Ledger's best box office performance until Brokeback Mountain was released at the end of 2005.

May 18th new releases:
Shrek / Angel Eyes / Moulin Rouge!
Shrek wasn't the first movie from DreamWorks Animation but certainly was the movie that established the studio's firm presence in the industry. Like Toy Story, Shrek was accessible for children, but it also made adults laugh. Both Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy were coincidentally reaching a low point in their live action film careers, so Shrek turned out to be a fortunate boon. For starters, Shrek opened at #1 with $42 million from 3,587 theaters and went on to earn $267 million in the U.S. That made it the third highest grossing film of 2001 and second highest grossing animated film (after The Lion King) to date. Then it was nominated for Best Writing and won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars the first time that category was created. From there, the franchise became a money-making machine. Three direct film sequels and a Puss in Boots spinoff, television specials, and countless toys and related merchandise have been released in the past 15 years, extending the franchise even after its film series ended in 2010/2011.

Moulin Rouge! opened at just two theaters this weekend (with a huge $83,770 per-site average) but would receive wide release expansion on June 1st. Baz Luhrmann's visually stunning musical set in 1899 stars Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for an Oscar, and Ewan McGregor. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Cinematography, Editing, Makeup, and Sound, and won the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. By the end of its run it had grossed $57 million, Luhrmann's best career result until The Great Gatsby in 2013.


May 25th new releases:
Pearl Harbor
As audiences could expect from Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer, Pearl Harbor is a big, epic spectacle and glossy telling of the WWII battle. Ben Affleck leads an ensemble that includes Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alec Baldwin, and Jon Voight as FDR. Reviews were poor and the film earned a Worst Picture Razzie Award nomination, but it's hard to deny the technical achievement of the production. The cinematography over the cliffs of Dover is especially impressive. The film earned Oscar nominations for Best Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects, and Original Song ("There You'll Be"), winning for Sound Editing. Pearl Harbor earned $59 million for Friday-to-Sunday and $75 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend. It took in $198 million in the U.S. and $449 million total worldwide, putting it in the top ten box office hits for the year.

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