Science-Fiction in Television/Film

A Trip To The Moon

Sep 1, 1902

Considered to be the first ever film, thus is the first sci-fi movie.

Frankenstein

Mar 18, 1910

First movie to introduce the 'mad scientist' theme, and entering sci-fi horror.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Dec 24, 1916

First sci-fi feature-length film at 105 minutes.

The Lost World

Feb 2, 1925

First science-fiction film to feature dinosaurs.

Metropolis

Jan 10, 1927

First film to be set in the far future. Metropolis was also the first big budget movie.

King Kong

Mar 2, 1933

Distinguished for its stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien.

Flash Gordon

Apr 6, 1936

First science-fiction film serial, told in 13 installments. It introduced the first cliche sci-fi themes such as space travel and gadgets.

Adventures of Captain Marvel

Mar 28, 1941

First ever televised media production based on a comic book. They were movie serials aimed at children.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

Mar 5, 1943

One of the first film crossovers was Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, in 1943. This was also perhaps the beginning of a film legacy of monsters brawling each other

Captain Video and His Video Rangers

Jun 27, 1949

First ever science-fiction television series. Aimed at children.

Destination Moon

Jun 27, 1950

After a long decline in film production Destination Moon was the first sci-fi movie after The Great War. It was the first major U. S. science fiction film to deal with the dangers inherent in space travel and with the possible difficulties of landing on and safely returning from our only satellite.

The Thing from Another World

Apr 27, 1951

The film that helps start the popularity for alien movies.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Sep 18, 1951

Continues the alien hype.

Superman and the Mole Men

Nov 23, 1951

First feature-length film based on a comic book. Basically the first Superhero movie.

Them!

Jun 19, 1954

First film to start the extremely oversized animal genre.

Gojira

Nov 3, 1954

Japanese film Godzilla was the first film to grow into a huge franchise with 27 sequels along with many spin-offs remakes and tributes. Now it is a worldwide cultural icon.

The Twilight Zone

Oct 2, 1959

First major sci-fi television series, aimed at an older audience. Became very popular.

Doctor Who

Nov 23, 1963

Doctor Who is the longest-running science-fiction television series in the world. It has become a British icon and general cult TV favorite.

Batman

Jul 30, 1966

First Batman movie ever made. Batman has become one of the most well-known comic book superheroes in the world.

Star Trek

Sep 8, 1966

Star Trek: The Original Series started the popular franchise set on an exploration starship.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Apr 2, 1968

Regarded as the most influential film in cinema. It had ground-breaking special effects and cocepts ahead of it's time.

Jaws

Jun 20, 1975

It's release is regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history, it is the first film considered a blockbuster, even inspiring the term.

Star Wars

May 25, 1977

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the first film to be released in the hugley succesful Star Wars franchise. It is probably one of the most well known epic space operas, spawning many spin-offs, sequels, parodies and tributes.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Nov 16, 1977

Famous science-fiction film dealing with human contact with aliens. Directed by fiction favorite Steven Spielberg.

Alien

May 25, 1979

Broke new barriers in what horror movies could do. Has since become a cult hit.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Dec 7, 1979

First film of the Star Trek franchise, spawned 5 sequels featuring the original cast.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Jun 11, 1982

Spielberg film showing a boy's encounter with an alien became the most succesful film of the 1980s.

TRON

Jul 9, 1982

First film to use extensive CGI throughout.

The Terminator

Oct 26, 1984

80s pop culture movie directed by James Cameron; dealt with artificially intelligent robots and time travel.

Back to the Future

Jul 3, 1985

Most well-known time travel movie, the beginning of a cult hit trilogy.

Predator

Jun 12, 1987

Another popular film of the 1980s. About an alien warrior in Central America.

Jurassic Park

Jun 11, 1993

Groundbreaking CGI special effects and all round fan favorite of the 90s.

The X-Files

Sep 10, 1993

One of the most well-known science-fiction television series, spawned two movies and has since become loved by many fans.

The Matrix

Mar 31, 1999

The Matrix had a strong effect on action film-making in Hollywood. The film's incorporation of wire fu techniques created high demand for those choreographers and their techniques from other filmmakers, who wanted fights of similar sophistication. The film also introduced the idea that our world is not real.

Star Was Episode I: The Phantom Menace

May 19, 1999

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the start of three prequels to the original Star Wars films, it was the first film to feature a fully CGI main character.

X-Men

Jul 13, 2000

X-Men was the first big-budget superhero movie and sparked the craze for modern comic book adaptions. The film spawned many sequels and spin-offs still being made today.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Jun 29, 2001

This Steven Spielberg production explored the idea of artifical intelligent robots more than any media before it.

Firefly

Sep 20, 2002

A fairly unkown sci-fi series set in on a criminal spaceship was cancelled after one series but went onto gain many fans and is now a cult hit.

Doctor Who

Mar 26, 2005

After it was cancelled in 1989, the BBC rebooted it for a modern audience which has since become a worldwide hit and successful series.

Batman Begins

Jun 10, 2005

Christopher Nolan started the trend of dark, moody comic book movies with The Dark Knight trilogy.

Iron Man

Apr 30, 2008

Iron Man was the first film from Marvel Studios, it started an unpresidented concept of making seperate films with their own characters and stories but all set in the same universe, this one known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Star Trek

May 6, 2009

After the Star Trek franchise seemed to have dwindled, director J.J. Abrams rebooted the films with a younger cast but still cannon, it became a huge hit and was recieved well by fans.

Avatar

Dec 16, 2009

James Cameron's Avatar became the most successful film of the 2000s with it's stunning CGI and major hype.

Inception

Jul 14, 2010

Christopher Nolan's mind-blowing film Inception dealt with the idea of having dreams within a dream. It became widley popular and gave us a certain well-known sound effect...

The Avengers

Apr 25, 2012

The sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a movie which joined all the popular characters of the franchise into one plot and became the 3rd most succesful film at the Box Office.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Sep 24, 2013

The first live-action television series from Marvel Studios. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Interstellar

Nov 5, 2014

Said to be the most accurate depiction of space and theoretical physics put on screen. Deals with the subject of relativity and other dimensions.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Dec 17, 2015

After some unpopular prequels J.J. Abams took on the role of directing a new Star Wars franchise taking place after the orginal trilogy.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Mar 23, 2016

The first live-action feature-film to showcase Batman with Superman, a major comic book movie event,