The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first installments of the Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, Spy Kids, Monsters, Inc. and Shrek franchises, and The Lord of the Rings and Ocean's trilogies. Significant non-English language films released included Monsoon Wedding, Amélie and Spirited Away. There was one film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that passed over $1 billion in a re-release of 2020. Highest-grossing films The top 10 films released in 2001 by worldwide gross are as follows: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone grossed $974 million, and became the second highest-grossing film of all time. It was also the highest-grossing film in the Harry Potter film franchise before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 surpassed it in 2011. 2001 was the first time that two films released in the same year grossed more than $800 million at the box office, with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring surpassing the milestone. Events May 18 - Shrek was released to critical acclaim and went on to win the inaugural Best Animated Feature Film Oscar the following year. June 22 – The Fast and the Furious is released, launching one of the highest-grossing franchises in film history. August 8 – Actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorce. November 2 – Monsters, Inc. opens with the best ticket sales ever for an animated film and the 6th-best of all time. November 16 and December 19 – The beginning of two acclaimed fantasy film series based on best-selling novels: Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, respectively.Award ceremonies 6th Empire AwardsAwards 2001 Wide-release films January–March April–June July–September October–December Notable films released in 2001 United States unless stated # 12 Hours (12 Horas) - (Puerto Rico) 15 Minutes, starring Robert De Niro, Edward Burns and Kelsey Grammer 3000 Miles to Graceland, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, David Arquette and Courteney Cox The 51st State, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle and Emily Mortimer - (UK) 61*, directed by Billy Crystal, starring Barry Pepper and Thomas JaneA A.I. Artificial Intelligence, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Haley Joel Osment, William Hurt, Frances O'Connor, Jude Law and Brendan Gleeson Absolute 100 (Apsolutnih sto) – (Yugoslavia) Address Unknown (uchwiin bulmyeong) – (South Korea) The Affair of the Necklace, starring Hilary Swank Ali, directed by Michael Mann, starring Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles and Ron Silver All About Lily Chou-Chou (Rirī Shushu no Subete) – (Japan) All Over the Guy Along Came a Spider, directed by Lee Tamahori, starring Morgan Freeman and Monica Potter The Amati Girls, starring Cloris Leachman, Mercedes Ruehl and Sean Young Amélie (a.k.a. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, starring Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz – (France) The American Astronaut American Outlaws, starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan and Ali Larter American Pie 2, starring Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein, Shannon Elizabeth and Eugene Levy America's Sweethearts, starring Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal and Catherine Zeta-Jones Amy's Orgasm Angel Eyes, starring Jennifer Lopez and Jim Caviezel Animal (Animalada) – (Argentina) The Animal, starring Rob Schneider and John C. McGinley The Anniversary Party, directed by and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, with Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates Another Life, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Imelda Staunton and Tom Wilkinson – (UK) Antitrust, starring Ryan Phillippe and Claire Forlani As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me (So weit die Füße tragen) – (Germany) Aśoka – (India) Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner – (Canada) Atlantis: The Lost Empire, with the voices of Michael J. Fox and John Mahoney Avalon – (Japan) Ayyam El Sadat (The Days of Sadat) – (Egypt)B Baby Boy, directed by John Singleton Bandits, directed by Barry Levinson, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett The Bank, starring David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia – (Australia) Baran (Rain) – (Iran) A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg and Ed Harris Behind Enemy Lines, starring Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman Behind the Sun (Abril Despedaçado) – (Brazil) Beijing Bicycle (Shí qī suì de dān chē) – (China) Beijing Rocks (Bak Ging lok yue liu) – (Hong Kong) Berlin Babylon – (Germany) The Believer, starring Ryan Gosling Big Bad Love, directed by and starring Arliss Howard, with Debra Winger, Rosanna Arquette and Angie Dickinson Big Man, Little Love (Büyük Adam Küçük Aşk) – (Turkey) Bintou – (Burkina Faso) Birthday Girl, starring Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin – (UK) Black Chicks Talking – (Australia) Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore and Sam Shepard Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence Blow, directed by Ted Demme starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ray Liotta, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens Bolivia – (Argentina/Netherlands) A Boy Named Sue Brainstorm (Bicho de Sete Cabeças) – (Brazil) Bread and Milk (Kruh in mleko) – (Slovenia) Bridget Jones's Diary, starring Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent – (UK) Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des loups), starring Vincent Cassel – (France) The Brothers, starring Morris Chestnut and D. L. Hughley Bubble Boy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal Buffalo Soldiers, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Anna Paquin, Ed Harris, Idris Elba and Elizabeth McGovern Bully, starring Brad Renfro Bungee Jumping of Their Own (Beonjijeompeureul hada) – (South Korea) The Bunker, starring Jason Flemyng – (UK)C CQ, directed by Roman Coppola, starring Jeremy Davies, Jason Schwartzman, Giancarlo Giannini and Gérard Depardieu A Cab for Three (Taxi para tres) – (Chile) Captain Corelli's Mandolin, directed by John Madden starring Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, John Hurt and Penélope Cruz – (UK/US/France) Carving Out Our Name The Cat's Meow, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann and Joanna Lumley – (UK/US/Germany) Cats & Dogs, starring Jeff Goldblum and Elizabeth Perkins with the voices of Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin and Charlton Heston – (US/Australia) The Center of the World, starring Peter Sarsgaard and Molly Parker Chandni Bar, starring Tabu – (India) Chaos – (France) Charlotte Gray, directed by Gillian Armstrong, starring Cate Blanchett – (UK/Australia/Germany) A Chronicle of Corpses, directed by Andrew Repasky McElhinney, starring Marj Dusay, Oliver Wyman, Margot White, Ryan Foley, Kevin Mitchell Martin, David Semonin, (USA) La Ciénaga (The Swamp) – (Argentina/Spain/France) The Closet (Le Placard), starring Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu – (Fr.... 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