Sci-fi is one of the most popular genres of popular movies, and today is one of the greatest days in the genre’s history. Sci-fi has shaped film history for over a century now, with movies like Metropolis, Forbidden Planet, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Iron Man, and more inspiring filmmakers and reshaping the art form. These milestones in sci-fi cinema are rare, which is why it’s so interesting that four incredibly influential sci-fi movies were all released on May 25th.
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Summertime has been home to blockbusters since the 1970s, with studios often releasing their tentpole films in the early summer so that they have the entire season to rake in box office profit. Memorial Day weekend in the United States is a major weekend for releases, possibly explaining why these four movies were all released on May 25th.
Four Legendary Sci-Fi Movies Were Released On May 25th
Four sci-fi movies were released on May 25th of their respective years, and they have gone on to become some of the most popular movies of all time. The original Star Wars hit theaters on May 25, 1977, kicking off the enormous sci-fi franchise. George Lucas’ original film made waves upon its theatrical release, starting a craze that is still going on today. Upon its original release, its total domestic box office was $265 million. However, subsequent rereleases led to it being the highest-grossing movie of all time until 1983, with Star Wars today having a box office total of $775.4 million.
Two years later, on May 25, 1979, Ridley Scott’s iconic sci-fi horror film Alien hit theaters. The dark film is considered to be one of the best blends of the two genres, with the Xenomorph becoming one of the most well-known monsters in movie history. After several reissues, the film made around $188 million, making it profitable enough to warrant a sequel. Since then, Alien has expanded into a massive franchise, consisting of multiple sequels and prequels, a TV show, comics, video games, and more.
Back to Star Wars, the sequel, 1980’s Return of the Jedi, expanded on the success of the original and proved that the series had staying power. Thus, the conclusion to the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, was released on May 25, 1983. Although it wasn’t as critically beloved as its predecessors, the third film continued the franchise’s box office success, with it making $482 million after its rereleases.
Only a few years later, May 25, 1990, saw the release of the conclusion of another trilogy: Back to the Future Part III. The third and final film in the Back to the Future franchise saw Marty McFly go back to the Wild West, building off the cliffhanger ending of its predecessor. The movie made $245.1 million, which is a good bit less than the first two films in the franchise. Plus, it wasn’t as critically well-received as its predecessors. However, it is still an iconic film, and it rounds out the collection of four sci-fi films that were released on May 25th.
What Other Movies Were Released On May 25th?
Memorial Day weekend is a popular release window for tons of genres outside of sci-fi, meaning that plenty of other major films have hit theaters on May 25th. The adventure fantasy film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End was released on May 25, 2007, ending the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. This film currently holds the highest Memorial Day opening weekend for a movie released on May 25th, although Top Gun: Maverick holds the record for highest-grossing Memorial Day weekend with its May 27, 2022, release date.
Other less impactful franchise movies that were released on May 25th are 1988’s Crocodile Dundee II, 2012’s Men in Black III, 2017’s Baywatch, and 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. 2001’s Pearl Harbor and 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom are two major original films that were released on the same date as well.
May 25th is one of the most popular picks for movie releases, so it wouldn’t be surprising if more iconic movies could be added to this list a decade down the road. Any time that May 25th falls on a Friday, a new slate of movies will probably hit theaters. May 25th will next fall on a Friday in 2029, meaning that this will probably be home to some other major movies in just a few years.
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