Most Popular Movies 2003
This chart shows the 2003 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2003 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2003 - Top 2003 Worldwide
| ← 2002 | Most Popular Overall | 2004 → |
1
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
| Director: Peter Jackson |
| Lead Roles: Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Olando Bloom as Legolas |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 17, 2003 (Wide) by New Line |
| Keywords: Lord of the Rings, Visual Effects, Oscars Best Picture Winner, Character's Journey Shown on Map, Motion Capture Performance, Filmed in Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata, New Zealand, Filmed in Matamata, New Zealand, Filmed in New Zealand, Filmed in Stone Street Studios, Wellington, New Zealand, Filmed in Wellington, New Zealand, Filmed in Rangipo Desert, New Zealand, Filmed in Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, Filmed in Pūtangirua Pinnacles, New Zealand, Filmed in Twizel, New Zealand, Heroic Adventure, 2004 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Animation/Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $379,021,990 |
|
International BO: $742,364,991 |
2
| Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl |
| Director: Gore Verbinski |
| Lead Roles: Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa, Orland Bloom as Will Turner, Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 9, 2003 (Wide) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Pirates, Rescue, Treasure Hunters, Visual Effects, Fugitive / On the Run, 1700s, Motion Capture Performance, Heroic Adventure |
| Classification: Based on Theme Park Ride, Adventure, Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $305,410,819 |
|
International BO: $348,900,000 |
3
| Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise |
| Director: Dai Sijie |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 9, 2003 (Limited) by Soda Pictures (UK), released as Balzac and the Little Chinese Steamstress (United Kingdom) |
| Keywords: Foreign Language, Romance |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $665,260 |
|
International BO: $4,543,228 |
4
| Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat |
| Director: Bo Welch |
| Lead Roles: Mike Myers as The Cat |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 21, 2003 (Wide) by Universal |
| Keywords: Visual Effects, Family Comedy, Famously Bad, Single Parent, Dysfunctional Family, Romance, Relationships Gone Wrong, Gold Digger, Unemployed, False Identity |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Comedy, Live Action, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $101,018,283 |
|
International BO: $32,800,000 |
Synopsis
The trouble-making Cat in the Hat arrives at the home of bored young Sally Walden and her brother, Conrad, while their mother is out. The family’s pet fish objects to the Cat’s presence, but that doesn’t stop the hat-wearing giant feline from trying to have fun, no matter how much destruction is left in his wake.
5
| Lost in Translation |
| Director: Sofia Coppola |
| Lead Roles: Bill Murray as Bob Harris, Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 12, 2003 (Limited) by Focus Features |
| Keywords: Advertising and Marketing, Culture Clash, Language Barrier, Comedy Drama, 2004 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $44,585,453 |
|
International BO: $72,499,844 |
Synopsis
A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte, meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.
6
| Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star |
| Director: Sam Weisman |
| Lead Roles: David Spade as Dickie Roberts |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 5, 2003 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Gratuitous Cameos, Delayed Adulthood, Farcical / Slapstick Comedy, Romance, Relationships Gone Wrong, Comeback, Dysfunctional Family, Screenplay Written By the Star |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $22,734,486 |
|
International BO: $1,000,000 |
7
| Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World |
| Director: Peter Weir |
| Lead Roles: Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 14, 2003 (Wide) by 20th Century Fox |
| Keywords: 2004 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Action Adventure, 1800s, War, On a Boat |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $93,926,386 |
|
International BO: $118,985,751 |
8
| Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle |
| Director: McG |
| Lead Roles: Cameron Diaz as Natalie, Drew Barrymore as Dylan, Lucy Liu as Alex |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 27, 2003 (Wide) by Sony Pictures |
| Keywords: Gratuitous Cameos, Visual Effects |
| Classification: Based on TV, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $100,814,328 |
|
International BO: $126,348,945 |
Synopsis
The Angels are assigned by Charlie to track down a pair of missing rings encoded with the names of every federal witness in the government’s protection and relocation program. The women employ all of the skills seen in the first film in order to stop the bad guys (and bad girls).
9
| The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 12, 2003 (Limited) by Distributor Unknown |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $1,660,865 |
10
| Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life |
| Director: Jan De Bont |
| Lead Roles: Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 25, 2003 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Treasure Hunters, Visual Effects, Chase Adventure, Archaeology, Femme Fatale, MI6, Secret Agent |
| Classification: Based on Game, Adventure, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $65,653,758 |
|
International BO: $91,439,185 |
Synopsis
Lara Croft is back in action and faces her most perilous mission: to recover what ancient civilization believed to be the essence of all evil, Pandora’s Box. She must travel the globe, from Greece to Hong Kong to Kenya and beyond to get to the box before it’s found by a maniacal scientist whose plan is to use it for mass annihilation. For this adventure, Lara recruits her ex-partner — Terry Sheridan — a dangerous mercenary who has previously betrayed Lara and their country. She knows he’s the best for the mission, but can she trust him again?
11
| Finding Nemo |
| Director: Andrew Stanton |
| Lead Roles: Albert Brooks as Marlin, Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, Barry Humphries as Bruce the Shark |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 30, 2003 (Wide) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Faulty Memory, Underwater, Rescue, Family Movie, 3D Re-release, Talking Animals, Animal Lead, 3-D, Animals Gone Bad, Scene in End Credits, Prologue, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent, Death of a Spouse or Fiancée / Fiancé, Dysfunctional Family, Spoiled Child, 3-D - Post-production Conversion, Filmed in Pixar Animation Studios, Emeryville, CA, Filmed in Emeryville, CA, Filmed in Alameda County, CA, Filmed in California, United States, Filmed in United States, Family Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $380,529,370 |
|
International BO: $555,565,482 |
Synopsis
The momentous journey of an overprotective clownfish named Marlin and his young son Nemo—who become separated when Nemo is unexpectedly taken far from his ocean home in the Great Barrier Reef to a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory, a friendly-but-forgetful blue tang, Marlin embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey to rescue his son—who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home.
12
| Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas |
| Director: Tim Johnson, Patrick Gilmore |
| Lead Roles: Brad Pitt as Sinbad |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 2, 2003 (Wide) by Dreamworks SKG |
| Keywords: Family Adventure, Sword and Sandal, False Identity, Framed, Friends Reuniting, Romance, Love Triangle |
| Classification: Based on Folk Tale/Legend/Fairytale, Adventure, Hand Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $26,483,452 |
|
International BO: $54,284,432 |
13
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| Oldboy |
| Director: Park Chan-wook |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 21, 2003 (Wide) (South Korea) |
| Keywords: Film Noir |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $2,458,110 |
|
International BO: $5,510,888 |
Synopsis
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years. Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
14
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines |
| Director: Jonathan Mostow |
| Lead Roles: Arnold Schwarzenegger as T-800, Nick Stahl as John Connor |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 1, 2003 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: End of the World, Time Travel, Visual Effects, Delayed Sequel, Motion Capture Performance |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Animation/Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $150,358,296 |
|
International BO: $282,700,000 |
15
| And now... Ladies and Gentlemen |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 1, 2003 (Limited) by Paramount Vantage |
| Keywords: Foreign Language |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action |
|
Domestic BO: $736,762 |
16
| Annie Brocoli dans les fonds marins |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 19, 2003 (Limited) |
| Keywords: Foreign Language |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action |
|
Domestic BO: $374,360 |
17
| The Matrix Reloaded |
| Director: Andy Wachowski |
| Lead Roles: Keanu Reeves as Neo |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 15, 2003 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Visual Effects, Post Apocalypse, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, IMAX: DMR, Posthumous Release |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Animation/Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $281,553,689 |
|
International BO: $457,023,240 |
18
| Hulk |
| Director: Ang Lee |
| Lead Roles: Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 20, 2003 (Wide) by Universal |
| Keywords: Marvel Comics, Visual Effects, Split Screen, Motion Capture Performance |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $132,177,234 |
|
International BO: $112,854,445 |
19
| The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
| Director: Stephen Norrington |
| Lead Roles: Sean Connery as Allan Quartermain |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 11, 2003 (Wide) by 20th Century Fox |
| Keywords: D.C. Comics, Steampunk, Heroic Adventure, Franchise Crossover, 1890s, Betrayal, Surprise Twist, Underwater, Mad Scientist, Famously Bad |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Adventure, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $66,465,204 |
|
International BO: $112,800,000 |
20
| Freaky Friday |
| Director: Mark Waters |
| Lead Roles: Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman, Lindsay Lohan as Annabell Coleman |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 6, 2003 (Wide) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Body Swap |
| Classification: Remake, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $110,222,438 |
|
International BO: $50,600,000 |
21
| X-Men 2 |
| Director: Bryan Singer |
| Lead Roles: Patrick Stewart as Prof. Charles Xavier, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Ian McKellen as Magneto |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 30, 2003 (Wide), released as X-men 2 (Australia) |
| Keywords: Visual Effects, Marvel Comics, Faulty Memory, Mutants, Assassination, Political, High School, Prison Break |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $214,949,694 |
|
International BO: $191,398,936 |
22
| Bruce Almighty |
| Director: Tom Shadyac |
| Lead Roles: Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 23, 2003 (Wide) by Universal |
| Keywords: Secret Magic, Supernatural |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $242,704,995 |
|
International BO: $241,763,613 |
23
| Painted Fire |
| Director: Kwon-taek Im |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 14, 2003 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Biography |
| Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
|
Domestic BO: $59,413 |
|
International BO: $31,518 |
24
| Mona Lisa Smile |
| Director: Mike Newell |
| Lead Roles: Julia Roberts as Katherine Watson, Kirsten Dunst as Betty Warren |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 19, 2003 (Wide) by Sony Pictures |
| Keywords: College, Inspirational Teacher, Eloping, Coming-of-Age Drama, Coming of Age |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $63,803,100 |
|
International BO: $77,402,069 |
25
| Breaking Free |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 24, 2003 (Wide), released as Vapaaksi (Finland) |