The magic of the familiar.

While looking at the list of Top Grossing American films of the decade, it is hard not to notice that all of them are cinema versions of fairy tales. Moreover, it appears that movie audiences had been well primed by either a popular comic strip, a book, or previous movie based on the same characters. Technology-wise, the development of computer graphics enabled creation of magical effects that were practically impossible during the previous decade.

The Dark Night
Release date: 7/18/08
Domestic boxoffice: $533.3 million

Shrek 2
Release date: 5/19/04
Domestic boxoffice: $436.7 million

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Release date: 7/7/06
Domestic boxoffice: $423.3 million



Spider-Man
Release date: 5/3/02
Domestic boxoffice: $403.7 million

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Release date: 6/24/09
Domestic boxoffice: $402.1 million

Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith
Release date: 5/19/05
Domestic boxoffice: $380.3 million

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Release date: 12/17/03
Domestic boxoffice: $377 million

Spider-Man 2
Release date: 6/30/04
Domestic boxoffice: $373.4 million

The Passion of the Christ
Release date: 2/25/04
Domestic boxoffice: $370.3 million

The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
Release date: 12/18/02
Domestic boxoffice: $341.8 million

tags: media, psychology, movie, niche construction, bandwagon, mind, pattern, information