Editing Science fiction film (section)

===1960s-present===
{{See also|List of science fiction films of the 1960s}}

With the [[Space Race]] between the USSR and the US going on, documentaries and illustrations of actual events, pioneers and technology were plenty. Any movie featuring realistic space travel was at risk of being obsolete at its time of release, rather fossil than fiction. There were relatively few science fiction films in the 1960s, but some of the films transformed science fiction cinema. [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' ([[1968 in film|1968]]) brought new realism to the genre, with its groundbreaking visual effects and realistic portrayal of space travel and influenced the genre with its epic story and transcendent philosophical scope. Other 1960s films included ''[[Planet of the Vampires]]'' (1965) by Italian filmmaker [[Mario Bava]], that is regarded as one of the best movies of the period, ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'' (1968) and ''[[Fahrenheit 451 (1966 film)|Fahrenheit 451]]'' ([[1966 in film|1966]]), which provided social commentary, and the campy ''[[Barbarella (film)|Barbarella]]'' (1968), which explored the comical side of earlier science fiction. [[Jean-Luc Godard]]'s French "new wave" film ''[[Alphaville (film)|Alphaville]]'' (1965) posited a futuristic Paris commanded by an artificial intelligence which has outlawed all emotion.

{{See also|List of science fiction films of the 1970s|List of science fiction films of the 1980s}}

The era of crewed trips to the Moon in 1969 and the 1970s saw a resurgence of interest in the science fiction film. [[Andrei Tarkovsky]]'s ''[[Solaris (1972 film)|Solaris]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]) and ''[[Stalker (1979 film)|Stalker]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]) are two widely acclaimed examples of the renewed interest of [[Auteur theory|film ''auteurs'']] in science fiction.<ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2016|place=US|isbn=978-1-4422-6842-5|pages=650–654}}</ref> Science fiction films from the early 1970s explored the theme of paranoia, in which humanity is depicted as under threat from sociological, ecological or technological adversaries of its own creation, such as [[George Lucas]]'s directional debut ''[[THX 1138]]'' ([[1971 in film|1971]]), ''[[The Andromeda Strain (film)|The Andromeda Strain]]'' ([[1971 in film|1971]]), ''[[Silent Running]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]), ''[[Soylent Green]]'' ([[1973 in film|1973]]), ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' ([[1973 in film|1973]]) and its sequel ''[[Futureworld]]'' ([[1976 in film|1976]]), and ''[[Logan's Run (film)|Logan's Run]]'' ([[1976 in film|1976]]). The science fiction comedies of the 1970s included [[Woody Allen]]'s ''[[Sleeper (1973 film)|Sleeper]]'' ([[1973 in film|1973]]), and [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Dark Star (film)|Dark Star]]'' ([[1974 in film|1974]]). The sports science fiction genre can be seen in films such as [[Rollerball (1975 film)|Rollerball]] (1975).

''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' ([[1977 in film|1977]]) and ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' ([[1977 in film|1977]]) were box-office hits that brought about a huge increase in science fiction films. In [[1979 in film|1979]], ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' brought the television series to the big screen for the first time. It was also in this period that the Walt Disney Company released many science fiction films for family audiences such as ''[[The Black Hole (1979 film)|The Black Hole]]'', ''[[Flight of the Navigator]]'', and ''[[Honey, I Shrunk the Kids]]''. The sequels to ''Star Wars'', ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' ([[1980 in film|1980]]) and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' ([[1983 in film|1983]]), also saw worldwide box office success. [[Ridley Scott]]'s films, such as ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]) and ''[[Blade Runner]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]), along with [[James Cameron]]'s ''[[The Terminator]]'' ([[1984 in film|1984]]), presented the future as dark, dirty and chaotic, and depicted aliens and androids as hostile and dangerous. In contrast, [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]), one of the most successful films of the 1980s, presented aliens as benign and friendly, a theme already present in Spielberg's own ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind''. James Bond also entered the science fiction genre in 1979 with ''[[Moonraker (film)|Moonraker]]''.

The big budget adaptations of [[Frank Herbert]]'s ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' and [[Alex Raymond]]'s ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]'', as well as [[Peter Hyams]]'s sequel to ''2001'', ''[[2010: The Year We Make Contact]]'' (based on ''2001'' author [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s sequel novel ''[[2010: Odyssey Two]]''), were box office failures that dissuaded producers from investing in science fiction literary properties. Disney's ''[[Tron]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]) turned out to be a moderate success. The strongest contributors to the genre during the second half of the 1980s were James Cameron and Paul Verhoeven with ''[[The Terminator]]'' and ''[[RoboCop]]'' entries. [[Robert Zemeckis]]' film ''[[Back to the Future]]'' ([[1985 in film|1985]]) and its [[Back to the Future (franchise)|sequels]] were critically praised and became box office successes, not to mention international phenomena. James Cameron's sequel to ''Alien'', ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' ([[1986 in film|1986]]), was very different from the original film, falling more into the action/science fiction genre, it was both a critical and commercial success and [[Sigourney Weaver]] was nominated for [[Best Actress in a Leading Role]] at the [[Academy Award]]s. The [[Japanese cyberpunk]] [[anime]] film ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'' ([[1988 in film|1988]]) also had a big influence outside Japan when released.

{{See also|List of science fiction films of the 1990s|List of science fiction films of the 2000s}}

In the 1990s, the emergence of the [[World Wide Web]] and the [[cyberpunk]] genre spawned several movies on the theme of the computer-human interface, such as ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' ([[1991 in film|1991]]), ''[[Total Recall (1990 film)|Total Recall]]'' ([[1990 in film|1990]]), ''[[The Lawnmower Man (film)|The Lawnmower Man]]'' ([[1992 in film|1992]]), and ''[[The Matrix]]'' ([[1999 in film|1999]]). Other themes included disaster films (e.g., ''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]'' and ''[[Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]]'', both [[1998 in film|1998]]), alien invasion (e.g., ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]'' ([[1996 in film|1996]])) and genetic experimentation (e.g., ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'' ([[1993 in film|1993]]) and ''[[Gattaca]]'' ([[1997 in film|1997]])). Also, the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy began with the release of ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'', which eventually grossed over one billion dollars.

As the decade progressed, computers played an increasingly important role in both the addition of [[special effects]] (thanks to ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' and ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'') and the production of films. As software developed in sophistication it was used to produce more complicated effects. It also enabled filmmakers to enhance the visual quality of animation, resulting in films such as ''[[Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' (1995) from Japan, and ''[[The Iron Giant]]'' (1999) from the United States.

During the first decade of the 2000s, [[superhero film]]s abounded, as did earthbound science fiction such as the ''Matrix'' trilogy. In [[2005 in film|2005]], the ''Star Wars'' saga was completed (although it was later continued, but at the time it was not intended to be) with the darkly themed ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]''. Science-fiction also returned as a tool for political commentary in films such as ''[[A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]'', ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'', ''[[Sunshine (2007 film)|Sunshine]]'', ''[[District 9]]'', ''[[Children of Men]]'', ''[[Serenity (2005 film)|Serenity]]'', ''[[Sleep Dealer]]'', and ''[[Pandorum]]''. The 2000s also saw the release of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' (2007) and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (2009), both of which resulted in worldwide box office success. In 2009, [[James Cameron]]'s ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' garnered worldwide box office success, and would later become the highest-grossing movie of all time. This movie was also an example of political commentary. It depicted humans destroying the environment on another planet by mining for a special metal called unobtainium. That same year, ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' was released and garnered only moderate success.

{{Further |List of science fiction films of the 2010s}}

The 2010s saw new entries in several classic science fiction franchises, including ''[[Predators (film)|Predators]]'' ([[2010 in film|2010]]), ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'' (2010), a resurgence of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' series, and entries into the ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' and ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchises. Several more cross-genre films have also been produced, including comedies such as ''[[Hot Tub Time Machine]]'' (2010), ''[[Seeking a Friend for the End of the World]]'' ([[2012 in film|2012]]), ''[[Safety Not Guaranteed]]'' ([[2013 in film|2013]]), and ''[[Pixels (2015 film)|Pixels]]'' (2015), romance films such as ''[[Her (2013 film)|Her]]'' (2013), ''[[Monsters (2010 film)|Monsters]]'' (2010), and ''[[Ex Machina (film)|Ex Machina]]'' (2015), heist films including ''[[Inception]]'' (2010) and action films including ''[[Real Steel]]'' (2011), ''[[Total Recall (2012 film)|Total Recall]]'' (2012), ''[[Edge of Tomorrow]]'' ([[2014 in film|2014]]), ''[[Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim]]'' (2013), ''[[Chappie (film)|Chappie]]'' (2015), ''[[Tomorrowland (film)|Tomorrowland]]'' (2015), and ''[[Ghost in the Shell (2017 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' (2017). The [[superhero film]] boom has also continued, into films such as ''[[Iron Man 2]]'' (2010) and ''[[Iron Man 3]]'' (2013), several entries into the [[X-Men (film series)|X-Men film series]], and ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers]]'' (2012), which became the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. New franchises such as ''[[Deadpool (film)|Deadpool]]'' and ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy (film)|Guardians of the Galaxy]]'' also began in this decade.

Further into the decade, more realistic science fiction [[epic film]]s also become prevalent, including ''[[Battleship (film)|Battleship]]'' (2012), ''[[Gravity (2013 film)|Gravity]]'' (2013), ''[[Elysium (film)|Elysium]]'' (2013), ''[[Interstellar (film)|Interstellar]]'' ([[2014 in film|2014]]), ''[[Mad Max: Fury Road]]'' ([[2015 in film|2015]]), ''[[The Martian (film)|The Martian]]'' ([[2015 in film|2015]]), ''[[Arrival (film)|Arrival]]'' ([[2016 in film|2016]]), ''[[Passengers (2016 film)|Passengers]]'' (2016), and ''[[Blade Runner 2049]]'' ([[2017 in film|2017]]). Many of these films have gained widespread accolades, including several [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] wins and nominations. These films have addressed recent matters of scientific interest, including space travel, climate change, and artificial intelligence.

Alongside these original films, many adaptations were produced, especially within the [[young adult fiction|young adult]] [[dystopian fiction]] subgenre, popular in the early part of the decade. These include the [[The Hunger Games (film series)|''Hunger Games'' film series]], based on the [[The Hunger Games|trilogy of novels]] by [[Suzanne Collins]], ''[[The Divergent Series]]'' based on [[Veronica Roth]]'s [[Divergent trilogy]], and the [[Maze Runner (film series)|''Maze Runner'' series]], based on [[James Dashner]]'s [[The Maze Runner (series)|''The Maze Runner'' novels]]. Several adult adaptations have also been produced, including ''[[The Martian (film)|The Martian]]'' (2015), based on [[Andy Weir]]'s [[The Martian (Weir novel)|2011 novel]], ''[[Cloud Atlas (film)|Cloud Atlas]]'' (2012), based on [[David Mitchell (author)|David Mitchell]]'s [[Cloud Atlas (novel)|2004 novel]], ''[[World War Z (film)|World War Z]]'', based on [[Max Brooks]]' [[World War Z|2006 novel]], and ''[[Ready Player One (film)|Ready Player One]]'' (2018), based on [[Ernest Cline]]'s [[Ready Player One|2011 novel]].

Independent productions also increased in the 2010s, with the rise of [[digital cinematography|digital filmmaking]] making it easier for filmmakers to produce movies on a smaller budget. These films include ''[[Attack the Block]]'' (2011), ''[[Source Code (film)|Source Code]]'' (2011), ''[[Looper (film)|Looper]]'' (2012), ''[[Upstream Color]]'' (2013), ''[[Ex Machina (film)|Ex Machina]]'' (2015), and ''[[Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets]]'' (2017). In 2016, ''Ex Machina'' won the Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Visual Effects]] in a surprising upset over the much higher-budget ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'' (2015).