Timeline

For this task, I must create a timeline of events throughout the last decade, that help to support my chosen subject.

I have created a timeline to showcase some of the most influential tales, that have helped build this idea, and bring the theme in to the mainstream.

1812 – Brothers Grimms’ – Grimms fairy tales – Our first introduction to some of the most popular fantasy tales ever written. These tales have had countless modern adaptations, and are still told today.

1858 – George McDonald – Phantastes – A tale of a man being dragged into an adventurous dream. This Tale is considered one of the first of its kind.

1865 – Lewis Carroll – Alice in wonderland – This was not initially considered to fit under the fantasy bracket, as many aspects of this story could be compared to realistic happenings.

1886 – William Morris – The Well at World End

1900 – L. Frank Baums – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 

1904 – J.M.Barrie – Peter Pan, the boy who couldn’t grow up.

1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit

1937 – Detective Comics #1 – The first installment of the Dc universe, which has rapidly grown into a multi-million pound franchise.

1939 (-present) – Marvel Comics No.1 – The first marvel comic book ever released, introducing the marvel universe to the world. Since then, this universe has continued to expand, earning billions of pounds, and an extensive fan base across the whole world.

1944(-1955) – J.R.R. Tolkien – Lord of the Rings – This tale is now considered one of the first ever high fantasy novels, which highlighted the fantasy genre, leading to its introduction into the mainstream of media.

1950 – C.S.Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia

1963(-present) – Dr Who – One of the first majorly popular fantasy TV shows, so popular in fact that it’s still running after almost 60 years!

1964 – The Adams family – A family film based on a supernatural family. This is one of the first times the supernatural subgenre is introduced to a child friendly setting.

1977 – Terry Brooks – The Sword of Shannara – This was the first fantasy novel to appear in the New York Times ranking of paperback best sellers.

1996 – George R.R.Martin – A Game of Thrones

1977(-2007) – J.K.Rowling – Harry potter – This series of books is now the best selling collection of novels, EVER !

1980 – The Indian in the cupboard – Considered one of the first films of its kind, introducing low fantasy to the movie scene.

2001 – Dead until death

2001(-2003) – Lord of the Rings books are adapted to screenplays. These become hugely successful and once again help to draw attention to this theme in the mainstream media.

2001(-2011) – J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter novels are adapted into movies that become one of the most successful movie series in history, even getting its own studio tour attraction !

2003 (-2017) – Pirates of the Caribbean – One of the most successful movie series of its kind, taking place in a fictional historical setting, using pirates to represent freedom from ruling powers.

2009 – The Vampire Diaries – One of the most popular supernatural series, TVD helps introduce the fantasy theme to a wider audience.

2009 – Avatar – This movie is so well known, in fact almost every person I have spoken to about this genre has brought it up, making it, in my opinion one of the most well known fantasy films.

2011(-2019)  – Game of thrones – Goes on to become one of the most successful tv series in history, wins multiple awards and even gets a spinoff series, House of the dragon.

2012 (-2014) – The Hobbit novels are adapted into movies, as a follow up from the success of the Lord of the Rings movies.

2013 (-present) – American Horror Story – A hugely successful series created to combine fantasy and horror, in a bid to unnerve the viewers. Although very unnerving, the fantastical storylines keep viewers hooked, and constantly wanting more – hence why new series are still being produced!

2013 – Frozen – Much like all Disney movies, frozen was and still is an extremely popular family movie. However this movie tops the charts, taking first place when being named the most successful fantasy movie ever made.

2016(-present) – Stranger things – Combines many elements of the fantasy film, to build an extraordinary story line, gripping millions of people world wide.

2016 – Suicide Squad – this movie combines fantasy and comedy to create a superhero film aimed at an older audience.

2018 – Mortal engines – One of the most successful fantasy films of this year, Mortal engines brought popularity back to this kind of story.

2020 – Fantasy Island – A combination of fantasy and horror, created to unnerve its audience, this movie is set on an island where anything is possible.

2021 – Mortal Kombat – Initially a video game, this movie was adapted to introduce a new audience to this genre in film and tv.

2022 – Morbius – This movie takes an unexpected turn, as it is based on the origin story of a villain, instead of a hero.