Can You Score 20/20? The Ultimate 21st Century Movie Hits Trivia Quiz
Answers Below – No Peeking!
Think you know the biggest cinematic smashes of the 21st century? From epic franchises to record-breaking blockbusters, this 20-question quiz spans easy warm-ups to fiendish challenges on 21st century hits. Grab a pen and dive in!
20 Trivia Questions on 21st Century Hits
Question 1: In which year was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone released?
A. 2000
B. 2002
C. 2001
D. 2003
Question 2: Who directed The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)?
A. Peter Jackson
B. Fran Walsh
C. Philippa Boyens
D. Howard Shore
Question 3: Which actor played Tony Stark/Iron Man in the 2008 film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
A. Edward Norton
B. Terrence Howard
C. Robert Downey Jr.
D. Don Cheadle
Question 4: In what year was Finding Nemo released?
A. 2002
B. 2004
C. 2001
D. 2003
Question 5: Who directed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)?
A. Jerry Bruckheimer
B. Gore Verbinski
C. Rob Marshall
D. Joachim Rønning
Question 6: Which 2009 film, directed by James Cameron, became the highest-grossing movie of all time upon release?
A. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
B. Up
C. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
D. Avatar
Question 7: How many Academy Awards did The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) win?
A. 9
B. 12
C. 11
D. 10
Question 8: Who played Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002)?
A. Andrew Garfield
B. Tobey Maguire
C. Tom Holland
D. Jake Gyllenhaal
Question 9: In what year was The Dark Knight released?
A. 2007
B. 2009
C. 2008
D. 2010
Question 10: Who composed the score for Inception (2010)?
A. John Williams
B. Danny Elfman
C. Hans Zimmer
D. James Horner
Question 11: Which film won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002?
A. Monsters, Inc.
B. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
C. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
D. Shrek
Question 12: Who directed Slumdog Millionaire (2008)?
A. Danny Boyle
B. Stephen Daldry
C. Tom Hooper
D. David Fincher
Question 13: In The King’s Speech (2010), who played King George VI?
A. Geoffrey Rush
B. Colin Firth
C. Helena Bonham Carter
D. Guy Pearce
Question 14: What year was Toy Story 3 released?
A. 2009
B. 2011
C. 2010
D. 2008
Question 15: Who directed La La Land (2016)?
A. Ryan Gosling
B. Damien Chazelle
C. Emma Stone
D. Linus Sandgren
Question 16: Which 2019 film was the first non-English language movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars?
A. Roma
B. Parasite
C. Joker
D. 1917
Question 17: Who wrote and directed Get Out (2017)?
A. Jordan Peele
B. Peele and McKinney
C. Spike Lee
D. Ryan Coogler
Question 18: In what year was Avengers: Endgame released?
A. 2018
B. 2020
C. 2019
D. 2017
Question 19: Which actor played the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)?
A. Jack Nicholson
B. Jared Leto
C. Joaquin Phoenix
D. Heath Ledger
Question 20: What is the release year of Barbie (directed by Greta Gerwig)?
A. 2022
B. 2024
C. 2023
D. 2021
Answers
- C. 2001 – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premiered on 16 November 2001 (UK). 2000 was pre-production; 2002 was Chamber of Secrets; 2003 was Prisoner of Azkaban.
- A. Peter Jackson – He directed all three Lord of the Rings films (2001–2003). Others were writers, co-writers, or composer.
- C. Robert Downey Jr. – Downey Jr. originated the role in Iron Man (2008), launching the MCU. Others played Hulk or War Machine.
- D. 2003 – Finding Nemo was released on 30 May 2003. Others are adjacent Pixar releases.
- B. Gore Verbinski – He helmed the 2003 original Pirates film. Others produced or directed sequels.
- D. Avatar – Released 18 December 2009, it grossed over $2.7 billion initially, topping the box office charts. Others were 2009 releases but lower earners.
- C. 11 – The Return of the King swept 11 Oscars in 2004, a record for fantasy films. Not 9 (Titanic) or others.
- B. Tobey Maguire – Maguire starred as Peter Parker in Raimi’s trilogy (2002–2007). Others played him later.
- C. 2008 – The Dark Knight hit theatres 18 July 2008. Others flank the Batman Begins (2005)/Dark Knight Rises (2012) timeline.
- C. Hans Zimmer – Zimmer scored Inception, creating its iconic sound. Others scored other Nolan or big films.
- D. Shrek – Shrek (2001) won the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2002. Monsters, Inc. was nominated but lost.
- A. Danny Boyle – Boyle directed the 2008 hit, which won 8 Oscars. Others directed other Best Picture winners.
- B. Colin Firth – Firth won Best Actor as George VI in the 2010 film. Rush played his therapist; others supporting roles.
- C. 2010 – Toy Story 3 released 18 June 2010, winning Best Animated Feature. Others nearby Pixar dates.
- B. Damien Chazelle – Chazelle wrote and directed the 2016 musical. Gosling/Stone starred; Sandgren was cinematographer.
- B. Parasite – Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019) won Best Picture in 2020. Roma was nominated but Spanish-language.
- A. Jordan Peele – Peele wrote and directed his 2017 horror breakout. Others are peers in genre/directing.
- C. 2019 – Avengers: Endgame premiered 26 April 2019, becoming a massive hit. Others MCU phases around it.
- D. Heath Ledger – Ledger’s iconic portrayal won a posthumous Oscar. Others played Joker in other films.
- C. 2023 – Barbie released 21 July 2023, grossing over $1.4 billion. Not the 2023 Oppenheimer pairing year confusion.
How many did you get right? Drop your score in the comments below and challenge your film buff friends to top it!
