George Lucas unleashes his next installment in the Star Wars saga, Attack of the Clones, featuring a young, unknown Canadian actor by the name of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader).

If you're looking for the most profitable movie of the year, that would be My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a come-out-of-nowhere romantic comedy that was completely ignored when it debuted at Sundance, of all places. The small film, made for $5 million, grosses $241.4 million. Opah!

Martin Scorsese's long-awaited Gangs of New York finally opens, and Miramax head Harvey Weinstein embarks on an unprecedented campaign to get Marty an Oscar. It doesn't work.

Michael Moore, liberal rabble-rouser extraordinaire, wows audiences with his documentary Bowling for Columbine, which nabs him an Oscar and a, ahem, memorable appearance at the ceremony.

"My precious ..." A computer-enhanced Andy Serkis steals scenes as the ring-coveting Gollem in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which scores a Best Picture nomination and outgrosses its predecessor.

Japanese horror is introduced stateside with The Ring, an English-language remake that actually sees its weekly box office take increase on phenomenal word of mouth.

Roman Polanski, still exiled in Europe, makes the wrenching, phenomenal The Pianist, starring the not-quite-famous-yet Adrien Brody. Both win surprise Oscars; Brody plants a big wet kiss on presenter Halle Berry upon accepting his award.