With every movie released, there is going to be a special anniversary for it at some point. It could be a 15th anniversary – or a 50th.

As of 2026, here are a few movies that have reached major anniversaries this year:

Alice in Wonderland – 1951

Rocky – 1976

Shrek – 2001

Notice how each movie celebrates a major milestone of a quarter of a century apart. That is when a film anniversary is one of the most significant.

Anyway, a movie’s major anniversary can be celebrated or recognized in different ways. For instance, if a movie did super well at its opening release, it might come back into the movie theaters for a certain special anniversary screening.

Examples include the following:

The Muppet Movie – 1979 – it came back into theaters in 2019 for its 40th anniversary.

Shrek 2 – 2004 – it released back into the theaters in 2024 for its 20th anniversary.

Gone with the Wind – 1939 – it returned to movie theaters for its 80th anniversary in 2024.

So, now here’s the answer you have been waiting for. How do I feel about movie anniversaries being celebrated?

The answer is that I think it’s nice and special – particularly if it comes back into the movie theaters. And for those who saw that specific film in the theaters when it first came out, it’s nostalgic.

Although I wasn’t born yet when The Muppet Movie or Gone with the Wind first came out. I was 10 when Shrek 2 first hit theaters. So, seeing it again as an adult in the cinema felt like reliving that childhood moment – except with some differences because of my maturity, obviously.

As for movies that first got released before I was born, i saw it like experiencing it as if I did exist at that time. Of course, the biggest difference was the advancement of technology since then.

But rereleases are not the only ways movie anniversaries get celebrated. People might promote it on social media to gain attraction, recognition, and remind those who existed at the time it first came out.

Besides individual films, different movie companies also celebrate major anniversaries. A major example is Disney, which celebrated its one 100th anniversary in 2023.

It did that by not only updating its logo and stating that it’s been around for a 100 years, but also creating a short called Once Upon a Studio.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s about pretty much all the Disney characters coming out of their artwork for a group photo in honor of lasting a century. You can stream It on Disney Plus.

Coincidentally, Warner Brothers also had its 100th anniversary in 2023. Unlike Disney, though, they did not do much to celebrate its century-long existence.

The reason is because that Disney has different ways of bringing success than Warner brothers does. For instance, Disney songs and characters have a wide marketing appeal to people of all ages.

Even though people do admire Warner Brothers characters like the Looney Tunes or DC superheroes, their public relations and marketing goals differ from Disney.

Regardless of those reasons I do wish Warner Brothers did get more attention for its 100th anniversary like Disney did. Yet I understand why it did not.

So, there you have it. If you would like to share with me how you view movie anniversary celebrations, feel free to let me know in the comments.