The science fiction genre's first big hit came in 1902 with Georges Méliès' landmark "Le Voyage dans La Lune." In 1968, Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" opened the door to serious science fiction films.
There are many sub-genres within science fiction films, including space adventures such as "Star Wars," horror science fiction such as "Alien" and future shock films such as "A Clockwork Orange, "Blade Runner" and "Children of Men."
It is a common misconception that science fiction films are light entertainments focused on thrilling audiences with special effects. In fact, many science fiction films are either grounded in real issues facing our world or have been accurate predictors as to the direction that our societies are heading in.
Special effects-based science fiction films are once again entering a new era with the rebirth of 3D movies such as James Cameron's "Avatar."
Steven Spielberg's science fiction classic "ET: The Extraterrestrial" had a theatrical run of longer than one year, making it one of the longest theatrical runs in modern Hollywood history.