December 2002 in Film & Television History

Events in Film & TV

Dec 5 "The Two Towers" 2nd Lord of the Rings film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen premieres in New York

Dec 6 "Adaptation" directed by Spike Jonze, starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep premieres

Dec 9 "Star Trek: Nemesis" film directed by Stuart Baird, and starring Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes premieres

Dec 18 "The Hours" premieres in the US, based on the novel by Michael Cunningham and starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman

Dec 18 "The Two Towers", 2nd of the Lord of the Rings films is released. Makes US$62 opening weekend and $926 million total worldwide.

Dec 20 "Gangs of New York", starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz, is released

Dec 27 "Chicago" (Best Picture 2003), film based on John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical, directed by Rob Marshall, starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Catherine Zeta-Jones released.

Dec 23 Canadian actor (Stranger Things; It), and rock singer (Calpernia; The Aubreys), born in Vancouver, British Columbia

Dec 31 Actress Rachel Griffiths (34) weds Australian artist Andrew Taylor (35) at Star of the Sea Chapel in Gardenvale, Australia

Dec 5 American sports broadcasting pioneer, President of ABC Sports (Monday Night Football) and ABC News, dies of prostate cancer at 71 [1] [2]

Dec 12 Brad Dexter [Boris Milanovich], American actor (Macao, The Magnificent Seven), dies of emphysema at 85
Dec 14 Ruth Kobart [Kahn], American actor & singer (King's Quest VII, Forum), dies at 78
Dec 17 James Hazeldine, British stage and screen actor (London's Burning), dies of an aortic dissection at 55
Dec 22 Kenneth Tobey, American actor (The Thing from Another World, Innerspace, Whirlybirds), dies of natural causes at 85
Dec 25 William T. Orr, American actor (The Big Street), and television producer (Cheyenne), dies at 85
Dec 27 George Roy Hill, American Academy Award-winning film director (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; The Sting; Slap Shot; A Little Romance; The World According to Garp), dies from complications of Parkinson's disease at 81
Dec 30 Mary Brian, American actress (b. 1906)