2000:

A remake of the classic Dr. Seuss tale, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” starring Jim Carrey as the Christmas – hating protagonist, sold more than “Cast Away,” “Gladiator” and “Meet the Parents” in 2000, proving the U.S. is full of holiday spirit.

Jim Carrey added plenty of his own flair to the traditional story with loud and funny voices that are still appropriate for children.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2000
1) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2) Cast Away
3) Mission: Impossible II
4) Gladiator
5) What Women Want
6) The Perfect Storm
7) Meet the Parents
8) X-Men
9) Scary Movie
10) What Lies Beneath

2001:

The battle for best novel knock-offs ended with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” on top, beating out the first  film in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Best-selling author J.K. Rowling’s tale of Potter, the nerdy wizard, continued on-screen and paved the way for the entire series’ success through the decade.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2001
1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
2) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3) Shrek
4) Monsters, Inc.
5) Rush Hour 2
6) The Mummy Returns
7) Pearl Harbor
8) Ocean’s Eleven
9) Jurassic Park III
10) Planet of the Apes

2002:

Proving that Superman and Batman aren’t the only heroes with a fan base, “Spider-Man”  outsold both “Harry Potter” and “Stars Wars” sequels.

Featuring Tobey Maguire as the web-spinning super spider, the film also boasted big-name stars like Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane and Willem Defoe as the Green Goblin.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2002
1) Spider-Man
2) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
3) Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
4) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
5) My Big Fat Greek Wedding
6) Signs
7) Austin Powers in Goldmember
8) Men in Black II
9) Ice Age
10) Chicago

2003:

After two consecutive years of finishing second best, the Lord of the Rings trilogy topped sales at the box office with its final installment, “The Return of the King.”
  
In total, combining the three films, the trilogy made over $1 billion, while the movie returned a 1,408 percent profit. All three films feature an all-star cast, breathtaking New Zealand scenery and extensive special effects.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2003
1) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2) Finding Nemo
3) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
4) The Matrix Reloaded
5) Bruce Almighty
6) X2
7) Elf
8) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
9) The Matrix Revolutions
10) Cheaper by the Dozen

2004:

The decade drew a lot of love for sequels as the animated film “Shrek 2” topped the box-office charts, with “Spider-Man 2” coming as a close second.

Most of the big-name voice actors returned from the first film, including Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy, while others like Antonio Banderas supplied the voices of new characters like “Puss in Boots.” The family-friendly rating and humorous romantic storyline made the movie appropriate accessible for all ages.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2004
1) Shrek 2
2) Spider-Man 2
3) The Passion of the Christ
4) Meet the Fockers
5) The Incredibles
6) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
7) The Day After Tomorrow
8) The Bourne Supremacy
9) National Treasure
10) Shark Tale

2005:

The final installment of the “Star Wars” movies saga came with “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” bridging the gap between the series’ old and new editions.

The movie outsold films based on books such as movies like “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the fourth Potter film.

According to IMDB.com, three of the “Star Wars” movies are in the top 10 list of all-time U.S. box office sales. No other series is listed more than once.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2005
1) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
2) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4) War of the Worlds
5) King Kong
6) Wedding Crashers
7) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8) Batman Begins
9) Madagascar
10) Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2006:

Johnny Depp reprised his infamous role as Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” the second installment of the popular Disney movie.

The movie chronicles Sparrow’s quest as a pirate. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley also returned as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, respectfully. Only the third best-selling movie in 2003, the newer film found its way to the No. 1 spot in 2006. The first part of the series finished third in 2003.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2006
1) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
2) Night at the Museum
3) Cars
4) X-Men: The Last Stand
5) The Da Vinci Code
6) 300
7) Superman Returns
8) Happy Feet
9) Ice Age: The Meltdown
10) Casino Royale

2007:

For the third time, the “Spider-Man” series reigned in the decade. This time in “Spider-Man 3” Peter Parker wages a battle within himself when a black alien substance fuses with his Spider suit.

According to IMDB, a fourth installment of the franchise is slated to release in 2011.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2007
1) Spider-Man 3
2) Shrek the Third
3) Transformers
4) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6) I Am Legend
7) The Bourne Ultimatum
8) National Treasure: Book of Secrets
9) Alvin and the Chipmunks
10) Ratatouille

2008:

With an Oscar-winning performance from the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, “The Dark Knight” took the top spot, outselling its competitors by more than $200 million.

Christian Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne and Batman, learns that sometimes the heroes can become the villain.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2008
1) The Dark Knight
2) Iron Man
3) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4) Hancock
5) WALL-E
6) Kung Fu Panda
7) Twilight
8) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
9) Quantum of Solace
10) Horton Hears a Who!

2009:

When Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf, joined a group of mutating machines to defend Earth from Decepticon forces, you can bet that a lot of things will explode.

LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel reprised their roles in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” the sequel in the two-part series, grossed more than $100 million.

Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2009
1) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3) Up
4) The Hangover
5) Star Trek
6) New Moon
7) Monsters vs Aliens
8) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
9) X-Men Origins: Wolverine
10) Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian