List of Fantasy Films of The 1980s

A list of fantasy films released in the 1980s.

1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989

Title Director Cast Country Notes
1980
Flash Gordon Mike Hodges Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Chaim Topol
Hawk the Slayer Terry Marcel Jack Palance, John Terry, Bernard Bresslaw
Return of the King Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr. Orson Bean, John Huston, Roddy McDowall Television movie, Animated film
Xanadu Robert Greenwald Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, Michael Beck
1981
Blind Chance Krzysztof Kieslowski Boguslaw Linda, Tadeusz Lomnicki, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz
Clash of the Titans Desmond Davis Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Claire Bloom, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Judi Bowker, Siân Phillips, Laurence Olivier
Dragonslayer Matthew Robbins Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson
Excalibur John Boorman Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay
Heavy Metal Gerald Potterton Animated film
The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire Nicholas Corea Lane Caudell, Belinda Bauer, Victor Campos, Kabir Bedi, George Kennedy German: de:Der Zauberbogen
Raiders of the Lost Ark Steven Spielberg Harrison Ford, Karen Allen
Time Bandits Terry Gilliam John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall
1982
Ator the Fighting Eagle Joe D'Amato Miles O'Keeffe, Sabrina Siani, Ritza Brown
The Beastmaster Don Coscarelli Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, Rip Torn
Conan the Barbarian John Milius Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow
The Dark Crystal Jim Henson, Frank Oz Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen
The Flight of Dragons Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr. John Ritter, James Earl Jones Television movie, Animated film
The Last Unicorn Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr. Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Tammy Grimes, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lee, Keenan Wynn Animated film
The Secret of NIMH Don Bluth Hermione Baddeley, John Carradine, Dom DeLuise, Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Arthur Malet, Paul Shenar, Peter Strauss Animated film
The Sword and the Sorcerer Albert Pyun Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale
1983
Conquest Lucio Fulci Jorge Rivero, Andrea Occhipinti, Sabrina Siani
The Dead Zone David Cronenberg Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt Horror
Deathstalker James Sbardellati Richard Hill, Barbi Benton, Richard Brooker
Fire and Ice Ralph Bakshi Randy Norton, Cynthea Leake Animated film
Krull Peter Yates Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones
The Man Who Wasn't There Bruce Malmuth Steve Guttenberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Lisa Langlois
Thor the Conqueror Tonino Ricci, Anthony Richmond Conrad Nichols, Christopher Holm, Maria Romano
Videodrome David Cronenberg James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits Horror, Science Fiction
Zu Warriors Tsui Hark Yuen Biao
1984
The Princess and the Goblin József Gémes Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, Roy Kinnear, Sally Ann Marsh Animated film
Ator l'invincibile 2 Joe D'Amato Miles O'Keeffe, Lisa Foster, Charles Borromel
All of Me Carl Reiner Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Victoria Tennant
The Company of Wolves Neil Jordan Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Stephen Rea
Conan the Destroyer Richard Fleischer Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain
Esprit D'Amour Ringo Lam Alan Tam, Ni Shu-chun
Ghostbusters Ivan Reitman Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis Horror, Science Fiction
Gremlins Joe Dante Hoyt Axton, John Louie, Keye Luke, Don Steele, Susan Burgess, Scott Brady, Zach Galligan
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Steven Spielberg Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Hayao Miyazaki Anime film
The Neverending Story Wolfgang Petersen Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter Tage Danielsson Hanna Zetterberg, Börje Ahlstedt, Lena Nyman
Sheena John Guillermin Tanya Roberts, Ted Wass, Donovan Scott
Splash Ron Howard Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, Eugene Levy
Supergirl Jeannot Szwarc Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole
Sword of the Valiant Stephen Weeks Miles O'Keeffe, Sean Connery, Cyrielle Claire, Trevor Howard, Peter Cushing, John Rhys-Davies
The Warrior and the Sorceress John C. Broderick David Carradine, Luke Askew, Maria Socas
1985
Barbarian Queen Héctor Olivera Lana Clarkson, Victor Bo, Dawn Dunlap Produced by Roger Corman
The Black Cauldron Ted Berman, Richard Rich Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne, Freddie Jones, Arthur Malet, Phil Fondacaro, John Hurt Animated film
Brazil Terry Gilliam Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Kim Greist, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Robert De Niro
The Dungeonmaster Various Jeffrey Byron, Richard Moll, Leslie Wing
Ladyhawke Richard Donner Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer
Legend Ridley Scott Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry
The Peanut Butter Solution Michael Rubbo Mathew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Podbrey
The Purple Rose of Cairo Woody Allen Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
Return to Oz Walter Murch Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Fairuza Balk
Red Sonja Richard Fleischer Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman
Santa Claus: The Movie Jeannot Szwarc John Lithgow, Dudley Moore
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom Héctor Olivera Bo Svenson, Vidal Peterson
1986
Big Trouble in Little China John Carpenter Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun
Castle in the Sky Hayao Miyazaki Anime film
Dream Lovers Tony Au Chow Yun-fat, Cher Yeung
The Golden Child Michael Ritchie Eddie Murphy, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis
Highlander Russell Mulcahy Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown
Labyrinth Jim Henson David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud
Momo Johannes Schaaf Radost Bokel, Mario Adorf, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sylvester Groth
Peggy Sue Got Married Francis Ford Coppola Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Barry Miller
The Worst Witch Robert Young Fairuza Balk, Diana Rigg, Charlotte Rae, Tim Curry Television movie
1987
Snow White Michael Berz Diana Rigg, Billy Barty, Sarah Patterson
A Chinese Ghost Story Ching Siu Tung Leslie Cheung, Wong Tsu Hsien, Wu Ma
The Barbarians Ruggero Deodato David Paul, Peter Paul, Richard Lynch
Date with an Angel Tom McLoughlin Michael E. Knight, Phoebe Cates, Emmanuelle Béart
Mannequin Michael Gottlieb Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty
*batteries not included Matthew Robbins Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae, Elizabeth Peña, Michael Carmine, Dennis Boutsikaris
Masters of the Universe Gary Goddard Dolph Lundgren, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Frank Langella, Meg Foster
Mio in the Land of Faraway Vladimir Grammatikov Christopher Lee, Christian Bale, Nicholas Pickard, Timothy Bottoms, Susannah York
The Princess Bride Rob Reiner Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon
Rouge Stanley Kwan Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Man Chi Leung
Wings of Desire Wim Wenders Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Peter Falk
The Witches of Eastwick George Miller Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon
1988
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Terry Gilliam John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle
Alice Jan Švankmajer Kristina Kohoutova
Beetlejuice Tim Burton Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder Horror
Big Penny Marshall Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, John Heard
Gandahar René Laloux Animated film
The Land Before Time Don Bluth Gabriel Damon, Candace Huston, Judith Barsi, Will Ryan, Pat Hingle Animated film
My Neighbor Totoro Hayao Miyazaki Anime film
Peacock King Nam Lai Choi Yuen Biao, Gloria Yip, Hiroshi Mikami
Portrait of a Nymph Wu Ma
Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller Michael Rubbo
Vice Versa Brian Gilbert Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage, Corinne Bohrer
Willow Ron Howard Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Robert Zemeckis Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy Comedy
1989
Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Warwick Davis, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox, David Thwaites
Always Steven Spielberg Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Brad Johnson
Batman Tim Burton Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Stephen Herek Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
Chances Are Emile Ardolino Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal
Dream a Little Dream Marc Rocco Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger, Jason Robards, Jr.
Erik the Viking Terry Jones Tim Robbins, Gary Cady, Mickey Rooney
Ghostbusters II Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Steven Spielberg Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliot Adventure
Kiki's Delivery Service Hayao Miyazaki Anime film
The Little Mermaid Ron Clements, John Musker René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, Samuel E. Wright Animated film
Little Monsters Richard Greenberg Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Rick Ducommun
Santa Sangre Alejandro Jodorowsky Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Sabrina Dennison
Teen Witch Dorian Walker Robyn Lively, Dan Gauthier, Joshua Miller
Lists of films by genre
  • Action
  • Adventure
    • Pirate
  • Animation
  • Avant-garde
  • Biographical
  • Childrens
  • Christian
  • Comedy
  • Crime
  • Disaster
  • Documentary
  • Drama
    • Historical
  • Economics
  • Erotic
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Independent short
  • LGBT
  • Mockumentary
  • Monster
    • Toys
    • Clowns
  • Musical
  • Mystery
  • Noir
  • Religious
  • Romantic comedy
  • Science-fiction
  • Sports
  • Superhero
  • Teen
  • Thriller
  • War
  • Western
    • Spaghetti

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