The April release of Holes got 2003 off to a great start, as Louis Sacher’s award-winning book made the transition to the big screen and became one of the year’s most popular family films. Following a long and successful run on Disney Channel, Lizzie McGuire made her big screen debut in May with The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Hilary Duff's comical turn as the gawky-teen-turned-beautiful-pop star captured the imagination of her loyal fans and attracted new ones as well.

July saw the release of Disney’s all-time most successful live action movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a swashbuckling extravaganza from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski. Inspired by the popular theme park attraction, the filmmakers crafted a fresh and fun pirate tale brought to life by memorable performances from Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. The film was second only to Finding Nemo at the worldwide 2003 box office, with a sensational domestic gross of $340 million and worldwide gross of more than $750 million.

Freaky Friday, a new take on the 1976 Disney comedy, also provided moviegoers of all ages with family-friendly summer entertainment. The film expanded upon the studio’s successful run of live action hits with its impressive domestic gross of nearly $110 million.

Rounding out Disney’s live action slate was the November release of The Haunted Mansion, which captured the 2003 Thanksgiving weekend box office crown. Eddie Murphy joined a cast of ghosts and goblins from the popular Disney attraction to scare up laughs in theaters across the country.

Walt Disney Pictures skated off in January with Disney’s inspiring drama, Miracle. Building on the success of such recent Disney sports-themed family favorites as Remember the Titans and The Rookie, this film stars Kurt Russell as the late coach Herb Brooks, who led the underdog United States ice hockey team to an incredible upset victory against the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York. Monday Night Football’s Al Michaels inspired the movie’s title and, playing himself, relives his famous cry of “Do you believe in miracles?...Yes!”

The teen star of Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan, returns for Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, a lively comedy about teenage angst and the struggle to be oneself.

Princess Diaries 2 arrives in time for prime summer movie-going, with Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews and director Garry Marshall all returning. Mia has some exciting new challenges when she learns that she must be married in two months to save the monarchy from being eradicated.