History of The Day After Tomorrow in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 23, 2025

The Day After Tomorrow, a 2004 science fiction disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich, portrays the consequences of a sudden disruption of the North Atlantic Ocean circulation. This disruption triggers a series of extreme weather events, including massive hurricanes, tornadoes, and a rapid drop in global temperatures, ultimately leading to a new ice age. Paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, played by Dennis Quaid, attempts to warn political leaders about the impending climate catastrophe. Meanwhile, his son Sam, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, finds himself trapped in a rapidly freezing New York City and must fight to survive the extreme conditions while his father embarks on a perilous journey to rescue him and other survivors.

1997: Release of Contact

In 1997, the film Contact was released, which featured a space zoom-out scene that was surpassed in length by a CGI scene in The Day After Tomorrow.

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1999: Publication of The Coming Global Superstorm

In 1999, Art Bell and Whitley Strieber published the book The Coming Global Superstorm, which served as the basis for the 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow.

The Coming Global Superstorm

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November 7, 2002: Start of Filming

On November 7, 2002, filming for The Day After Tomorrow began in Montreal and Toronto, with additional footage shot in New York City and Chiyoda, Tokyo.

October 18, 2003: End of Filming

On October 18, 2003, filming for The Day After Tomorrow concluded.

2003: Filming Start

Originally slated for release in the summer of 2003, The Day After Tomorrow was filmed in Montreal and was the highest-grossing Hollywood film made in Canada at its time of release.

May 17, 2004: Premiere in Mexico City

On May 17, 2004, The Day After Tomorrow premiered in Mexico City.

May 18, 2004: Soundtrack Release

On May 18, 2004, The Day After Tomorrow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released.

May 28, 2004: US Theatrical Release

On May 28, 2004, The Day After Tomorrow was released in theaters in the United States.

October 12, 2004: VHS and DVD Release

On October 12, 2004, The Day After Tomorrow was released on VHS and DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

2004: Release of The Day After Tomorrow

In 2004, The Day After Tomorrow, an American science fiction disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich, was released. The film is based on Art Bell and Whitley Strieber's 1999 book, The Coming Global Superstorm.

October 2, 2007: Blu-ray Release in North America

On October 2, 2007, The Day After Tomorrow was released on Blu-ray in North America in high-definition video.

April 28, 2008: Blu-ray Release in the United Kingdom

On April 28, 2008, The Day After Tomorrow was released on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom.

2008: Listed as Scientifically Inaccurate Film

In 2008, Yahoo! Movies listed The Day After Tomorrow as one of its top-10 scientifically inaccurate films due to depicting meteorological phenomena occurring over hours instead of decades or centuries.

June 2015: Inside Out Surpasses Box Office Record

In June 2015, Inside Out surpassed The Day After Tomorrow as the second-highest opening-weekend film not to lead at the box office.

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2015: Washington Post Article on Global Temperature Drop

A 2015 Washington Post article reported on a paper published in Scientific Reports indicating that global temperatures could drop relatively rapidly due to a temporary shutdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation caused by global warming.

2024: Twisters Dethrones Box Office Record

In 2024, Twisters dethroned The Day After Tomorrow, which for twenty years held the record for having the highest opening weekend for a natural disaster film.