From '2001: A Space Odyssey' to 'Apocalypto', watch these movies featuring solar eclipses

Sarah Ann Dueñas, Austin American-Statesman
·6 min read
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The 2024 total solar eclipse is days away.

On April 8, the moon's path will intersect with the sun's, casting a wide shadow over Texas and the rest of the country.

Solar eclipses have worked their way into pop culture for many years.

A total solar eclipse plays a key role in Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," an 1889 novel made into a 1949 movie starring Bing Crosby. The main character Hank Morgan, a time traveler from the 1800s stuck back in the 6th century, uses his knowledge of a total eclipse to save himself from execution.

Other movies have featured eclipses, but the most notable may be Stanley Kubrick's classic "2001: A Space Odyssey," the opening sequence of which shows a lineup of celestial bodies that appears to be an eclipse.

2024 total solar eclipse: An ultimate guide to all of our coverage in Texas

Check out the lists of movies that feature solar eclipses and where to watch them.

Which movies include solar eclipses?

"The Eclipse, or the Courtship of the Sun and Moon" (1907)

  • Where to watch: This film can be found on YouTube.

  • Runtime: 9 minutes

"King Solomon's Mines" (1937)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on PLEX and Amazon Prime Video.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes

"Fantasia" (1940)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes

"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi and Sling TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes

"Barabbas" (1961)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Sling TV.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes

"The Watcher in the Woods" (1980)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes

"Bloody Birthday" (1981)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi and Pluto TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

"Dragonslayer" (1981)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Pluto TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

"Ladyhawke" (1985)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 1 minute

"Little Shop of Horrors" (1986)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a MAX subscription.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

"The Seventh Sign" (1988)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

"Farinelli" (1994)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi, The Roku Channel, PLEX and Amazon Prime Video.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

"Dolores Claiborne" (1995)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 2 hour 12 minutes

"Almanach 1999-2000" (1999)

"From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money" (1999)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a MAX subscription.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

"Pitch Black" (2000)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

"Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Pluto TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

"Darkness" (2002)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Pluto TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

"The Wild Thornberrys Movie" (2002)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Pluto TV.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

"The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration" (2003)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

"Wolf Creek" (2005)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi, Pluto TV and Amazon Prime Video.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

"Apocalypto" (2006)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi, Peacock, The Roku Channel and PLEX.

  • Runtime: 2 hour 18 minutes

"Dragonball Evolution" (2009)

  • Where to watch: Available to rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and more.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

"Vamps" (2012)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi and The Roku Channel.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes

"Verónica" (2017)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Pluto TV or watch with a Netflix subscription.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

"Gerald's Game" (2017)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

"The Kid Who Would Be King" (2019)

  • Where to watch: Stream for free on Tubi or watch with a Disney+ subscription.

  • Runtime: 2 hours

"Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Disney+ or MAX subscription

  • Runtime: 3 hour 12 minutes

"Sister Death" (2023)

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

  • Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (2010)

  • We threw this in here just for fun.

  • Where to watch: Available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

  • Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes

How long will the solar eclipse last?

Timing is one of the most important details in viewing the eclipse.

Depending on where you live in the state, you could see it anywhere from just after noon to around 3 p.m.

Austin: 2 hours 41 minutes

The total solar eclipse in Austin will begin approximately at 12:17 p.m. and end at 2:58 p.m. or 2 hours 41 minutes.

San Antonio: 2 hours 41 minutes

The total solar eclipse in San Antonio will begin approximately at 12:14 p.m. and end at 2:55 p.m. or 2 hours 41 minutes.

Dallas: 2 hours 39 minutes

The total solar eclipse in Dallas will begin approximately at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. or 2 hours 39 minutes.

El Paso: 2 hours 34 minutes

El Paso will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 34 minutes. 81.7% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Corpus Christi: 2 hours 41 minutes

Corpus Christi will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 41 minutes. 93.3% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Amarillo: 2 hours 34 minutes

Amarillo will see a partial eclipse for approximately 2 hours 34 minutes. 83.5% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Abilene: 2 hours 38 minutes

Abilene will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 38 minutes. 96.7% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Wichita Falls: 2 hours 37 minutes

Wichita Falls will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 37 minutes. 95.7% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

San Angelo: 2 hours 39 minutes

San Angelo will see a partial eclipse for approximately 2 hours 39 minutes. 97.6% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Lubbock: 2 hours 36 minutes

Lubbock will see a partial eclipse for approximately 2 hours 36 minutes. 88.6% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at the peak.

Watch the first solar eclipse on film

The first film of a total solar eclipse has been "re-discovered," astronomers announced.

The eclipse, which occurred on May 28, 1900, in North Carolina, was filmed by British magician turned pioneering filmmaker Nevil Maskelyne.

Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman breaking and trending news reporter, and Doyle Rice, National Correspondent and Climate & Weather for USA Today, contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Want to watch movies with solar eclipses? Check out our list of films