The Top 10 Biggest Film Franchises
They Might Not Be the Best, but these Film Franchises are the Biggest.
This week’s Top 10 list is going to be a little different as Stars & Popcorn takes a look at the biggest film franchises of all time. Previous Top 10 list can be a bit subjective, but this week I’m going by the numbers to see which film franchises have the most entries over the years and how much they’ve managed to make over the years at the box office. The one exception I’m making is for horror movies, which can be a bit tricky with direct to video releases and made for tv entries (fans of the genre can always check out my tally of horror franchises though). Of course, this list has a few of the usual suspects, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that some film franchises I thought would be on here didn’t come close and a few unexpected ones managed to make the cut. Bear in mind, this isn’t a list of the best film franchises, just the biggest out there. Don’t worry though, because I’m sure that Top 10 list isn’t far off.
10. Madea (9 Films)
I might not be the biggest fan of Tyler Perry’s work, but that doesn’t make him any less of a cinematic giant. The man is prolific in the number of movies he’s managed to churn out year after year. While I might not be part of his niche market, I still admire his brilliance in seeing a need and filling it. Madea first appeared on screen in 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman and thus a franchise was born featuring the character (played by Perry in drag). She’s a tough as nails, no-nonsense, and, dare I say, saucy matriarch that is fiercely protective of the ones she loves which probably explains her popularity over the 14 years since she first appeared. Alas, it seems like her franchise has come to an end with 2019 A Madea Family Funeral.
9. The Pink Panther (10 Films)
Growing up The Pink Panther was one of the first film franchises I got sucked into thanks to my grandparents. The series follows Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who is essentially a bumbling version of Sherlock Holmes. He’s a brilliant clutz that manages to always get his man even despite his buffoonery. Several actors have tackled the role over the years, but my personal favorite was Peter Sellers, who appeared in 5 of the 10 films. Of all the film franchises to appear on this list, The Pink Panther series is by far the funniest (no offense to Madea fans out there). However, the series suffered an ill-fated attempt at a remake in 2006 that not even the casting of comedic genius Steve Martin could salvage (though it did get a sequel).
8. Disney Live Action Reimaginings (10 Films)
Recently Disney has tried its hand making the old new again with a series of live-action remakes of a number of their classic animated films. The franchise kicked off in 1996 with a reimagining of the 101 Dalmations film but was revitalized in 2010 with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Since then there has been a slew of movies, with 2019 looking to be a banner year for the franchise with the release of Dumbo, The Lion King, and Aladdin. At the rate Disney is pumping out new movies, this very well could be one of the biggest film franchises of all in just a few short years. That being said, the live-action remakes have been a little hit or miss when it comes to their quality, but that hasn’t stopped the films from racking up over $2 billion at the box office.
7. J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World (10 Films)
Harry Potter is the biggest cultural phenomenon of my generation. The books themselves literally had people lining up at midnight just to get their hands on them. So, it’s little wonder that the cinematic adaptations have managed to become one of the biggest film franchises of all time. Of course, the Harry Potter series itself is impressive enough with 8 entries. However, in branching out to include the Fantastic Beasts storyline, it’s also become one of the most impressive shared universes to ever appear in theaters. There are at only 2 more films planned for the Fantastic Beasts series, but with how much money this franchise has made (over $2.7 billion), it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood finds more Wizarding World tales to tell.
6. Batman (11 Films)
When it comes to film franchises I’m a little biased when it comes to the caped crusader. Batman has always been one of my favorite superheroes, so I’m always excited to see him pop up in movies. Over the years, he’s been played by a plethora of actors on the big screen including the likes of Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and, more recently, Ben Affleck. Batman was one of the first comic book heroes to get a seriously big screen treatment from Hollywood. He had a ton of solo films even before joining the DCEU in Batman v Superman and Justice League. Despite Ben Affleck stepping down from the role recently, the DCEU doesn’t look to be done with the hero yet and a new Batman film is slated for 2021.