The success of any film launched by any franchise is that it will thrive both commercially, critically, bring in lots of fame, and end up leading to plenty of other film releases. However, it is worth noting that not everything goes as planned with these franchises and some end up failing and resulting in great losses. However, for any franchise, it is worth the risk of releasing these films because of the success that they will bring when they break world records in streaming, sales and trends. It is a no brainer that the most talked about movies on social media have got the worlds’ attention in their hands. While not all franchises can be mentioned, here are just some of the most popular movie franchises that audiences praise time and time again.
1. Marvel Cinematic Universe
With its first release of Iron Man movie in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dominated the film industry with its fair share of superheroes. Many of the successful films within the franchise have not only smashed the worldwide box office but are also movies that have spurred on merchandise sales too. What makes MCU hard to beat is that it is a single franchise with numerous films and series which are world-class. Just to name a few movies under MCU include The Avengers, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, and many more. Financially speaking these movies have amazed millions of dollars and have gathered an international fan base that eagerly awaits the release of another new film. Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for having the most talked about movies on social media, including Black Panther that broke records, it set the bar higher for other franchises to follow.
2. Star Wars
The year 1977 saw the first introduction of a galaxy movie which was very far away from what the world has ever seen. Even when main Star Wars films have been silent for a while, other additions like Solo, Rogue One, and even The Mandalorian, have kept the franchise going. According to data from Statista, when taking ticket price inflation into account, Star Wars: A New Hope is still the most successful film in the Star Wars film franchise. Although at the time it made $776m at the worldwide box office, this translates to over $3b in today’s ticket prices.
3. Harry Potter
Both J. K Rowling’s book series and movie adaptations have been popular with many generations who adore the Wizarding World. The fictional universe was so popular that more experiences were introduced for fans beyond the big screen. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal Orlando and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour opened in Watford. The Wizarding World cinematic universe has also continued through the Fantastic Beasts films. When combining all eight films in the main Harry Potter series, the franchise took in a worldwide box office of over $7.7b.
4. James Bond
Another long running film franchise has been the fictional world of British spy James Bond. Based on the fictional character by Ian Fleming, Bond has graced the big screen for over twenty-five movies now, with the first film, Dr.No, being released in 1962. The role of 007 has always been taken seriously with the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan taking on the role over the years. The 25th Bond film to be released is No Time To Die, starring Daniel Craig in his final film as James Bond. While great things are expected of the film, it was recently announced that No Time To Die is delayed until Spring 2021, after it was originally scheduled to be released in April this year.
5. The Lord of the Rings
Sometimes when a film franchise is so great, it returns in some other form years later. This is what happened for the fans of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth films. Based on the novels by J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings trilogy came out in the early 200s and each film achieved multiple Academy Awards. Later the franchise would continue in 2012 with the story of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy. The most successful film in the series was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, released in 2003, which is one of the most successful achievements ever for a film trilogy. The film won an incredible eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects.