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in: Media franchises, Sequels

Media franchise

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See also: List of highest-grossing media franchises
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A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements. Multiple sequels are often planned well in advance, and (in the case of motion pictures) actors and directors often sign multi-film deals to ensure their participation.

Known media franchises[]

Snow White 1937 poster
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The media franchises buy own Hollywood classic stars cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Popeye, Betty Boop, Felix the Cat, Woody Woodpecker, The Katzenjammer Kids and Tom and Jerry.

The original classic characters of DC Comics which made superheroes including Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and Marvel Comics which made superheroes including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and original Marvel characters.

Some media franchises are accidental, such as the Ma and Pa Kettle series of films (the title characters of which broke out of the 1947 film The Egg and I), and some are planned, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The most profitable film franchises include Harry Potter, Star Wars, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lord of the Rings.

Long-running film franchises were common in the studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contracts. Examples include Andy Hardy, Ma and Pa Kettle, Bulldog Drummond, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes. The longest-running modern film franchises include James Bond, Godzilla, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Batman and Star Trek. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age. They either lose interest, or their characters are killed.

Development to other forms[]

Fiction[]

Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, and other popular detectives, as well as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Hulk, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and other popular comic book superheroes. Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels, particularly those in the fantasy and science fiction genres, such as Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star Wars. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into an animated television series or a video game, or both.

DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Star Wars crossover characters includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Marvel characters and Darth Vader.

Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox crossover characters includes Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Marilyn Monroe.

The best Hollywood greatest cinematic classic original characters introducing Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Kermit the Frog, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Fred Flintstone, Tom and Jerry, SpongeBob SquarePants, Marilyn Monroe, Ronald McDonald, Snow White, Tinker Bell, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Woody Woodpecker, Roger Rabbit and Darth Vader.

Non-fiction[]

Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books. An enduring and extensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises, which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy, within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as a modeling agency, several television shows (Playboy's Penthouse, in 1959), its own television channel. 25 years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show, direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in the magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise.

Original[]

The highest-grossing and longest-running franchise blockbuster series includes Disney (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen, Lizzie McGuire etc.), Pixar (Toy Story, Cars etc.), Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), DC Comics (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman), Marvel Comics (Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Marvel characters), Popeye, Betty Boop, Felix the Cat, The Simpsons, MGM and Hanna-Barbera (Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo etc.), SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars, Thomas & Friends, Frankenstein, Dracula, Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Marilyn Monroe, King Kong, Godzilla, South Park, Maya the Bee and many more.

Original media franchises[]

  • DC Comics (includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many others)
  • Marvel Comics (includes Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and many others)
  • Disney (includes Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Lizzie McGuire, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen, Pinocchio, and many others)
  • Warner Bros. (includes Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, and many others)
  • 20th Century Fox (Studios) (includes Marilyn Monroe, The Simpsons, and many others)
  • Hanna-Barbera (includes Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, and many others)
  • Star Wars (includes Darth Vader and many others)
  • Pixar (includes Toy Story, Cars, and many others)
  • Nickelodeon (includes SpongeBob SquarePants and many others)
  • Nick Jr. (includes Dora the Explorer and many others)
  • Dr. Seuss (includes The Cat in the Hat and many others)
  • Nintendo (includes Mario, Kirby, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon)
  • Sega (includes Sonic the Hedgehog)
  • Namco (includes Pac-Man)
  • Capcom (includes Mega Man and many others)
  • Jim Henson's Muppets (includes Sesame Street, The Muppets, Fraggle Rock and Bear in the Big Blue House)
  • DreamWorks (includes Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and many others)
  • Aardman (includes Wallace and Gromit and many others)
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (includes The Wizard of Oz, The Pink Panther, and many others)
  • Dragon Ball (includes Goku, Vegeta, Bulma, and many others)
  • Cartoon Network (includes The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Chowder, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and many others)
  • Paramount Pictures (includes Star Trek)
  • Universal Pictures (includes Woody Woodpecker, Despicable Me, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, The Mummy and Back to the Future)
  • Universal Classic Monsters (includes Frankenstein, Dracula, and many others)
  • RKO and Universal (includes King Kong)
  • Toho (includes Godzilla)
  • Columbia Pictures (includes Ghostbusters and The Three Stooges)
  • Hal Roach Studios (includes Laurel and Hardy)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (includes The Wiggles, Bananas in Pyjamas, Mr. Squiggle and Play School)
  • The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends
  • Harry Potter
  • Maya the Bee
  • Garfield
  • The Smurfs
  • ALF
  • Heathcliff
  • Cubitus
  • South Park
  • King Features (includes Popeye, Blondie and Dagwood, and many others)
  • Betty Boop
  • Felix the Cat
  • Fujiko Fujio (includes Doraemon and many others)
  • Peanuts (includes Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy van Pelt, Woodstock, and many others)
  • BBC (includes Teletubbies, Doctor Who, and many others)

Fictional universe characters[]

  • DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Justice League, Justice Society, L.E.G.I.O.N., Young Justice, Legion of Super-Heroes and Teen Titans)
  • Marvel Comics (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four and the Avengers)
  • Disney (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney and Pixar)
  • Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Warner Bros.)
  • Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry and Hanna-Barbera)
  • 20th Century Fox (Marilyn Monroe and 20th Century Fox)
  • Nickelodeon (SpongeBob SquarePants and Nickelodeon)
  • Nick Jr. (Dora the Explorer and Nick Jr.)

Blockbuster franchises[]

See also: List of highest-grossing media franchises
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Companies[]

DC Comics

DC Comics (also known as DC) is one of two major American comic company (the other being Marvel Comics). Founded as National Allied Publications in 1934 by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, it is currently is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with Paul Levitz serving as president. Among its most successful characters are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics (also known as Marvel) is one of two major American comic company (the other being DC Comics). Founded as Timely Comics in 1939 by Martin Goodman, its current editor in chief is Joe Quesada. Among its most successful characters are Spider-Man, Hulk and X-Men.

Disney

The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney) is a American company original founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney. Its the making cartoons, movies, TV shows, short movies, comics and theme parks includes Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Among its successful perhaps respectively original classic cinematic trademark characters are Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Frozen, Lilo & Stitch, Toy Story, Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment (also known as Warner Bros., simply Warner Brothers, or WB) is a American company original founded in 1923 by four Warner brothers includes Harry, Albert, Jack and Sam. Its the making cartoons, movies, TV shows, comics and theme parks. Among its successful perhaps respectively original classic cinematic trademark blockbuster characters are Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Matrix, Harry Potter and Cartoon Network.

Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera (also known as HB) is a American company original founded in 1957 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Among its successful original blockbuster cartoon characters are Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo.

20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox (also known as Twentieth Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, or simply Fox and TCF) is a American company original founded in 1935 by William Fox, Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck. Its the making movies and TV shows. Among its successful original blockbuster characters are Marilyn Monroe, The Simpsons, Ice Age, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Predator, X-Men, Titanic, Futurama, Family Guy and Anastasia.

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm is a American company original founded in 1971 by George Lucas. Among its successful original trademark classic blockbuster characters are Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

See also[]

External links[]

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