The 10 most successful movie franchises of all time, ranked

24 February 2025 at 05:13

James Bond and Q in skyfall — "Skyfall."
Sony Pictures Releasing

Franchises have been the backbone of Hollywood for decades.
The highest-grossing franchise in movie history is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It has made more than $31 billion at the box office since 2008.

It's hard to imagine what the movies would look like without sequels, spin-offs, and connected universes taking over the box office every weekend.

The top 10 movie franchises at the global box office have each grossed at least $5 billion. They range from '60s and '70s series like James Bond and the "Star Wars" movies to more contemporary releases like "The Fast and the Furious" and "Harry Potter."

Business Insider used data from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers to identify the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.

Here's how each of your favorite movie universes compare, including their number of films and their top-performing release.

10. "Batman"

the dark knight rises — "The Dark Knight Rises."
Warner Bros.

Box office total: $5.72 billion

Number of movies: 11

Highest-grossing movie: "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) — $1.11 billion

9. "Jurassic Park"

jurassic world — "Jurassic World."
Universal Pictures

Box office total: $6.08 billion

Number of movies: 6

Highest-grossing movie: "Jurassic World" (2015) — $1.67 billion

8. "X-Men"

Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool in "Deadpool 2." — "Deadpool 2."
20th Century

Box office total: $6.08 billion

Number of movies: 13

Highest-grossing movie: "Deadpool 2" (2018) — $786 million

7. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Box office total: $7.11 billion

Number of movies: 12

Highest-grossing movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) — $1.34 billion

6. DC Extended Universe

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in "Aquaman." — "Aquaman."
Warner Bros. Pictures

Box office total: $7.21 billion

Number of movies: 16

Highest-grossing movie: "Aquaman" (2018) — $1.15 billion

5. "The Fast and the Furious"

dwayne johnson in furious 7 — "Furious 7."
Universal Pictures

Box office total: $7.32 billion

Number of movies: 11

Highest-grossing movie: "Furious 7" (2015) — $1.52 billion

4. "James Bond"

james bond skyfall — "Skyfall."
Columbia Pictures

Box office total: $7.88 billion

Number of movies: 27

Highest-grossing movie: "Skyfall" (2012) — $1.11 billion

3. "Spider-Man"

Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man emerging from a portal in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." — "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
Sony Pictures

Box office total: $9.03 billion

Number of movies: 10

Highest-grossing movie: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) —$1.95 billion

2. "Star Wars"

princess leia han solo in star wars the force awakens — "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Box office total: $10.36 billion

Number of movies: 12

Highest-grossing movie: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2016) — $2.07 billion

1. The Marvel Cinematic Universe

chris evans as captain america in avengers endgame — "Avengers: Endgame."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Box office total: $31.48 billion

Number of movies: 35

Highest-grossing movie: "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) — $2.8 billion

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