The 10 most successful movie franchises of all time, ranked
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- 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.
Warner Bros.
Box office total: $5.72 billion
Number of movies: 11
Highest-grossing movie: "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) β $1.11 billion
Universal Pictures
Box office total: $6.08 billion
Number of movies: 6
Highest-grossing movie: "Jurassic World" (2015) β $1.67 billion
20th Century
Box office total: $6.08 billion
Number of movies: 13
Highest-grossing movie: "Deadpool 2" (2018) β $786 million
Warner Bros.
Box office total: $7.11 billion
Number of movies: 12
Highest-grossing movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) β $1.34 billion
Warner Bros. Pictures
Box office total: $7.21 billion
Number of movies: 16
Highest-grossing movie: "Aquaman" (2018) β $1.15 billion
Universal Pictures
Box office total: $7.32 billion
Number of movies: 11
Highest-grossing movie: "Furious 7" (2015) β $1.52 billion
Columbia Pictures
Box office total: $7.88 billion
Number of movies: 27
Highest-grossing movie: "Skyfall" (2012) β $1.11 billion
Sony Pictures
Box office total: $9.03 billion
Number of movies: 10
Highest-grossing movie: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) β$1.95 billion
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Box office total: $10.36 billion
Number of movies: 12
Highest-grossing movie: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2016) β $2.07 billion
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Box office total: $31.48 billion
Number of movies: 35
Highest-grossing movie: "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) β $2.8 billion
