Over lunch, I wondered aloud how many of the 100 top grossing movies were either sequels or the first film in a franchise.
Take a moment and think about it.
Of the top movies, what percentage are part of a larger franchise? And we’re only looking at theatrical. For this exercise, home video sequels don’t count.
Around the table, guesses ranged from 50 to 83 movies.
The answer is 86. Yes, 86 of the 100 all-time worldwide top-grossing movies are part of a franchise. (See Update 2 below.)
Here is the list:
| Rank | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar | Franchise Origin† |
| 2 | Titanic | Single |
| 3 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Franchise |
| 4 | Jurassic World | Franchise |
| 5 | Marvel’s The Avengers | Franchise |
| 6 | Furious 7 | Franchise |
| 7 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Franchise |
| 8 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | Franchise |
| 9 | Frozen | Franchise Origin† |
| 10 | Iron Man 3 | Franchise |
| 11 | Minions | Franchise |
| 12 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Franchise |
| 13 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Franchise |
| 14 | Skyfall | Franchise |
| 15 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | Franchise |
| 16 | The Dark Knight Rises | Franchise |
| 17 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | Franchise |
| 18 | Toy Story 3 | Franchise |
| 19 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | Franchise |
| 20 | Jurassic Park | Franchise Origin |
| 21 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Franchise |
| 22 | Alice in Wonderland (2010) | Franchise Origin |
| 23 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Franchise |
| 24 | The Dark Knight | Franchise |
| 25 | The Lion King | Single |
| 26 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | Franchise Origin |
| 27 | Despicable Me 2 | Franchise |
| 28 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | Franchise |
| 29 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Franchise |
| 30 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Franchise |
| 31 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Franchise |
| 32 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Franchise |
| 33 | Finding Nemo | Franchise Origin† |
| 34 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Franchise |
| 35 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Franchise |
| 36 | Shrek 2 | Franchise |
| 37 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Franchise |
| 38 | Spider-Man 3 | Franchise |
| 39 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Franchise |
| 40 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Franchise |
| 41 | Spectre | Franchise |
| 42 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Franchise |
| 43 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Franchise |
| 44 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | Franchise |
| 45 | Inside Out | Single |
| 46 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | Franchise |
| 47 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Franchise |
| 48 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 | Franchise |
| 49 | Inception | Single |
| 50 | Spider-Man | Franchise |
| 51 | Independence Day | Franchise |
| 52 | Shrek the Third | Franchise |
| 53 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Franchise |
| 54 | E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial | Single |
| 55 | Fast & Furious 6 | Franchise |
| 56 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Franchise |
| 57 | Spider-Man 2 | Franchise |
| 58 | Star Wars | Franchise Origin |
| 59 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Franchise Origin |
| 60 | 2012 | Single |
| 61 | Maleficent | Franchise* |
| 62 | The Da Vinci Code | Franchise Origin |
| 63 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Franchise |
| 64 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | Franchise |
| 65 | Shrek Forever After | Franchise |
| 66 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | Franchise |
| 67 | Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted | Franchise |
| 68 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Franchise |
| 69 | Monsters University | Franchise |
| 70 | The Matrix Reloaded | Franchise |
| 71 | Up | Single |
| 72 | Gravity | Single |
| 73 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Franchise |
| 74 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 | Franchise |
| 75 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Franchise |
| 76 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Franchise |
| 77 | Transformers | Franchise Origin |
| 78 | The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | Franchise |
| 79 | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Franchise |
| 80 | Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | Franchise |
| 81 | The Hunger Games | Franchise Origin |
| 82 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Franchise |
| 83 | Forrest Gump | Single |
| 84 | Interstellar | Single |
| 85 | The Sixth Sense | Single |
| 86 | Man of Steel | Franchise |
| 87 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Franchise |
| 88 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | Franchise |
| 89 | Big Hero 6 | Single |
| 90 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Franchise |
| 91 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | Franchise |
| 92 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | Franchise |
| 93 | Thor: The Dark World | Franchise |
| 94 | Kung Fu Panda | Franchise Origin |
| 95 | The Incredibles | Franchise Origin |
| 96 | Fast Five | Franchise |
| 97 | Hancock | Single |
| 98 | MIB 3 | Franchise |
| 99 | Iron Man 2 | Franchise |
| 100 | Ratatouille | Single |
Films marked † have a sequel in production or very nearly so. Films marked * could be considered single or part of a franchise.
It’s worth taking a closer look at the 14 films that never got a big-screen sequel, and why:
Titanic, 2012, Interstellar, Gravity
You can’t sink the same boat twice. (Or blow up the same planet/shuttle.)
E.T.
There was apparently talk of a sequel at some point.
Forrest Gump
Eric Roth actually wrote a sequel.
The Lion King, Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out, Big Hero 6
There are rumblings of a Big Hero 6 sequel, and it’s not impossible to imagine big-screen sequels to all of these.
Inception, The Sixth Sense
DiCaprio has never done a sequel. But could you do Inception 2 without him? Sure. And you could do a Sixth Sense sequel without Bruce Willis. I bet we’ll get one of these.
Hancock
Not a hit, not a bomb, but not crying out for a sequel. Also, it’s low enough on the list that it will be knocked off soon.
Whenever you talk about the top-grossing movies, the first question is always, “What about adjusting for inflation?” (Also known as, “What about Gone with the Wind?”)
Fine. Let’s do that.
Here are the top 100 movies of all time, adjusted for inflation:
| Rank | Title | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gone with the Wind | 1939^ | Single |
| 2 | Star Wars | 1977^ | Franchise Origin |
| 3 | The Sound of Music | 1965 | Single |
| 4 | E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial | 1982^ | Single |
| 5 | Titanic | 1997^ | Single |
| 6 | The Ten Commandments | 1956 | Single |
| 7 | Jaws | 1975 | Franchise Origin |
| 8 | Doctor Zhivago | 1965 | Single |
| 9 | The Exorcist | 1973^ | Franchise Origin |
| 10 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1937^ | Single |
| 11 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | Franchise |
| 12 | 101 Dalmatians | 1961^ | Franchise |
| 13 | The Empire Strikes Back | 1980^ | Franchise |
| 14 | Ben-Hur | 1959 | Single |
| 15 | Avatar | 2009^ | Franchise Origin |
| 16 | Return of the Jedi | 1983^ | Franchise |
| 17 | Jurassic Park | 1993^ | Franchise Origin |
| 18 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1999^ | Franchise |
| 19 | The Lion King | 1994^ | Single |
| 20 | The Sting | 1973 | Franchise |
| 21 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981^ | Franchise Origin |
| 22 | The Graduate | 1967^ | Single |
| 23 | Fantasia | 1941^ | Single |
| 24 | Jurassic World | 2015 | Franchise |
| 25 | The Godfather | 1972^ | Franchise Origin |
| 26 | Forrest Gump | 1994^ | Single |
| 27 | Mary Poppins | 1964^ | Single |
| 28 | Grease | 1978^ | Franchise Origin |
| 29 | Marvel’s The Avengers | 2012 | Franchise |
| 30 | Thunderball | 1965 | Franchise |
| 31 | The Dark Knight | 2008^ | Franchise |
| 32 | The Jungle Book | 1967^ | Single |
| 33 | Sleeping Beauty | 1959^ | Single |
| 34 | Ghostbusters | 1984^ | Franchise Origin |
| 35 | Shrek 2 | 2004 | Franchise |
| 36 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | 1969 | Single |
| 37 | Love Story | 1970 | Franchise |
| 38 | Spider-Man | 2002 | Franchise Origin |
| 39 | Independence Day | 1996^ | Franchise Origin |
| 40 | Home Alone | 1990 | Franchise Origin |
| 41 | Pinocchio | 1940^ | Single |
| 42 | Cleopatra (1963) | 1963 | Single |
| 43 | Beverly Hills Cop | 1984 | Franchise Origin |
| 44 | Goldfinger | 1964 | Franchise |
| 45 | Airport | 1970 | Franchise Origin |
| 46 | American Graffiti | 1973 | Franchise |
| 47 | The Robe | 1953 | Single |
| 48 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | 2006 | Franchise |
| 49 | Around the World in 80 Days | 1956 | Single |
| 50 | Bambi | 1942^ | Single |
| 51 | Blazing Saddles | 1974^ | Single |
| 52 | Batman | 1989 | Franchise Origin |
| 53 | The Bells of St. Mary’s | 1945 | Single |
| 54 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003^ | Franchise |
| 55 | Finding Nemo | 2003^ | Franchise Origin |
| 56 | The Towering Inferno | 1974 | Single |
| 57 | Spider-Man 2 | 2004 | Franchise |
| 58 | My Fair Lady | 1964 | Single |
| 59 | The Greatest Show on Earth | 1952 | Single |
| 60 | National Lampoon’s Animal House | 1978^ | Single |
| 61 | The Passion of the Christ | 2004^ | Single |
| 62 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005^ | Franchise |
| 63 | Back to the Future | 1985 | Franchise Origin |
| 64 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002^ | Franchise |
| 65 | The Dark Knight Rises | 2012 | Franchise |
| 66 | The Sixth Sense | 1999 | Single |
| 67 | Superman | 1978 | Franchise Origin |
| 68 | Tootsie | 1982 | Single |
| 69 | Smokey and the Bandit | 1977 | Franchise Origin |
| 70 | West Side Story | 1961 | Single |
| 71 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | 2001 | Franchise Origin |
| 72 | Lady and the Tramp | 1955^ | Single |
| 73 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | 1977^ | Single |
| 74 | Lawrence of Arabia | 1962^ | Single |
| 75 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | 1975 | Single |
| 76 | Rocky | 1976 | Franchise Origin |
| 77 | The Best Years of Our Lives | 1946 | Single |
| 78 | The Poseidon Adventure | 1972 | Franchise Origin |
| 79 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001^ | Franchise Origin |
| 80 | Twister | 1996 | Single |
| 81 | Men in Black | 1997 | Franchise Origin |
| 82 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 | Single |
| 83 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | 2009 | Franchise |
| 84 | It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World | 1963 | Single |
| 85 | Swiss Family Robinson | 1960 | Single |
| 86 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | 1975 | Single |
| 87 | M.A.S.H. | 1970 | Single |
| 88 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 1984 | Franchise |
| 89 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | 2015 | Franchise |
| 90 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 2002^ | Franchise |
| 91 | Mrs. Doubtfire | 1993 | Single |
| 92 | Aladdin | 1992 | Single |
| 93 | Toy Story 3 | 2010 | Franchise |
| 94 | Ghost | 1990 | Single |
| 95 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | 2013 | Franchise |
| 96 | Duel in the Sun | 1946 | Single |
| 97 | The Hunger Games | 2012 | Franchise Origin |
| 98 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | 2003 | Franchise |
| 99 | House of Wax | 1953 | Single |
| 100 | Rear Window | 1954^ | Single |
The ^ indicates that a film has been re-released, which can raise its rank. When in doubt, I’ve labelled films as Single (e.g. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).
What can we learn from looking at the inflation-adjusted list? Well, of the top 100 movies, 49 are neither a sequel nor the start of a franchise. That’s a huge difference from the non-adjusted list.
Hollywood didn’t always make sequels from every hit.
A few observations I’ve made from this exercise:
- Franchises are a huge part of how Hollywood makes money, not just now but historically.
- Franchises have to start somewhere. You don’t get Minions without Despicable Me (which isn’t in the top 100).
- Some franchises I’ve ignored (e.g. The Hobbit, Transformers) have made bank.
- James Bond is a good business to be in.
- There’s a reason studios don’t want you to kill the hero at the end of the movie.
Update #1 (1/29/16):
A reader asks what percentage of the top movies are sequels — that is, part of a franchise but not the origin.
On the non-inflation list, 73 of the top 100 are sequels.
Update #2 (1/30/16):
In the first list, I had mistakenly marked Gravity as a franchise. It’s a Single. So that knocks the total number of franchise movies down to 86.
In the second list, readers pointed out that several of the Single movies actually did have sequels: The Sting, Love Story and American Graffiti. I’ve adjusted the number of non-franchise movies down from 52 to 49, and fixed the graphic.
Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo, comes out June 17th. Here’s the trailer. It’s certainly going to exist, which means Finding Nemo counts as a Franchise Origin.
A person could reasonably argue that the Avatar and Frozen sequels won’t happen. But as someone who knows both the industry and the people involved, I very strongly suspect they will. I’m keeping them as Franchise Origins.