Let’s not fool ourselves. When a movie starts to be produced from the initial idea and the script, until the last special effects shot is finished, everything in it is geared towards making the most money possible . Not only for the producer who advances everything it costs, but also for the entire cast of actors, directors and technicians who earn an honest living working in these jobs. So yes, money is important, so much so that when goals are not achieved… do you know what happens?
The 20 highest grossing sagas
Every year thousands of films are released around the world but only a few reach those heights of blockbusters that elevate them to the top of the cinematographic Olympus. Now, there is an element that we can consider modern and that had not been seen in the history of cinema until, at least, 1963 , when 007 against the D was released. No , but, above all, accentuated even more with the arrival in 1977 of Star Wars: and it is the creation of film sagas with five, ten, 15 and even more than 35 different deliveries that are going through theaters and sweeping in numbers.
Since George Lucas created Star Wars , specifically, the phenomenon of second and third parts have followed one another over the years as if it were something inevitable, although in recent times these accounts have gone even further to cases such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is close to 40. Or Harry Potter, which is 13 and growing, and of course Star Wars itself, which adds up and continues until it reaches 15. Avatar also appears on the horizon with second, third, fourth and fifth parts or Indiana Jones… so don’t doubt that this franchise phenomenon will only increase.
That is why we bring you the 20 most successful franchises in the history of cinema, ordered from lowest to highest grossing at the box office, in dollars and at the precise moment of signing this article. That is to say, July 2022. After the days, the premieres and the collections, these amounts could vary, but we fear that there will be few sagas that change positions in a general way.
So now yes, we are going to meet the 20 highest-grossing franchises in history. Importantly, in the number of films of each franchise appears the amount, not only of already released productions, but of those that are also in the process of reaching theaters, 3D re-releases, IMAX, as well as revenue from sales of DVD, Blu -Ray etc. (all amounts, in millions of dollars).
20 – The Hunger Games
The series of films starring Jeniffer Lawrence were a resounding success at the box office and proof of this is the enormous performance she has achieved with four of them because the fifth is yet to come. You know, The Hunger Games Ballad of songbirds and snakes that will tell us about events prior to those of the first installments. The highest grossing, The Hunger Games Catching Fire, with 864 million.
- Total movies: 5
- Total raised: $2,958,353,344
19 – Ice Age
This saga is one of the longest since it has been telling us since 2002 how some prehistoric animals lived in their swarming around a rather unruly planet Earth when it comes to natural disasters. And so much so that it is still active with new projects that not only reach theaters, but also streaming or television platforms. The highest grossing of all was Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs with 886 million.
- Total movies: 8
- Total raised: $3,206,624,261
18 – Toy Story
Since Pixar released the first Toy Story in 1995 , there have been four installments plus the last of Lightyear and other re-releases with 3D editions, etc. So it has given him enough to comfortably exceed 3,000 million dollars worldwide, although it could fall a little more thanks to the latest premiere starring Buzz. The highest grossing of all, Toy Story 4 with 1,073 million.
- Total movies: 7
- Total raised: $3,243,561,810
17 – Twilight
Between 2008 and 2012, all the income from the five films was concentrated, plus the premiere of Twilight in domestic formats, which, for those who do not remember them, caused a fever among teenagers of those times. A success that boosted the popularity of Kristen Stewart. The highest-grossing film of all was Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 with $829 million.
- Total movies: 6
- Total raised: $3,317,470,739
16 – Shrek
In this case, the Shrek and Puss in Boots films are included , which is a spin-off that Dreamworks released in 2011. Precisely, this year we will have the second part that will help those more than 3,500 million dollars to reach the 4,000. We’ll see how it does at the box office. Of all of them, the most successful was Shrek 2 with 935 million.
- Total movies: 9
- Total raised: $3,545,629,858
15 – Mission Impossible
Tom Cruise already has two more installments planned for the years 2023 and 2024 that will join the six already in theaters. And the truth is that the figures achieved since the first of all was released in theaters in 1996 are not bad at all. It looks like it will comfortably exceed 4,000 million quietly but, for now, the one that has taken out the most has been Mission: Impossible Fallout with 787 million.
- Total movies: 8
- Total raised: $3,577,423,206
14 – Despicable Me Gru
This saga is very topical since it has the latest installment in theaters: Minions The Origin of Gru , so in the coming weeks it is almost certain that it will exceed the 4,000 million mark. It is, of course, the most successful franchise achieved by Illumination. The first of Minions was the one that has raised the most with 1,159 million worldwide.
- Total movies: 6
- Total raised: $3,932,874,535
13 – Pirates of the Caribbean
With the mess around Johnny Deep and his trial, the franchise has been frozen but, above all, because of Disney, who ran too quickly to cancel the actor. Now, given the interpreter’s refusal to be Jack Sparrow again, dark clouds hang over the saga… but you never know. At the moment, it has been frozen at 4,500 million dollars with Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest as the one that has raised the most: 1,066 million.
- Total movies: 5
- Total raised: $4,522,062,632
12 – Transformers
With a movie scheduled for 2023, Transformers Rise of the beasts , the saga is sure to continue on the right track at the box office, so it does not seem strange that it ends up reaching 5,000 million dollars. Transformers The Dark Side of the Moon is the one that has raised the most with 1,123 million.
- Total movies: 9
- Total raised: $4,846,579,018
11 – DC Extended Universe
Warner wants to emulate Marvel and that is why it has been launching and launching movies since 2011 with different luck. Now, with five in production ( Blue Beetle , The Flash , Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , Batgirl and Shazam! Fury of the Gods ) he hopes to take flight and break the… 6,000, 7,000? What is certain is that some have worked better than others, such as Aquaman, which is the only one that exceeded 1,100 million.
- Total movies: 29
- Total raised: $5,802,898,856
10 – Jurassic Park
Since 1993 they have been terrifying us with the idea that the dinosaurs are back on Earth with the mission of eating everyone who moves . And it seems that they have succeeded because they have captivated millions of viewers. Do you know which is the highest grossing of all? Indeed Jurassic World with 1,669 million.
- Total movies: 6
- Total raised: $5,836,469,941
9 – The Lord of the Rings
Authentic mass phenomenon that somehow transformed the cinema into a show of countless hours of enjoyment in theaters. Prepare a new installment for 2024, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and at the moment the highest grossing of all was The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King with 1,120 million worldwide.
- Total movies: 7
- Total raised: $5,845,321,407
8 – X Men
With the franchise already back home, at Disney (by Marvel), we will see what plans they have for it , although for now, what Fox has done has served to raise a good peak, with Deadpool 2 as the highest grossing of all with 769 million worldwide to this day.
- Total movies: 14
- Total raised: $6,073,054,732
7 – Fast & Furious
When the first installment arrived, nobody thought that it was going to be the phenomenon that it has become, with some spin-off involved and that it has plans for 2023, when we will have Fast X. At the moment, Fast & Furious 7 continues to be the highest grossing with 1,514 million dollars in revenue.
- Total movies: 11
- Total raised: $6,612,191,848
6 – Batman
Many Batman movies have appeared since 1966, although it was Tim Burton’s in 1989 that accelerated the frequency of production of films for cinema, television, live action, cartoons, 3D, etc. And it is that only the batman (and Joker ) is capable of attracting so much interest, not in vain is he one of the most versioned characters. The highest grossing film in the franchise? The Dark Knight The Legend Rises , with 1,082 million.
- Total movies: 27
- Total raised: $6,808,468,738
5 – James Bond
What to say about the dean of film franchises that premiered in 1963 and that already has 27 films behind him, although now they are looking for a new face for the character. The highest grossing movie of all has been… Skyfall with 1.11 billion worldwide . Does it seem weird to you?
- Total movies: 27
- Total raised: $7,880,393,492
4 – Spider-Man
Spider-man is one of the most versioned characters, although in terms of box office performance he has no equal. There are two productions planned for 2023 and 2024 and the highest grossing film of all, do you know which one it is? Well, indeed, Spider-Man No Way Home , with more than 1,889 million dollars . A savagery.
- Total movies: 12
- Total Raised: $8,254,904,894
3 – Harry Potter
With 11 films behind it and a couple of special releases (IMAX, etc.), the saga that unites Harry Potter with Fantastic Creatures is one of the most profitable in history, since it is about to touch the 10,000 million collection. The tape that has collected the most at the box office is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II , with 1,328 million in total worldwide.
- Total movies: 13
- Total raised: $9,594,324,006
2 – Star Wars
Despite the erratic path of the saga, it remains almost at the top, which gives an idea of what they would have achieved if things had been done well. With 12 movies behind them already released and three in the pipeline for the next few years ( Star Wars Rogue Squadron and two untitled), so far the most successful has been Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens, with more than 2,064 millions.
- Total movies: 15
- Total raised: $10,318,326,428
1 – Marvel Cinematic Universe
We come to the undisputed leader who has been revolutionizing cinema since 2008, which has led to turning it into a monologue of superheroes and villains. With 30 already released and nine in production or about to arrive in the coming months, it is the most prolific franchise of all time since it is close to exceeding 27,000 million. A savagery! The highest grossing movie of all, Avengers Endgame with 2,797 million… very close to Avatar .
- Total movies: 39
- Total raised: $26,610,996,930
