The Ten Most Powerful Movie Franchises in History

Hollywood's application of the old saying "Don't mess with what works" is reaping big bucks in box offices worldwide. Sequels and prequels are the hottest ticket in town right now, but which film franchises are smashing box office records? Read on to find out...

10. Jurassic Park
Even with 2 lukewarm sequels, Jurassic Park still stands tall as one of the crowning achievements of computer-aided graphics and it is to this day one of the most prominent blockbusters of all-time.


9. Indiana Jones
Almost subtly, George Lucas and Steven Spilberg (great cinematic masterminds) unleashed one of the most iconic and unsuspecting heroes in film with Raiders of the Lost Arc in 1981.

8. Shrek
The animated comedy franchise widely hailed as a postmodern fairy tale shows that sometimes princesses and ogres can live happily ever after, after all. Because it is animated and encompasses a great amount of characters, this franchise could live on forever.

7. Spider-Man
Among the recent films adapted from Marvel Comics' stable of heroes, the Spider-Man franchise scores the highest in terms of its box office accomplishment. It has grossed billions world-wide between theatrical releases, DVDs and merchandising sales.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean
Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened in 1967, but it wasn't until 2003 that Disney realized how to turn it into gold. 'Pirates' has brought in more than $2.6 billion in booty at the box office.

5. Batman
The latest installment in the Batman film series set amazing records and it's now one of the most succesful movies in history. Because of that, now Batman franchise is again very lucrative.

4. The Lord of the Rings
Smart merchandising and brilliant filmmaking made Peter Jackson's epic adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy popular with people who had never before thought of visiting Middle-earth. The journey of Frodo, Sam and a gaggle of others to save Middle Earth is one of the most well-documented cinematic adventures of all-time.

3. James Bond
The James Bond films are the longest-running franchise in movie history. The 23 films starring the world's most famous British agent have made a fortune for its producers and brought joy to millions.

2. Harry Potter
With five films and three more comming (HP7 will be split in two parts), the Harry Potter franchise recently has been turned into the most successful movie franchise in history, based on worldwide box office returns, surpassing the box office totals of all 22 James Bond films and the six Star Wars movies. And there's still Harry Potter for a while...

1. Star Wars
With 6 films that have grossed almost $2 billion dollars at the box office and one of the most dedicated fan bases in all of pop culture, there is no question that Star Wars is the most powerful film franchise in history. Since the first film hit theaters on May 25, 1977 there has been no turning back; Star Wars is the king of all movie franchises, there is just no way around it.