Top 10 Best Movie Franchises of All Time

Peter Jackson's trilogy won 17 Oscars, including 11 for The Return of the King, and remains the gold standard for epic fantasy filmmaking. It is 30% more awarded at the Oscars than the average of the other top 10 franchises, and its 11 Oscars for a single film is three times more than any Harry Potter film achieved.

Disney's interconnected superhero universe grossed over $30 billion across 32 films from 2008 to 2023 — the highest-grossing franchise in history. It earns triple the revenue of Star Wars and averages $938 million per film, 40% higher than the nearest rival on this list.

The longest-running film series, spanning 25 films from 1962 to 2021 and six actors playing 007, has grossed over $7.8 billion worldwide. It is cheaper to produce per film than the average Tom Cruise-led franchise, with a per-film profit margin of 45% compared to 30% for the Mission: Impossible series.

Coppola's crime saga set the template for prestige cinema. The first two films are among the most acclaimed ever made, with The Godfather sitting at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Outperforming Indiana Jones' best-reviewed entry by 7 points, the trilogy's first two chapters boast a combined score that tops the average for Top 10 franchises on the list.

Ridley Scott's 1979 original and James Cameron's 1986 sequel stand as two of the greatest genre films ever made, faster-paced than the average sci-fi classic. The franchise spans eight films, with a combined box office exceeding $1.6 billion, 70% higher than the typical rival series on this list.

Spielberg and Lucas's archaeologist-adventurer series starring Harrison Ford produced three beloved classics and has grossed $2 billion worldwide, 30% lighter on critical misfires than the average franchise. This total outperforms The Dark Knight Trilogy by $300 million, cementing its blockbuster dominance.

Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy — Begins, The Dark Knight, and Rises — redefined superhero cinema with its grounded, thematic ambition, cheaper per film than the average modern blockbuster. Each installment earned over $160 million domestically, outgrossing two of the three Indiana Jones originals by 20% on average.

The Wachowskis' cyberpunk trilogy launched one of the most influential film franchises of the 2000s and spawned an entire aesthetic movement. It outperforms #7's average cultural impact by prompting over 500 academic articles analyzing its themes, while its signature 'bullet time' effect remains 40% more referenced in pop culture than any rival franchise's single visual innovation.

Spielberg's 1993 dinosaur thriller spawned a six-film franchise grossing over $6 billion. The original remains a benchmark for CGI visual effects, achieving a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is 15% higher than the average for the other franchises on this list. Its box office dominance outperforms #3's total by nearly $1 billion when adjusted for inflation.