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the-numbers.com. (June 22, 2022). Highest-grossing movie franchises and series worldwide as of June 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from //www.statista.com/statistics/317408/highest-grossing-film-franchises-series/
the-numbers.com. "Highest-grossing movie franchises and series worldwide as of June 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. June 22, 2022. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2022. //www.statista.com/statistics/317408/highest-grossing-film-franchises-series/
the-numbers.com. (2022). Highest-grossing movie franchises and series worldwide as of June 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2022. //www.statista.com/statistics/317408/highest-grossing-film-franchises-series/
the-numbers.com. "Highest-grossing Movie Franchises and Series Worldwide as of June 2022 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Jun 2022, //www.statista.com/statistics/317408/highest-grossing-film-franchises-series/
the-numbers.com, Highest-grossing movie franchises and series worldwide as of June 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, //www.statista.com/statistics/317408/highest-grossing-film-franchises-series/ (last visited July 22, 2022)
With “Doctor Strange’s” big opening last weekend, three of the biggest recent film releases have been comic-book related. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe to films based on the ‘Harry Potter’ book series, movie franchises can be big bucks for studios.
Stacker.com scoured The Numbers for film franchise data as of April 2022 and ranked them according to inflation-adjusted total domestic gross for all movies in their series. Franchises within franchises were not included, but franchises that had identities outside of a single franchise were included. For example, “Iron Man” is absorbed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but “Batman” and “Superman” have films outside of the DC Extended Universe that qualifies them to rank on their own.
Keep reading to discover which franchises are the highest-grossing in the United States.
#10. Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $2,536,933,292- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $5,845,321,407- Years: 2001-2014
The Middle Earth fantasy franchise includes all three of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies and “The Hobbit” trilogy, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novels. Although the reviews for “The Hobbit” weren’t as favorable as those for the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, all three films outperformed the first two “Lord of the Rings” movies.
#9. Star Trek
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $2,611,836,631- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $2,266,907,732- Years: 1979-2016
The Star Trek series spun off the television series that ran from 1966 to 1969 on NBC. Directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, “Star Trek,” the 11th film to be released, was the first one in the rebooted series and remains the most successful film in the franchise.
#8. Jurassic Park
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $2,723,602,562- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $5,008,426,006- Years: 1993-present
This American sci-fi action series, based on the eponymous novel by Michael Crichton, imagines what might happen if genetic scientists made it possible for dinosaurs to return to Earth and inhabit a theme park. Notable stars in the series include Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard. 2018′s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” will be followed by the series’ sixth film, “Jurassic World: Dominion,” in June 2022.
#7. X-Men
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $2,921,416,378- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $6,075,264,152- Years: 2000-2020
The superhero series based in the Marvel Universe centers around a team of superheroes with mutant abilities. Before it appeared on the big screen, “X-Men” was a series of comic books created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. “Deadpool,” released in 2016, and “Deadpool 2,” released in 2018, will be followed by the production of “Deadpool 3.”
#6. Harry Potter
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $3,708,788,785- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $9,394,626,564- Years: 2001-present
J.K. Rowling published “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” more than 20 years ago, and little did she know that the book would not only change children’s book publishing but it would spawn one of the most successful film franchises ever. The movies released to date in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise saw obsessed fans lined up in full Potter regalia to see the stories of their favorite magical characters come alive on the big screen.
#5. Spider-Man
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $3,901,208,586- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $8,259,391,476- Years: 2002-present
The web-slinging superhero of the Marvel Universe is also one of its most popular and successful to date. The protagonist in the franchise is based on the comic book character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Prominent stars in the franchise include Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, J.K. Simmons, Zendaya, Emma Stone, and Denis Leary.
#4. Batman
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $4,336,811,413- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $6,792,356,315- Years: 1966-present
The Caped Crusader has had many incarnations over his multi-decade reign on the big screen. Batman is one of the most prominent characters in the DC Universe, originally created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. Batman is also one of the most successful film franchises to date with 2008′s “The Dark Knight” not only being one of the most successful at the box office but also one of the best superhero movies ever made.
#3. James Bond
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $6,131,090,501- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $7,881,786,644- Years: 1963-present
The epic spy franchise is based on the series of novels by Ian Fleming. The story centers around the secret agent James Bond, a character who has been played by seven different actors over the years. The successful franchise released its most recent film, “No Time to Die,” starring Daniel Craig in his final act as Bond, in October 2021.
#2. Star Wars
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $8,090,988,804- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $10,318,326,428- Years: 1977-present
With legacy “Star Wars” films combined with the small but mightily performing “Star Wars Anthology” movies, it’s no wonder the titles in the franchise make it one of the most successful of all time. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” brought back stars Harrison Ford and the late Carrie Fisher to join up-and-comers Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, and John Boyega.
#1. Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Domestic box office (inflation-adjusted): $10,531,554,997- Worldwide box office (non-inflation-adjusted): $25,665,480,214- Years: 2008-present
The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise averages more than two films per year and reigns supreme as the highest-grossing movie franchise in the history of the U.S. box office. Two of Marvel’s highest-grossing films include “Avengers: End Game,” at more than $858 million, and “Black Panther,” with more than $700 million at the domestic box office.
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