When Did Most Movie Franchises Begin?
Executive Summary
Movie franchises are a cornerstone of the modern film industry, but how big do they really get? How long do they last? And when did most of them begin?
When Did Most Movie Franchises Begin? A Look at Trends Over Time
The chart below shows the number of film franchises launched each year, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
đ Franchises Started Per Year
Key Insights:
- Total franchises analyzed: 1,751
- Peak year: 2019, with 96 franchises launched
- Sharp growth from the 2000s to 2010s
- Significant decline after 2019
đŹ Trends Over Time
Early Years (1930sâ1970s):
In the early decades of cinema, very few franchises were launched per year. From the 1930s to the late 1960s, yearly franchise starts typically stayed below 10. This slow growth reflects the nature of early Hollywood, where standalone films dominated and the concept of long-running franchises was rare.
Steady Growth (1980sâ1990s):
Starting in the 1980s, there was a noticeable increase in the number of new franchises. The era of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Batman helped establish the franchise model as a successful business strategy. By the 1990s, it was common to see 20â40 new franchises started annually.
Franchise Boom (2000sâ2019):
Between 2000 and 2019, the number of new franchises skyrocketed. This period saw a surge in cinematic universes, sequels, and rebootsâfueled by advancements in digital filmmaking and the rise of streaming platforms.
- 2010s in particular were the most active decade for franchise creation.
- The peak came in 2019, with 96 new franchises started that year alone.
Recent Decline (2020âPresent):
After 2019, there's a visible drop in franchise launches. While some of this decline may be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting film production, it's also possible that studios are becoming more selective or shifting focus to existing intellectual property and streaming series instead of new theatrical franchises.
Conclusion
This analysis shows that most movie franchises today are relatively new, with a large number of them being launched in the past two decades. The concept of a franchise has grown from a rare occurrence to a dominant force in modern filmmaking. Whether this trend continues or shifts again in the era of streaming and AI-generated content remains to be seen...