List of highest-grossing film franchises

Highest-grossing franchises and film series
Prior to 2000, only seven film series had grossed over $1 billion at the box office: James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Rocky,  Batman, Jurassic Park and Star Trek. Since the turn of the century that number has increased to over forty, excluding one-off hits such as Avatar, Titanic and Frozen. This is partly due to inflation and market growth, but also to Hollywood's adoption of the franchise model: films that have built-in brand recognition, such as being based on a well known literary source or an established character. The methodology is based on the concept that films associated with things audiences are already familiar with can be more effectively marketed to them, and as such are known as "pre-sold" films within the industry.

The films in the cross-franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe have collectively grossed the most, amassing nearly $11 billion at the box office, although the Eon James Bond films have earned over $14 billion in total when adjusted to current prices. The Harry Potter films are the highest-grossing series based on a single property, earning nearly $8 billion at the box office; Harry Potter has also generated at least $3.5 billion in home video revenue, taking total consumer spending on the films to over $11 billion. If ancillary income from merchandise is included, then Star Wars is the most lucrative property; it holds the Guinness world record for the "most successful film merchandising franchise" and was valued at £19.51 billion in 2012 (approximately $30 billion). With four billion-dollar grossers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the only series where more than two films have grossed in excess of $1 billion, and the two Avengers films comprise the only franchise where each installment has grossed over $1 billion. Avengers is also the only franchise to have a series average of over $1 billion per film, although the Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park and Finding Nemo franchises, Harry Potter films, and Peter Jackson's Middle-earth adaptation also average over $1 billion adjusted for inflation.


 * {{legend|#b6fcb6|indicates that at least one film in the series is playing in the week commencing .|text=}}