When it comes to movie franchises, most people think of the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, or perhaps the still-enchanting "Harry Potter" series. These days, franchises comprise most ticket sales at American movie theaters, but the movie franchise is hardly a new phenomenon.
Franchises, which include movie series that share titles, characters, and/or a fictional universe, have been around since the dawn of cinema. Take the 1931 hit "Frankenstein," for instance. Universal Pictures' early horror flick spawned "The Bride of Frankenstein," "The Son of Frankenstein," "The Ghost of Frankenstein," and several other Frankenstein pics over more than a decade.
The origins of successful franchises vary widely. Some film series stemmed from a single, unexpected hit, like "The Terminator." Other franchises made it big based on their characters or fascinating storylines. Then there are franchises that rely on the strength of their preexisting intellectual property (looking at you, Marvel).
No matter what led to a franchise's success, chances are the films had the support of a strong, dare we say legendary, cast. These actors banded together to put their respective movies on the map, and while many casts have changed significantly over the years, certain central actors still return to the screen time and again to reprise their older roles.
To celebrate these stars, Stacker combed through cinematic history to find photos of the casts of 20 popular movie franchises, then compared images from the original movie premieres to photos from the most recent release. Read on to find out where your favorite film franchises started, and learn how the years have impacted these hit series.
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This rags-to-riches tale about a Philadelphia boxer's shot at the big time parallels a real-life underdog story. Sylvester Stallone, who starred as Rocky Balboa and wrote the script, worked odd jobs for years—including a stint in adult entertainment—before he gathered enough financial and studio backing to make the film. "Rocky" became a near-instant classic and won three Academy Awards, including the Best Picture Oscar.
Stallone starred in seven more "Rocky" movies and most recently appeared in the 2018 release "Creed II," which saw Rocky coaching new champ Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). Though the franchise continues, Stallone bowed out of 2023's "Creed III" due to creative differences and longstanding tensions with producer Irwin Winkler, who also helped create the earlier "Rocky" movies.
At the request of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), a young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) teams up with a ragtag group of rebels to save the galaxy from a powerful threat. Though some critics—in particular, those at The Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine—did not initially appreciate "Star Wars," the movie launched director George Lucas and the rest of the cast into the spotlight. The first "Star Wars" remains a pioneering sci-fi classic, defining multiple generations of pop culture.
No less than 11 more movies and 17 TV shows followed "Star Wars," which has been retitled "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope." Disney acquired rights to the franchise in 2012 after purchasing George Lucas' production company, Lucasfilm, and new installments continue to be released. Few of these follow-ups feature the original movies' stars. Aside from motion-capture appearances, Hamill last played Luke Skywalker in 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," while Fisher made her final appearance as Princess Leia in 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," filmed before she died in 2016.
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis in one of her most memorable roles, "Halloween" revolutionized the slasher movie genre and has become a long-lasting horror favorite. The original John Carpenter film sees Michael Myers (Tony Moran) don his now-famous mask to terrorize several teenage girls, among them Curtis' Laurie Strode. Ruthlessly economical in its storytelling, which offers no motivations for Myers' killing spree, the movie still frightens many viewers today.
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The "Halloween" franchise now consists of 13 movies, many of which star original cast member Curtis. The franchise has also featured a rotating assortment of newer stars, including actors Andi Matichak and Rohan Campbell, who appeared in 2022's "Halloween Ends." Still, as Carpenter did not return to direct any of the sequels, many die-hard (no pun intended) "Halloween" fans say the follow-ups can't hold a candle to the original.
Director Steven Spielberg introduced audiences to daredevil archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) for the first time in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark." On his 1936 quest to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, Jones faces off against a group of Nazis and kindles a romance with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the daughter of a fellow archaeologist. Jones' escapades won over audiences to the tune of $168 million at the domestic box office, making "Raiders of the Lost Ark" the top-grossing film of 1981.
Spielberg ultimately directed three more "Indiana Jones" films, including the divisive "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." However, James Mangold took the reins for the franchise's fifth installment, 2023's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Ford has returned for all subsequent sequels and starred alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Boyd Holbrook, and Mads Mikkelsen in "Dial of Destiny," featuring a cameo from Allen.
Though Eddie Murphy's career had been gathering steam for years before the 1984 premiere of "Beverly Hills Cop," the film all but ensured his movie-star status. Murphy stars as streetwise Detroit cop Axel Foley, who dives into the glitz and glam of Beverly Hills to investigate his best friend's murder. Both critics and audiences raved about "Beverly Hills Cop," and the movie earned more than $316 million globally.
Forty years and three more movies later, Murphy has continued to turn in winning performance after winning performance as Axel, who has evolved from a devil-may-care youngster to a protective parent (without losing his signature sense of humor, of course). Murphy last played Axel in 2024's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" and says plans for a fifth film with producer Jerry Bruckheimer are moving ahead; however, longtime franchise star John Ashton passed away in September 2024.
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Killer robot movies featuring abundant CGI are nothing new these days, but when "The Terminator" premiered in 1984, James Cameron's film took theaters by storm. The movie owes at least some of its success to Arnold Schwarzenegger's unparalleled performance as the titular cyborg. To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger taught himself how to expertly handle firearms… and took out an insurance policy on his eyebrows.
Though the first movie became a modest box-office hit, grossing around $78 million globally, there was little indication at the time that "The Terminator" would give rise to a massive franchise. The series now includes a TV show and six films, the latest of which, "Terminator: Dark Fate," premiered in 2019. Schwarzenegger continues to return as the Terminator—perhaps appropriate for an actor who so famously uttered the words, "I'll be back."
Featuring a winning mix of comedy, fantasy, and action, not to mention one of the catchiest movie theme songs ever written, "Ghostbusters" quickly picked up a massive following after its premiere. In fact, "Ghostbusters" beat out "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Gremlins" to reach #1 at the domestic box office in 1984. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson star as four paranormal exterminators who band together to defend New York City from the undead.
Though Ramis passed away in 2014, Murray, Aykroyd, and Hudson continue to appear in "Ghostbusters" movies, with new stars like Finn Wolfhard and Paul Rudd by their side. Despite middling critical reviews, 2024's "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" performed well at the box office. The franchise's fourth film raked in more than $200 million globally to become one of the year's top releases thus far.
A 24-year-old Tom Cruise starred in "Top Gun" as hotheaded fighter pilot Maverick, who quickly butts heads with the more experienced Iceman (Val Kilmer). Remembered for its impressive stunt work, the movie also has an iconic soundtrack featuring "Take My Breath Away," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1987.
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More than 30 years later, Cruise donned Maverick's flight suit once again to star in "Top Gun: Maverick." This 2022 movie packs in even more dizzying aerobatic tricks and another memorable track: Lady Gaga's Oscar-nominated "Hold My Hand." Despite the lengthy time period between the first and second movies, a third "Top Gun" is reportedly in the works as of 2024.
The buddy-cop movie "Lethal Weapon" has stood the test of time mainly thanks to the on-screen dynamics between stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The two play a mismatched pair of Los Angeles police officers who must learn how to overcome their differences and function as partners. "Lethal Weapon" became a box-office sensation in 1987, grossing over $120 million worldwide against a $15 million budget.
Glover and Gibson teamed up for three more movies, the latest of which, "Lethal Weapon 4," premiered in 1998. A three-season TV show starring Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford also ran from 2016 to 2019. More than 20 years after "Lethal Weapon 4," fans may yet see "Lethal Weapon 5" hit theaters, as Gibson confirmed in 2024 that he plans to work on the next movie.
Based on the 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever," "Die Hard" stars Bruce Willis as New York cop John McClane, who faces off against terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in the skyscraper Nakatomi Plaza. Between the movie's stellar acting, expert comedic timing, and fast-paced fight scenes, "Die Hard" has become an action classic. The film also has no shortage of highly quotable, profanity-laced lines, perhaps most famously, "Yippee-ki-yay, motherf-----!"
Willis returned as John McClane in four subsequent "Die Hard" movies, including the latest installment, 2013's "A Good Day to Die Hard." Though fans long entertained hopes of a sixth "Die Hard" film, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura officially put an end to those rumors in 2021, telling Polygon, "It's not happening." Moreover, Willis, who retired from acting in 2022 following his aphasia diagnosis, was subsequently diagnosed in 2023 with frontotemporal dementia, a debilitating disease that heavily impairs the actor's memory.
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Another hit film series originated by Steven Spielberg, the "Jurassic World" franchise began in 1993 with the action-packed "Jurassic Park." Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum star as Ellie and Malcolm, who visit a theme park centered on real, live dinosaurs. Of course, the park's main attractions quickly exhibit their wilder natures, forcing the protagonists into a fight for survival.
Two sequels quickly followed the first "Jurassic Park," but after "Jurassic Park III" hit theaters to a lukewarm critical reception in 2001, another "Jurassic Park" movie wouldn't arrive until 14 years later with "Jurassic World." Starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the film roared into theaters in 2015 and single-handedly revived the franchise's earlier popularity. Goldblum returned to the series for "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" and "Jurassic World Dominion," the latter of which also featured Dern—time will tell, though, whether Goldblum or Dern will appear in the 2025 film, "Jurassic World Rebirth," the seventh movie in the "Jurassic Park" franchise.
Directed by Michael Bay, "Bad Boys" stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. When $100 million worth of heroin goes missing from police headquarters, the two "bad boys" must hunt down the missing drugs in just five days. Despite middle-of-the-road reviews, the movie grossed over $141 million at the global box office.
Nearly 30 years later, Mike and Marcus' partnership lives on in three subsequent franchise installments, including 2024's "Bad Boys: Ride or Die." A fifth "Bad Boys" film seems likely, as the movie's stars and directors have all confirmed they would be interested in a reunion.
The first "Mission: Impossible" stars Tom Cruise as American intelligence agent Ethan Hunt. Framed for the murders of several other operatives, Ethan must infiltrate a highly secure room at CIA headquarters to prove his innocence. Director Brian De Palma ratchets up a sense of tension in the film's most suspenseful sequences, like the iconic Langley heist scene.
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Ethan's death-defying antics have continued across seven more "Mission Impossible" movies, including 2023's "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One." Cruise has famously handled many of the franchise's stunts himself rather than relying on a body double to, say, climb a skyscraper or cling to a flying airplane. The next "Mission: Impossible" movie, "Dead Reckoning – Part Two," will hit theaters in 2025.
There's no overstating the cultural impact "The Matrix" made upon its 1999 premiere. This sci-fi action megahit stars Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity and Keanu Reeves as Neo, a young hacker who must save humanity from a sinister computer interface known as the Matrix. Some of the film's many memorable moments include the red pill, blue pill quandary and Neo's oft-quoted "I know kung fu" line.
Though two more "Matrix" movies premiered in 2003, neither earned quite the same critical or audience acclaim as the first. Nearly 20 years passed before Reeves and Moss returned as Neo and Trinity in 2021's "The Matrix: Resurrections." Production on the franchise's fifth installment is underway, but the next movie will not be directed by the Wachowski sisters, who directed the original movies.
Based on the bestselling novel series by J.K. Rowling, the "Harry Potter" franchise catapulted its three young stars directly into the limelight. Daniel Radcliffe stars as the titular young wizard, aided by friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) in a quest to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort (later played by Ralph Fiennes).
Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint grew up on the sets of the "Harry Potter" franchise, with all three stars remaining on board from the first "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to the final "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." The trio have continued to act but have not returned for any subsequent releases in the "Harry Potter" universe, including the "Fantastic Beasts" prequel films.
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Despite a tepid critical response, "The Fast and the Furious" quickly gained a massive fanbase after its 2001 premiere, particularly among street racing and car enthusiasts. Boasting action-packed racing sequences and a cast led by Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Paul Walker, the movie grossed over $200 million worldwide. Sure, "The Fast and the Furious" might not have won any Oscars, but the film did score several MTV Movie Award and Teen Choice Award nominations.
After Walker's death in 2013, the "Fast & Furious" has lived on with original cast members Diesel and Rodriguez. Throughout 11 movies, numerous other A-listers have come and gone from the franchise, including Sung Kang, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Gal Gadot. As audiences often note, the films' quality has fluctuated over the years. Even so, the "Fast & Furious" series retains its sizable following: The latest release, 2023's "Fast X," grossed more than $700 million worldwide.
While Matt Damon had already built up a stacked acting résumé before starring in "The Bourne Identity," his role in the thriller turned him into a bona fide action movie hero. Based on Robert Ludlum's novel of the same name, the 2002 movie follows Damon's amnesia-stricken protagonist as he attempts to recover his former identity—and learn why so many assassins are out to kill him.
Damon went on to play Jason Bourne in three more movies, including 2016's "Jason Bourne," which also stars Alicia Vikander and Julia Stiles. Jeremy Renner briefly stepped into a central role for the 2012 release "The Bourne Legacy," but, despite its title, the movie does not feature Damon's character. The franchise also includes the short-lived USA Network series "Treadstone," which ran for one season in 2019.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" stars Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley as an unlikely trio caught up by both supernatural and British naval forces. Scenes of swashbuckling derring-do and a biting sense of humor made "The Curse of the Black Pearl" a near-instant hit among critics and audiences alike—a somewhat surprising outcome for a movie based on a Disneyland theme park ride.
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Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was the driving force behind four more "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies after "The Curse of the Black Pearl." While Bloom didn't appear in 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," he did reprise his role as Will Turner for 2017's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." Though the later films didn't earn the same praise as "The Curse of the Black Pearl," they grossed hundreds of millions at the global box office.
"The Da Vinci Code" is based on Dan Brown's bestselling mystery book series and stars Tom Hanks in the central role, Robert Langdon. A symbologist at Harvard University, Robert must team up with cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) and police inspector Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) to solve a mysterious murder at Paris' Louvre Museum. However, as the heroes explore the crime further, they become ever more entangled in a web of dangerous secrets and plots.
Though "The Da Vinci Code" was an enormous box-office success, its two sequels didn't fare as well. "The Da Vinci Code" pulled in some $760 million globally, but the trilogy's final film, "Inferno," earned just $220 million worldwide. A few years after "Inferno" premiered in 2016, the TV series "The Lost Symbol" recast the role of Langdon and ran for just one season in 2021.
One of several long-running film series in the MCU, "Guardians of the Galaxy" follows a crew of misfits, led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), on an intergalactic adventure to save the universe. Besides the impressive performances from its leading cast, the movie's cheeky dialogue and far-ranging soundtrack won over legions of fans.
Intertwined with other events in the MCU, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise concluded after just three movies. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" premiered in 2023, and the trilogy's curtain call earned a largely positive response. Be advised, though: According to the franchise's fans, you may need a tissue or two while you watch.
Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Michael Flocker.
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