List of multimedia franchises originating in films

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Following is a list of multimedia franchises originating in films, whether animated or live-action.

In the following tables, the initial media through which the franchise characters or settings became known is shown in boldface. Only works of fiction are only considered part of the series; a book or a documentary film about the franchise is not itself an installment in the franchise.

Franchises originating in animated films[]

Franchise
(Creator)
Literature Comics Animated films Live action films Animated TV series Live action TV series Video games Other media
An American Tail
(Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Steven Spielberg)
various no An American Tail (1986)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)
no Fievel's American Tails (1992) no various An American Tail Theatre
Cars
(John Lasseter and various)
various various Cars (2006)
Cars 2 (2011)
Cars 3 (2017)
Planes (2013)
Planes: Fire and Rescue (2014)
no no no various toy line
Cars Land
Casper the Friendly Ghost
(Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo)
various various The Friendly Ghost (1945)
numerous others
Casper (1995) Matty's Funday Funnies (1959–1961)
The New Casper Cartoon Show (1963–1970)
several others
several made-for-TV movies various toys
Despicable Me
(Sergio Pablos)
children's novels Minions comic albums
no Minions Holiday Special (2020) no
  • Despicable Me
  • Minion Mayhem
  • Minion Rush
  • Minion Paradise
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Felix the Cat
(Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer)
Felix the Cat comic strip various Theatrical Shorts series
(beginning in 1919 to 1930)
sound and color revival shorts from Van Beuren Studios (1936)
Felix the Cat: The Movie (1988)
Felix the Cat Saves Christmas (2004)
no Felix the Cat (1958-1960)
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995-1997)
Baby Felix (2000-2001)
no Felix the Cat (1992/1993) various merchandise
Finding Nemo
(Andrew Stanton)
yes yes Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Dory (2016)
no no no yes Finding Nemo the Musical
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Frozen
(Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee)
numerous Yes Frozen (2013)
Frozen II (2019)
no LEGO Frozen Northern (2016) Once Upon a Time (season 4; 2014) numerous Disney On Ice Frozen, Frozen Ever After and more
Hotel Transylvania
(Todd Durham)
no Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
no Hotel Transylvania: The Series no Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvania Dash
Hotel Transylvania Social Game
Hotel Transylvania BooClips Deluxe App
Ice Age
(Michael J. Wilson)
no no Ice Age (2002)
The Meltdown (2006)
Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Continental Drift (2012)
Collision Course (2016)
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (upcoming for 2022)
no no no various Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure (live arena ice show)
The Incredibles
(Brad Bird)
yes yes The Incredibles (2004)
Incredibles 2 (2018)
no no no various Incredicoaster
Kung Fu Panda
(Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris)
no yes Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
no Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011–2016)
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny (2018–)
no yes numerous
The Land Before Time
(Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Judy Freudburg & Tony Geiss)
various no The Land Before Time (1988)
sequels
no The Land Before Time (2007–08) no List of The Land Before Time video games no
Lilo & Stitch
(Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois)
children's novels Comic Zone: Lilo & Stitch (2002–c. 2005)
Stitch! manga books
Stitch & the Samurai (2020)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Stitch! The Movie (2003)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005)
Leroy & Stitch (2006)
Upcoming live-action remake Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003–2006)
Stitch! (2008–2015)
Stitch & Ai (2017)
no Disney's Lilo & Stitch (GBA; 2002)
Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (2002)
Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 (2002)
various others
theme park attractions and additional merchandise
The Lion King
(Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff)
adaption various The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
The Lion King (2019)
no (though the 2019 remake was advertised as a live-action film) The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999)
The Lion Guard (2015–2019)
no various other media
Sing
(Garth Jennings)
no no Sing
Sing 2
no no no no no
Looney Tunes
(Rudolf Ising and Hugh Harman)
no various Theatrical Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short films
(beginning in 1930 to 1969 with rival shorts released in the 1990s and 2010s)
various feature films
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989)(cameo only)
Space Jam (1996)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
numerous no List of Looney Tunes video games Music albums, theme park attractions
Madagascar
(Tom McGrath, Eric Darnell)
various various Madagascar (2005)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
no various no various musical, theme park attractions
Mickey Mouse and Friends
(Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks)
children's books Mickey Mouse (comic book)
various
Theatrical short films
(beginning in 1928)
Fantasia (1940)
Saludos Amigos (1942)
The Three Caballeros (1944)
Fantasia 2000 (1999)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989)(cameo only) the films featured in Animaited films feature live-action scenes numerous Walt Disney anthology television series various numerous
Monsters, Inc.
(Pete Docter and various)
various Monsters, Inc.: Laugh Factory Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Monsters University (2013)
no Monsters at Work (2021-) no various numerous
The Secret Life of Pets
(Cinco Paul
Brian Lynch
Ken Daurio)
yes yes The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
no no no The Secret Life of Pets: Unleashed The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
Tangled
(Nathan Greno & Byron Howard)
various various Tangled (2010)
Tangled Ever After (2012)
Tangled: Before Ever After (2017)
no Tangled: The Series / Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2017–2020) no Tangled: The Video Game (2010)
Tom and Jerry
(William Hanna & Joseph Barbera)
yes various Theatrical short films, (beginning in 1940 to 1967 and 2005)
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
various DTV animated films
Tom and Jerry numerous no List of Tom and Jerry video games Musical adaption
Toy Story
(John Lasseter, and various)
yes various Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Toy Story Toons (2011-2012)
Lamp Life (2020)
no Toy Story Treats (1996)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-2001)
Forky Asks A Question (2019-)
two TV shorts
no various other media
Wallace and Gromit
(Nick Park)
yes various A Grand Day Out (1989)
The Wrong Trousers (1993)
A Close Shave (1995)
Cracking Contraptions (2002)
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
A Matter of Loaf and Death(2008)
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Farmageddon A Shaun the Sheep Movie (2019)
two Shaun the Sheep specials
no Shaun the Sheep (2007-)
Timmy Time (2009-2012)
Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention (2010)
no various Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic
Woody Woodpecker/Andy Panda
(Walter Lantz)
yes yes Theatrical Andy Panda short series (starting in 1939 to 1952, with the short Knock Knock debuting the character of Woody Woodpecker)
Theatrical Woody Woodpecker shorts (starting in 1940 to 1971)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989) (cameo only)Woody Woodpecker (2017) The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957-1958)
The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1999-2001)
Woody Woodpecker (2018)
live action segments in The Woody Woodpecker Show various theme park attractions
The Woody Woodpecker Song

Franchises originating in live-action films[]

Franchise
(Creator)
Literature Comics Animated films Live action films Animated TV series Live action TV series Video games Other media
Alien[1]
(Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett)
Alien novel series various no Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
no no various -
Back to the Future
(Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale)
novelizations of the films several no Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future (1991-92) no yes Back to the Future the Musical
Bill & Ted
(Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon)
yes Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book no Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990-1991) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1992) various cereal
musical
Buffyverse
(Joss Whedon)
List of Buffyverse novels List of Buffyverse comics no Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Animated pilot Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Angel (1999–2004)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer video games -
The Chronicles of Riddick
(David Twohy)
yes no The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004) Pitch Black (2000)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Riddick (2013)
no no several -
DC Extended Universe

(DC Films)

various various no Man of Steel (2013)
several other films
no various various -
Evil Dead
(Sam Raimi)
no Army of Darkness comic book
various
no
  • The Evil Dead (1981)
  • Evil Dead II (1987)
  • Army of Darkness (1992)
  • Evil Dead (2013); reboot
no Ash vs Evil Dead several Evil Dead: The Musical
Final Destination
(Jeffrey Reddick)
numerous novels Final Destination: Sacrifice (2006)
Final Destination: Spring Break (2006)
no
  • Final Destination (2000)
  • Final Destination 2 (2003)
  • Final Destination 3 (2006)
  • The Final Destination (2009)
  • Final Destination 5 (2011)
no no no -
Ghostbusters
(Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis)
no Ghostbusters (comics) no Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
yes no[2] yes -
Godzilla
(Ishirō Honda)
Novels by Marc Cerasini Godzilla (comics) Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters Godzilla (1954)
numerous others
yes yes yes -
Halloween
(John Carpenter and Debra Hill)
List of novels List of comics no Halloween
List of films
no no Halloween -
Herbie
(Gordon Buford and Walt Disney Productions)
Car, Boy, Girl (1961, unpublished)
film novelizations
three Gold Key Comics under the Walt Disney Showcase no The Love Bug (1968)
Herbie Rides Again (1974)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
no Herbie, the Love Bug Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
Herbie Rescue Rally (2007)
-
Highlander
(Gregory Widen)
various various Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (2007) Highlander (1986)
Highlander II: The Quickening
Highlander III: The Sorcerer
Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: The Source (2007)
Highlander: The Animated Series Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Raven
Highlander (1986)
Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods (1995)
Highlander: The Card Game
Indiana Jones
(George Lucas and Steven Spielberg)
yes Indiana Jones (comics) no Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
no The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles various The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role-Playing Game by TSR and The World of Indiana Jones by West End Games
The Karate Kid
(Robert Mark Kamen)
no no no The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
The Karate Kid (2010)
The Karate Kid (1989) Cobra Kai (2018–) The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986)
The Karate Kid (1987)
Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues
King Kong
(Merian C. Cooper)
no various no King Kong (1933); numerous others The King Kong Show (1966–1969)
The Mighty Kong (1998)
Kong: The Animated Series (2000)
no various King Kong musical (2013); amusement park rides
Marvel Cinematic Universe
(Marvel Studios)
various various no Iron Man (2008)
several other films
What If...? (2021) various various various
The Matrix[3][4]
(The Wachowskis)
yes The Matrix Comics The Animatrix (2003) The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
no no Enter the Matrix (2003)
several others
-
The Pink Panther
(Blake Edwards and Maurice Richlin)
yes The Pink Panther and the Inspector The Pink Phink (1964)
various
The Pink Panther (1963); sequels and reboots various no various -
Police Academy
(Paul Maslansky)
no yes no Police Academy (1984)
six sequels
Police Academy (1988) Police Academy: The Series (1997) no Police Academy Stunt Show (1991)
Predator[1]
(Jim Thomas and John Thomas)
Predator novel series List of Predator comics no Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1990)
Predators (2010)
The Predator (2018)
no no various -
RoboCop
(Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner)
RoboCop 2: A Novel RoboCop (comics) no RoboCop (1987)
RoboCop 2 (1990)
RoboCop 3 (1993)
RoboCop (2014)
RoboCop: The Animated Series (1988)
RoboCop: Alpha Commando (1998−1999)
RoboCop: The Series (1994)
RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)
List of RoboCop video games RoboCop the Ride
Rocky
(Sylvester Stallone)
yes no no Rocky (1976)
Numerous sequels and spin-offs
no no Various Rocky the Musical
Saw
(James Wan & Leigh Whannell)
no yes no Saw (2004); numerous sequels no no Saw (2009)
Saw II: Flesh & Blood (2010)
various theme parks, attractions and additional merchandise
Stargate
(Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin)
yes List of Stargate comics no Stargate (1994) Stargate Infinity Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Universe
Stargate: Resistance -
Star Wars[3]
(George Lucas)
List of Star Wars books List of Star Wars comic books Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Star Wars (1977)
several other films
numerous Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
The Mandalorian (2020-)
Various others
List of Star Wars video games numerous
Terminator
(James Cameron)
various List of Terminator comics no The Terminator (1984)
numerous sequels
no Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) List of Terminator video games park attraction
Tron
(Steven Lisberger)
yes various no Tron (1982)
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Tron: Uprising no various

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Note: Alien vs. Predator is a crossover franchise established from the existing Alien and Predator franchises
  2. ^ Note: The Ghostbusters franchise beginning with the 1984 film is unrelated to the 1975 TV series, The Ghost Busters, and its spin-off, the 1986 Ghostbusters animated series.
  3. ^ a b Harry J. Brown, Videogames and Education (2008), p. 41, ISBN 0765629496:

    In one of the most celebrated ventures in media convergence, Larry and Andy Wachowski, creators of The Matrix trilogy, produced the game Enter the Matrix (2003) simultaneously with the last two films of the trilogy, shooting scenes for the game on the movie's sets with the movie s actors, and releasing the game on the same day as The Matrix: Reloaded. Likewise, on September 21, 2004, Lucasfilm jointly released a new DVD box set of the original Star Wars trilogy with Star Wars: Battlefront, a combat game in which players can reenact battles from all six Star Wars films. In 2005, Peter Jackson likewise produced his blockbuster film King Kong (2005) in tandem with a successful King Kong game designed by Michael Ancel and published by Ubisoft. In the last several years, numerous licensed videogame adaptations of major summer and holiday blockbusters were released a few days before or a few days after their respective films, including: all three Star Wars films (1999–2005); all five Harry Potter films (2001–2008); all three Spider-Man films (2002–2007); Hulk (2002); The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005); Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006); Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007); and Transformers (2007). These multimedia franchises have made it more difficult to distinguish the production of films and videogames as separate enterprises.

  4. ^ Lincoln Geraghty, American Science Fiction Film and Television (2009), p. 94, ISBN 1845207963: Multiple readings of the film are plentiful and highlight the polysemic nature of the text and subsequent multimedia franchise".
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