35 Highest Grossing Franchise Origin Movies
by Dibyayan_Chakravorty | created - 21 Aug 2015 | updated - 16 Feb 2018 | PublicAs of 3rd July 2017, these are the origin movies of the 35 highest grossing (US domestic gross) franchise. Which one do you think gave the best start for a franchise?
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1. Star Wars (1977)
14 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
Votes: 1,197,845 | Gross: $322.74M
Franchise: Star Wars
2. Batman (1989)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl
Votes: 330,343 | Gross: $251.19M
Franchise: Batman
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
PG | 152 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith
Votes: 619,442 | Gross: $317.58M
Franchise: Harry Potter
4. Dr. No (1962)
PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.
Director: Terence Young | Stars: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Bernard Lee, Joseph Wiseman
Votes: 143,474 | Gross: $16.07M
Franchise: James Bond
5. X-Men (2000)
PG | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen
Votes: 559,507 | Gross: $157.30M
Franchise: X-Men
6. Spider-Man (2002)
PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
Votes: 672,081 | Gross: $403.71M
Franchise: Spider-Man
7. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
AA | 106 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Los Angeles police officer Brian O'Conner must decide where his loyalty really lies when he becomes enamored with the street racing world he has been sent undercover to destroy.
Director: Rob Cohen | Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster
Votes: 339,083 | Gross: $144.53M
Franchise: The Fast and the Furious
8. The Hunger Games (2012)
PG | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
Director: Gary Ross | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 826,921 | Gross: $408.01M
Franchise: The Hunger Games
9. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
14 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Votes: 997,717 | Gross: $305.41M
Franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean
10. Transformers (2007)
14A | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Votes: 587,144 | Gross: $319.25M
Franchise: Transformers
11. Shrek (2001)
PG | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson | Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Votes: 596,876 | Gross: $267.67M
Franchise: Shrek
12. Jurassic Park (1993)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A pragmatic paleontologist visiting an almost complete theme park is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
Votes: 837,630 | Gross: $402.45M
Franchise: Jurassic Park
13. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
G | 132 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan
Votes: 79,314 | Gross: $82.26M
Franchise: Star Trek
14. Twilight (I) (2008)
PG | 122 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Bella Swan moves to Forks and encounters Edward Cullen, a gorgeous boy with a secret.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Sarah Clarke
Votes: 413,534 | Gross: $191.47M
Franchise: Twilight
15. Superman (1978)
PG | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando
Votes: 155,485 | Gross: $134.22M
Franchise: Superman
16. The Avengers (2012)
PG | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,236,595 | Gross: $623.28M
Franchise: Avengers
17. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
14A | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 1,610,303 | Gross: $315.54M
Franchise: The Lord of the Rings
18. Iron Man (2008)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 916,145 | Gross: $318.41M
Franchise: Iron Man
19. Despicable Me (2010)
G | 95 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds their love is profoundly changing him for the better.
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud | Stars: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews
Votes: 488,877 | Gross: $251.51M
Franchise: Despicable Me
20. Mission: Impossible (1996)
PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny
Votes: 378,061 | Gross: $180.98M
Franchise: Mission: Impossible
21. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
13+ | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 860,138 | Gross: $248.16M
Franchise: Indiana Jones
22. Toy Story (1995)
G | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.
Director: John Lasseter | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Votes: 858,894 | Gross: $191.80M
Franchise: Toy Story
23. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a war monger and a terrorist organization.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell
Votes: 719,417 | Gross: $176.65M
Franchise: Captain America
24. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
PG | 169 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis
Votes: 743,655 | Gross: $303.00M
Franchise: The Hobbit
25. The Bourne Identity (2002)
14A | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Votes: 496,478 | Gross: $121.66M
Franchise: Bourne
26. Ice Age (2002)
G | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Set during the Ice Age, a sabertooth tiger, a sloth, and a wooly mammoth find a lost human infant, and they try to return him to his tribe.
Directors: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha | Stars: Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Goran Visnjic
Votes: 429,081 | Gross: $176.39M
Franchise: Ice Age
27. Avatar (2009)
PG | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Votes: 1,096,615 | Gross: $760.51M
Franchise: Avatar
28. Rocky (1976)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport
A small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavy-weight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 503,113 | Gross: $117.24M
Franchise: Rocky
29. Madagascar (2005)
G | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A group of animals who have spent all their life in a New York zoo end up in the jungles of Madagascar, and must adjust to living in the wild.
Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath | Stars: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith
Votes: 355,604 | Gross: $193.60M
Franchise: Madagascar
30. Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Three musical chipmunks are discovered by an aspiring songwriter and wants to become famous by using their amazing singing abilities.
Director: Tim Hill | Stars: Jason Lee, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Janice Karman, David Cross
Votes: 74,389 | Gross: $217.33M
Franchise: Alvin and the Chipmunks
31. Planet of the Apes (1968)
G | 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Votes: 162,148 | Gross: $33.40M
Franchise: Planet of the Apes
32. The Hangover (2009)
18A | 100 min | Comedy
Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms
Votes: 702,756 | Gross: $277.32M
Franchise: The Hangover
33. Men in Black (1997)
PG | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio
Votes: 504,319 | Gross: $250.69M
Franchise: Men in Black
34. The Terminator (1984)
14A | 107 min | Action, Sci-Fi
In 1984, a human soldier is tasked to stop an indestructible cyborg killing machine, both sent from 2029, from executing a young woman, whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Votes: 779,576 | Gross: $38.40M
Franchise: Terminator
35. Meet the Parents (2000)
PG | 108 min | Comedy, Romance
Male nurse Greg Focker meets his girlfriend's parents before proposing, but her suspicious father is every date's worst nightmare.
Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner
Votes: 304,949 | Gross: $166.24M
Franchise: Fockers
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