\n<\/p>\n
\n\tEver since James Bond fired his Walther PPK and Luke Skywalker flipped on his father\u2019s lightsaber, franchises have been a cornerstone of the movie business. But as theaters still struggle to return to pre-pandemic revenues, how film studios are managing their crown jewel franchises \u2014\u00a0most of which are multiple decades old \u2014 has come under greater scrutiny than ever. \u201cIt\u2019s not why anyone wanted to be in this business, to make the 12th version of something,\u201d says one veteran studio executive. With that tension in mind, Variety<\/em> has launched its first-ever franchise scorecard to assess the overall health of eight of the biggest movie brands.<\/p>\n \n\tWe looked at several key factors. First, to gauge audience interest, we compared the domestic and global box office grosses of the most recent iterations of each franchise with that franchise\u2019s historic average starting from 2010 \u2014 minus the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 (save for \u201cNo Time to Die\u201d). To be fair, we also factored in how well the latest films performed in comparison with the overall box office performance of the respective years they debuted, using data provided by Comscore. (For example, 2025 box office is down 17.4% domestically and 10.5% globally against the 2010 to 2024 average.)<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tParamount; Universal; Marvel Studios; DC Studios; Lucasfilm; Paramount<\/p>\n \n\tSecond, to measure cost-effectiveness, we looked at how the most recent iterations have improved on their production budgets, after reaching break even (roughly double global grosses). Finally, we asked nearly two dozen industry professionals \u2014 from executives to agents to filmmakers \u2014 to score each franchise on a scale of 1 to 10 on three metrics (see chart below): creative health, commercial potential and saturation in the marketplace \u2014 which could include other expressions of the franchise, like TV shows and theme parks. The results make clear that while some franchises appear stronger than others, all have at least some room for improvement.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Marvel Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tOnce the undisputed champ, Marvel released three films this year that all dramatically underperformed compared with their predecessors and barely eked out a profit (and that\u2019s not considering marketing costs). The early-2020s rush to feed streaming shows to Disney+ also earns Marvel the highest market saturation scores of the group. Joining the MCU is \u201cstill a crazy, life-changing opportunity,\u201d says one top agent, \u201cbut I don\u2019t have as many clients asking to do one as they were five years ago.\u201d Many credit the studio for reducing its output to right the ship, and see the two upcoming \u201cAvengers\u201d movies as, in the words of one exec, \u201cbulletproof,\u201d but \u201cthe standalone movies are in trouble, because you feel like you can miss it now.\u201d Subsequently, the MCU\u2019s earning potential has taken a hit. \u201cAny movie could be huge, but nothing is close to a guarantee,\u201d says one director.<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Jessica Miglio \/ DC Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tAlthough \u201cSuperman,\u201d James Gunn\u2019s first film in the rebooted DC Universe, grossed less globally than 2013\u2019s \u201cMan of Steel,\u201d David Corenswet\u2019s last son of Krypton has blasted past the full breadth of the previous DC regime (especially its lamentable post-pandemic slate) by a considerable margin. \u201cGunn did the most important thing: The first movie he made was really good,\u201d says one communications exec. \u201cIf Batman and Superman are humming at the same time, there\u2019s no limit to what they could do.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tWhile DC has the second-highest scores for creative health, uncertainty about its 2026 films places its earning potential scores in the middle of the pack. \u201cI wish \u2018Supergirl\u2019 and \u2018Clayface\u2019 weren\u2019t the next ones,\u201d says another marketing exec. \u201cBut it\u2019s a pretty confident first step.\u201d<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Universal \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cJurassic World Rebirth\u201d ranks just below \u201cLilo & Stitch\u201d as the highest-grossing film of the summer, leading to a common refrain (and high scores for earning potential): \u201cDinosaurs do not seem to be going out of style,\u201d says a distribution exec. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s Jeff Goldblum, Chris Pratt or Scarlett Johansson.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThat said, \u201cRebirth\u201d is the first \u201cJurassic World\u201d film to gross under $1 billion, and its low creative scores indicate weariness with the dinos-chomping-dumb-humans formula. \u201cThey are just remaking the same movie over and over,\u201d says a screenwriter. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a CBS procedural of a blockbuster.\u201d Adds a filmmaker: \u201cThe quality\u2019s been all over the map and it doesn\u2019t affect it at all.\u201d Universal\u2019s slower release cadence may help. \u201cThey\u2019ve done the most with the least, partly because they\u2019ve made it scarce,\u201d says a producer. <\/p>\n \n\tEven so, the \u201cCamp Cretaceous\u201d and \u201cChaos Theory\u201d animated series on Netflix and the franchise\u2019s omnipresence in the theme parks led to some of the highest market saturation scores. \u201cAll you have to do is go to the park to understand how important that franchise is to them,\u201d says an exec.<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Paramount \/ Courtesy of Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tThe grosses for Tom Cruise\u2019s (possibly?) concluding chapter as death-defying superspy Ethan Hunt were on par with the franchise. But the gargantuan $400 million budget leaves \u201cThe Final Reckoning\u201d deep in the red \u2014\u00a0and with unanswerable questions about how the franchise can move forward, dampening all of its scores. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIts greatest strength is Tom running, but what happens when Tom can\u2019t run anymore?\u201d says one screenwriter. \u201cThat franchise is suffering from a generational divide,\u201d says a top exec. \u201cIt was an older-skewing audience.\u201d Adds a marketing exec: \u201cIt\u2019s tough when you have a franchise hung on a single actor. I\u2019m just not sure how much equity there\u2019s left in that.\u201d Indeed, a Cruise-free \u201cMission\u201d seems like a nonstarter: \u201cHe is<\/em> the franchise,\u201d says another top exec.<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Lionsgate \/ Courtesy of Everett Collection; Getty Images (2)\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tThe conspicuously lower grosses for 2023\u2019s \u201cThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes\u201d were more than offset by its relatively lean budget, and many singled out the franchise\u2019s YA roots as an invaluable asset. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to incubate a younger audience cyclically to keep the franchise healthy,\u201d says a franchise veteran. Adds a screenwriter: \u201cThey have source material that is solid. They have a plan. So many of these franchises don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe next film, 2026\u2019s \u201cSunrise on the Reaping\u201d based on the Suzanne Collins best-selling book, boasts an all-star cast \u2014 Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke\u00a0\u2014 as younger versions of prominent \u201cHunger Games\u201d characters. But the absence of Katniss Everdeen ultimately places this franchise\u2019s scores on the lower end. \u201cThey had lightning in a bottle with Jennifer Lawrence,\u201d says a comms exec. \u201cI don\u2019t know that you get that back.\u201d<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Lucasfilm \/ Courtesy of Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tEven though 2026\u2019s \u201cThe Mandalorian & Grogu\u201d will be the first \u201cStar Wars\u201d feature since 2019, the saturation scores remain high thanks to the profusion of Disney+ shows and the ubiquity of tie-in games, toys and ephemera. \u201cIt is omnipresent,\u201d says one marketing exec. Earning potential is also tied for first \u2014\u00a0\u201cIt should be the biggest franchise of all time,\u201d says one producer \u2014 but recurring questions about quality, along with multiple projects stuck in development, had several ranking this franchise worst for creative health.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhen you don\u2019t have a film to show for seven years, that\u2019s just not healthy,\u201d says a comms exec. \u201cAnd the next example will be a derivative film based on a television show.\u201d Adds the producer: \u201cThey stopped making it special; nothing makes me more mad. The sky\u2019s the limit if they could get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: MGM \/ Courtesy of Everett Collection; Michael Buckner \/ PMC via Getty\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing Daniel Craig\u2019s 2021 swan song, Bond is getting a tip-to-toe reboot with new producers (Amy Pascal and David Heyman), a new screenwriter (Steven Knight) and a new director (Denis Villeneuve) \u2014 earning the franchise the highest scores of the group based purely on the pedigree of who\u2019s at the helm. \u201cYou\u2019ve got one of the great filmmakers of the modern era,\u201d says one studio exec. \u201cDenis made \u2018Dune\u2019 both accessible and profound,\u201d adds a filmmaker. \u201cHe could do the same with Bond.\u201d \u201cTens across the board,\u201d says an agent. \u201cThat was the hottest job in town.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tThe biggest unknown, of course, is who will play Agent 007. \u201cI\u2019d be a little concerned about getting a young audience, depending on casting,\u201d says a top exec. That actor will be cast in 2026 and the film likely won\u2019t arrive in theaters until 2028, giving Bond the lowest market saturation scores in the group. But with Amazon now at the helm in its joint venture with the Broccoli family, there are many questions about the company\u2019s plans to expand the franchise into new areas. \u201cThe scarcity worked in their favor,\u201d says one marketing exec. \u201cBut if they start building a Bond universe, does that dilute the brand?\u201d<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Paramount \/ Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cStar Trek\u201d is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary, yet the franchise, which last graced the big screen with 2016\u2019s \u201cStar Trek Beyond,\u201d has never gone this long between movies. \u201cI\u2019m so sad they haven\u2019t done anything with it,\u201d says an industry veteran. \u201cIf David Ellison is smart, this will be a priority.\u201d The abundance of Paramount+ shows, and the apparent box office ceiling for the franchise (its films have never grossed more than $500 million globally) have some wondering if \u201cTrek\u201d should remain \u201ca TV brand.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOne filmmaker points out that J.J. Abrams\u2019 2009 \u201cStar Trek\u201d reboot \u201cbrought this \u2018Star Wars\u2019 thrill that you couldn\u2019t get anywhere else,\u201d but that isn\u2019t the case anymore. Still, many are hopeful that a new filmmaker can set \u201cTrek\u201d back to warp speed. Says one top exec: \u201cSomeone\u2019s going to have to have a disruptive approach for it to be relevant again.\u201d<\/p>\n \n!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ever since James Bond fired his Walther PPK and Luke Skywalker flipped on his father\u2019s lightsaber, franchises have been a cornerstone of the movie business. But as theaters still struggle to return to pre-pandemic revenues, how film studios are managing their crown jewel franchises \u2014\u00a0most of which are multiple decades old \u2014 has come under<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[818,12809,12808,817,6717,3717],"class_list":{"0":"post-20866","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-bond","9":"tag-dcstar","10":"tag-howmarvel","11":"tag-james","12":"tag-performing","13":"tag-wars"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
The MCU<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2b07\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u27a1\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nDC<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2b06\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2197\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nJurassic<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2198\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2b06\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nMission: Impossible<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u27a1\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2b07\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nThe Hunger Games<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2b07\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2b06\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nStar Wars<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2198\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2197\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nJames Bond<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2197\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2b06\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\nStar Trek<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tBox office: \u2b07\ufe0f
Return on budget: \u2198\ufe0f\t<\/h3>\n