Movie Franchises: Every Film in Order and What Comes Next

A movie franchise is a run of films that share characters, a world or a story. Most grow from the sequels, prequels and spin-offs that follow a hit. Some are tight sagas told in order, such as the Star Wars movies. Others reset every few years with a new lead, as the James Bond movies have done since the 1960s. That being said, the label covers a lot of ground, from animated family series like the Shrek movies to horror universes full of side stories. Think of it as a television show that only airs a new episode every two or three years, and the comparison holds up surprisingly well.

Most people should start in release order, because that is how the films were made to be seen. Every twist then lands the way the filmmakers planned it. Chronological order follows the timeline of the story itself, and it works better on a second run, once you know the big reveals. So, if you are new to the Fast and Furious movies, start with the 2001 original and leave the timeline puzzle of Tokyo Drift for later. Every franchise on Cinvibe lays out both orders, with the spin-offs placed where they fit. The Harry Potter movies in order page is a good example of how that works.

We rank film franchises by worldwide box office, adding up every theatrical film in the series. The figures come from Box Office Mojo, with The Numbers as a cross check. It is not a perfect measure, since a ticket in 1962 cost a fraction of one today. Even so, it is the figure studios report and the easiest one to verify. As such, an older series such as the James Bond movies can look smaller than its place in film history suggests. A younger series, on the other hand, can climb quickly on the back of one huge hit. The full table is on our biggest movie franchises page.

The next two years are crowded with sequels, and most of the franchises we cover already have a new film on the way. Release dates move more often than people expect. A film can slip for reshoots, a strike or a better slot in the calendar. So, we only show a date once a studio or a trade report we have read confirms it. Every dated release is on our upcoming movies 2027 calendar, with a countdown and the status of each production. Each franchise also has its own next movie page, with the announced cast and the latest confirmed details.