Fresh on the heels of its marketing blitz, The Fast and the Furious is adding not one–but two–more additions to its never-ending film franchises. With Fast X, 10 of those “family affair” hyperbolic gearhead porn movies are out there, and there will be an eleventh.
Also, the Hobbs and Shaw spinoff will get another addition, as Dwayne Johnson offered everyone via his socials.
So, as happy fun guy tweets away, the world will get its fill of radiator fluid, air-popping mufflers, and cars made in Detroit that somehow have lunar-capable GPS systems. Again.
That got the listicle makers at FandomWire thinking, “What are the top 20 longest-running film franchises of all time?” There are plenty of others that make Dom’s cinematic family seem like an average American gang compared to a few others out there.
Let’s find out which one ages Fast out of the foster system.
20 20. Star Wars, 12 films (1977-Present)
If TV series were included in this list, we would collect all the intergalactic hoopla created by Lucasfilm and Disney+. Yet, we’re talking about one-stop-shop films. Even then, Star Wars makes this austere list of longest-running film franchises.
Face it, George Lucas intended to brand the Hollywood Hills permanently. With three separate trilogies, two “Star Wars Stories,” and one great animated flick about clones, the list keeps going today. This is one of the longest–and best–film franchises ever to grace a screen.
19 19. Friday the 13th, 12 films (1980-2009)
It’s possible 80% of all moviegoers have seen the saga of Mrs. Voorhees’ baby boy and his pubescent angst at Camp Crystal Lake. It’s also possible the same group of people stopped watching this saga somewhere around when it was supposedly The Final Chapter (Movie 4) and when he Takes Manhattan (Movie 8).
18 18. Halloween, 13 films (1978-2022)
Speaking of slashers who don’t know when to call it a career, we have Michael Myers and his fantastic run from sequels, reboots, and a few resurrections. Arguably, the saga finished as strong as it began, thanks to a clever story arc and two fantastic — and related — characters coming full circle. One of the best film franchises in cinematic history, for sure.
17 17. X-Men, 13 films (2000-Present)
If you count the two Deadpool films and the separate Wolverine spinoff, this collection has 13 illustrious mutant-filled films. Yet another goldmine within Marvel’s content, the X-Men have gone backward and forward in time and maintained its audience. Considering all the powers they have at their disposal, the hits will keep on coming. And, with another Deadpool on the way, who knows how many more X movies are joining it.
16 16. Star Trek, 13 films (1979-Present)
When Star Wars hit, it was a complete surprise that swept the world into a frenzy. But with Star Trek, it was a slow burn of frenetic anticipation. The last TV episode was in 1969. It took a decade for Trekkies to see the USS Enterprise in a movie theater. And it was inspiring, all beginning with Orson Welles narrating the trailer! What a moment. (Now, JJ Abrams. About that fourth movie you owe us?)
15 15. The Land Before Time, 14 films (1988-2016)
How many would have lost this bet of how often The Land Before Time made a movie? The first trailer set the following 13 films into motion with five words, “George Lucas and Steven Spielberg Present…” Nothing more needs to be said about the place this has among film franchises. Well, maybe, “Did you need 14 of these?”
14 14. Winnie the Pooh, 15 films (1968-2011)
Seriously, that’s no typo. There have been 15 films, including the live-action Christopher Robin and the “What the…” horror take on Pooh, Blood and Honey. If you count some of the straight-to-VHS productions made for teaching kids, like Winnie the Pooh: 123s and Sing-a-Long Songs, this is one of the few film franchises that get past 20 (25, to be exact).
13 13. Puppet Master, 16 films (1988-2017)
When you thought Chucky was the most wicked toy out there, Full Moon Pictures brings Hollywood the idea of anthropomorphic puppets brought to life by an ancient Egyptian mystic’s spell. Instead of taking people on tour to the Great Pyramid of Giza, this gaggle of sinister puppets wants to kill anything that moves. The “straight to VHS” mojo seems to have paid off with Child’s Play.
12 12. Spider-Man, 16 films (1977-Present)
Are you counting and planning on the rude comment to hack our math skills? Before you do that, look at that righteous, retro trailer. Granted, that’s for the late ’70s TV show, but that’s what sparked the movie (as is the case today).
The Spider-Man TV series and the first movie, starring Nicholas Hammond, was so popular that it got a trilogy. Those were followed by a nauseously awesome Japanese Spider-Man film, which created the path for Sam Raimi. Brilliant-ish.
PS Turn up the electric boogaloo tuneage. Now, what’d I do with my bell bottoms?
11 11. The Mummy, 19 films (1932-2017)
The franchise Tom Cruise destroyed. Universal was onto something with the development of its “Dark Universe” faction. Then Captain Scientology showed up and flummoxed the entire thing like Taylor Swift at a speed dating convention. One of the true greats in cinema’s golden years, Boris Karloff, was wrapped up for greatness and sent this soaring past Brendan Fraser and over the head of Tom Cruise sitting in his booster seat. Oh well.
10 10. Marvel Cinematic Universe, 23 films (2008-Present)
Look at MCU’s place in this list of the longest-running film franchises, and you’ll note one thing–longevity. Kevin Feige‘s machine has only been running since 2008! It’s unthinkable what Marvel Studios has been able to do in that short time. Even more impressive is that most movies have been good to great. (Sorry, Thor: Love and Thunder, not so much.)
9 9. The Pink Panther, 23 films (1963-2022)
Many younger people may be surprised that The Pink Panther is more than a cartoon. Several older people may be surprised that this cartoon spawned 23 films. From David Niven to Peter Sellers to Steve Martin, Inspector Clouseau (aka. The Pink Panther) has been a haphazard slapstick franchise for decades. And there’s no denying the greatness of the Henry Mancini score. How many high school bands have played that? ”
8 8. The Lone Wolf, 24 films (1917-1949)
Before the world was swept up with “Talkies,” The Lone Wolf was one of the famous film franchises in the Silent Era. See that child in the image? Marcel saves the older guy, Burke, from certain death. Burke chooses to mentor the kid in his trade — stealing jewelry. Through a series of events, Burke realizes that life isn’t for him and goes straight. Thus, the movies are about him fighting crime from a crook’s perspective. The End.
7 7. Bulldog Drummond, 25 films (1922-1967)
Welcome to the whimsical world of Captain Hugh “Bulldog” Drummond. The fictional character, created by H.C. McNeile, is a WWI veteran who becomes an accidental crime fighter while traveling the world as a “gentleman adventurer.” What began as a book series of 10 became multiple short stories, a few stage productions, a radio and TV series, and 25 films. Some notable brands on this list do not have a pedigree like that, so let’s put some respect on Bulldog’s name.
6 6. James Bond, 26 films (1967-Present)
You may have already said that 007 would be number one here. It’s close. Still, there is no denying Ian Fleming’s super spy novel has its place among the Pantheon of all-time film franchises. Six actors. Six full decades. Even six Oscars have been won by the franchise. But there’s only one 007. Its legacy is the stuntwork, and yet, directors keep doing the franchise one better. That’s one spectacular trip of consistency and cinema magic.
One last thing, we didn’t count the original Casino Royale with David Niven. It was a spoof on James Bond, not an homage. Since 1983’s Never Say Never Again was a rework and still a box-office movie that was counted to make 26 breathtaking movies in the James Bond collection.
5 5. Batman, 28 films (1966-Present)
Much like Spider-Man, there have been several animated and often forgotten appearances of the Cape and Cowl. Add to that the two on the way and Batman breaks the top three! What began in 1966 with thermal underwear hero Adam West in 1966 has become a seven-decade love affair with the caped crusader.
Most of these films have been a fun watch to a genius film. (And sorry, Batnipples. We said “most.”) Marvel beats DC in just about every metric, but Batman has Spider=Man here without question. Enjoy this campy trailer. It’s so bad that it’s fantastic!
4 4. Zatoichi, 29 films (1962-2010)
This is Japan’s longest-running action franchise and is largely forgotten or unknown on American soil. You’ll see in the trailer Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) is closing his eyes. That’s because he was blind, and CGI or good prosthetics weren’t around yet.
In the story, he’s a masseur and an addicted gambler. Good for him that when things go sideways at the craps table, Zatoichi is also an expert at Bushido–the art of the Samurai. And they made 31 films about that? Hey, if the Kardashians can go on for 20 seasons, anything is possible.
3 3. Carry On, 31 films (1958-1992)
Even though there is a 14-year gap between two of these films (1978 to 1992), Carry On is the longest-running British franchise under one roof to date. With 31 films, it’s second overall. (There are also numerous TV series spinoffs and four Christmas specials.)
This analogy will age a few of us, but it will be fun watching the younger subs and readers look this up. Imagine Gomer Pyle and Benny Hinn hooked up and were heavily influenced by Monty Python. That’s the love child this franchise became.
2 2. Godzilla, 36 films (1954-Present)
Fitting the King of the Titans is near the top of a list of film franchises. Toho Studios created the nuclear lizard for the big screen to freak people out with its scale. It worked. The proof was the 31 following movies Toho made–all profitable—even that one with Godzilla’s son.
It wasn’t until movie 32 that the US got involved. Although there have been some atrocious films along the way, the future is limitless for Godzilla. And now that we are in the “Monsterverse,” there’s no telling how many more films will be added to the summit for Gojira. Nonetheless, it’s going to be fun to find out.
1 1. Sherlock Holmes, 211 movies (1913-Present)
Oh please, Hollywood. Do not attempt to beat this record with Fast and the Furious. Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to the best detective anywhere (sorry, Batman and Poirot) in 1887. It took 13 years to bring Sherlock Holmes to the screen, and he has been there ever since. Get this: 75 people have been the daring detective in movies.
Available trailers track back to the Basil Rathbone days of acting in 1939, and not even his character could find the early trailers in this vast collection, which began 17 years after Sir Arthur went to that Knights’ Round Table in the sky. This is a record that no movie character will ever touch unless Godzilla has a massive litter of kittens or something.
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