Why Franchise Films Dominate Modern Cinema

           The Avengers. Star Wars. Transformers. These are just a few of the major film franchises dominating modern-day cinema. Hollywood produces and releases hundreds of films yearly, yet the latest additions always top the box office to popular franchises instead of new or original concepts. This questions why our top movies are always a part of a larger franchise. There is a level of supply and demand for these movies. If the audience is watching, then the studio will continue making them. However, modern Hollywood relies on these franchise films, putting them in the spotlight instead of stand-alone films. So why is it that everyone loves franchises? There are two perspectives on this ideology; the studio and the fan. Each group has their reasoning for loving franchises and why all the movies we see are sequels, remakes or spin-offs. Fans can connect personally to the story or characters or be invested in the franchise for the action and spectacle. Studios love producing franchises for one simple reason; money. Large blockbuster franchise films bring in crowds, and using their fans' love, they can manipulate the audience to increase their revenue. Franchise films dominate Hollywood due to their connections with fans, showcasing their fans' love and self-identification with the stories, and generating high profits for the studios.

Origins of Franchise Films

         The idea of a franchise film stems from the evolution of the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. As technology advanced and filmmaking became increasingly expensive, Hollywood adapted to the changes. Due to the rise of cable television, theatres became more frequented by younger audiences (Dixon & Foster 531). As a result, Hollywood began to release films to appeal to this changing audience. The Mob movie genre brought directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola to stardom, with them, The Godfather, one of the first significant film franchises in cinema (Kramer 3). With these new movies released, audiences grew fond of the subject matter and wanted to see continuations to the stories and what would happen next. From this, the concept of a franchise film emerged.

         The New Hollywood movement also introduced blockbuster movies, tent-pole films with large budgets typically released in the summer months (Acland 11). The movies are often released to generate a substantial profit for the studio. The major blockbusters we see in modern cinema are often the latest addition to a popular franchise, making the term blockbuster movie and franchise film somewhat synonymous. Due to their large fan following, films that are a part of a franchise receive larger budgets and promotional materials needed to generate the fans' hype for their release. During the New Hollywood movement and the rise of blockbuster films, now-celebrated directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas rose to prominence (Dixon & Foster 353-354). Spielberg's Jaws is often credited with being the first "Summer Blockbuster" and spawned a successful film franchise (354). Spielberg would create many iconic films and franchises, such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. George Lucas would create one of the biggest franchises in all media, Star Wars.

         At the end of the 1970s, the world was presented with a franchise that would change cinema and media entirely with George Lucas' Star Wars. The film tells the story of Luke Skywalker, a young man with a unique ability known as the Force, and his journey to become a Jedi and take down the Empire, an evil galactic regime ruled by Darth Vader and the mysterious Emperor (Lucas). Lucas created a super detail-rich galaxy that entices the audience through its spectacle. Like many franchises, the Star Wars fanbase is passionate about the stories they love, showcasing why this franchise still dominates the box office. 

         Star Wars became more than just a series of films, a franchise that has impacted every aspect of modern media (Elovaara 11). As a result, an extended universe of Star Wars content with individual stories branching off from the original trilogy through other mediums such as books, comics, video games and television was developed (12). The success of the original Star Wars series allowed for this extended universe to form and has resulted in two added trilogies (a prequel and a sequel) as well as multiple spin-offs, all made many years after the release of the original trilogy. The franchise has released 11 films to theatres since its inception 43 years ago. These films generated over 10 billion dollars at the box office (Schmidt). The financial success at the box office alone justified why a franchise that started 43 years ago still is one of the most relevant series in pop culture.

The Studio Perspective

         Star Wars not only succeeded at the box office, but it also performed well in secondary markets. This performance resulted in Star Wars toys earning more money for Lucasfilm than the original film (Owczarski 675). The continuation of this franchise and the studio's emphasis on creating accessory content through merchandise showcases the ulterior motivations studios have when producing franchise films. Companies realize they can increase the profits from a favoured film by releasing toys, books, or other media to act as companion pieces to the films. Since many film franchises have large dedicated fan followings, the studios know that the audience will purchase or engage in whatever the product is.

         The selling of excess media through releasing a new film is evident in franchises adapted from novels. In 2012 when the first Hunger Games movie was released, the trilogy of novels increased in sales by 55% due to the influx of fans from the film (Buoye et al. 240). This method works in reverse as well. Studios know that adapting popular franchises based on young adult novels will attract the attention of their fans (Nelson 127). Further examples include Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Twilight franchises. "All of the films in each of these franchises placed within the top-ten box-office hits of their respective years of release" (127). Studios can almost guarantee successful adaptations of young adult novels due to the pre-existing fans. The fans want to see how their favourite novels translate to the screen, so these franchises become increasingly marketable for the studio.

         Similarly, Disney's Frozen is another example of the studio's greed for revenue from franchises (Halsall 141). Frozen has been extremely marketable to young children by producing products such as books, costumes, theme park rides, and many other forms of media in addition to the original film (141). Therefore, Disney will increase its revenue from these products by advertising to the young fans who have fallen in love with the princess movie. "Thanks to Disney's transmedia synergies, consumers not only see the film but also buy the t-shirt, the doll, or the costume replica proclaiming their passion for the whole package; visit Epcot to line up for the latest Frozen-inspired theme park ride; and meet with Anna and Elsa in front of the Castle," (153). Aside from just merchandising, Disney has made the Frozen franchise, as well as many other franchises, under its ownership, into experiences fans can purchase. Studios such as Universal and Disney have created theme parks where fans can physically be in the worlds of their favourite franchises and interact with the characters. The theme park business is another secondary market for companies to reap extra profit from a fan's love for a franchise. In doing so, the studios will constantly release new additions to this franchise to keep the rides at the theme park relevant and attract fans.

         The studio's greed fueling the production of our favourite franchise films is most evident in the Transformers franchise. What started as a Hasbro toy line in the 1980s has turned into a billion-dollar franchise (Owczarski 680). While there have been many animated Transformers shows and films, the change to live-action in 2007 showcased how marketable this series can be. As previously discussed, Transformers follows the exact outline of producing merchandising to accompany the film release. The movies act as advertisements for the latest toys from the Hasbro line. New products are released to coincide with the film, resulting in around 7 billion dollars in merchandising sales over the franchise's lifetime (Lang). With each new movie, the sales of related merchandise increase; thus, the company behind this franchise receives further profit.

          The Transformers live-action series comprises six movies, five of which are direct sequels and one film, Bumblebee, which is a prequel but also serves as a "soft reboot" for the franchise (McMillan). The studio has discussed the possibility of making its own shared cinematic universe for both Transformers and G.I. Joe, similar to what Marvel Studios is currently doing. However, it is still vague if Bumblebee is the start of this rebooted series (McMillan). The series boasts an average critic score of 39.5% and an audience score of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. While many do not love the franchise, the films are still financially successful. "Transformers earned more than 300 million dollars in domestic theatres and another 390 million internationally in 2007 and broke the record for the highest opening weekend ever for a non-sequel film" (Owczarski 678). Despite the low opinion on the series, the studio will continue to produce these films as they generate large profits.

          To offset the production cost of the Transformer franchise, Hasbro and Paramount utilized brand integrations, where companies will pay the studios to incorporate their product on screen in some capacity. Many franchises will use brand integrations within their films, generating extra revenue while sometimes benefiting the production (Owczarski 687). Some argue that the goal of the Transformers films is to advertise products as opposed to entertainment as the product placements have almost no subtly. While fans may dislike the advertisements, the studios fuel their desire to make as much money as possible from these franchise films.

         In the films, brands receive "hero" shots where the company's logo or product is visibly seen or mentioned by name. Within 2007's Transformers, Mountain Dew and Xbox purchased spots where their products were visible on screen and played a role in the story (Owczarski 687). An example of product placement from the franchise occurs in the fourth movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction. After crashing into a Bud Light truck during the film's climax, lead actor Mark Wahlberg exits his spacecraft, grabs a Bud Light, chugs it while taking a break from the chaos, and proceeds to return to the battle (Bay). Transformers: Age of Extinction features over 55 different product integrations, the most of any film released in 2014 (Jargernauth). While companies do not reveal the deals made to integrate their products into the franchise, the financial gain for the studios has turned these movies away from a story about robot aliens to a big-budget commercial.

         Along with product placement, the Transformers franchise has also worked alongside different companies to benefit one another mutually. The studio developed a relationship with the vehicle manufacturer General Motors to supply vehicles and assist in marketing for the film. In return, the studio will feature their vehicles as main characters, often as heroes, too (Owczarski 686). Though General Motors did not assist in financing the films, the funds used to purchase vehicles could be allocated elsewhere. This way of saving money from the budget is seen again in the franchise's relationship with the United States Department of Defense (Mirrlees 405).

         Similarly, the Department of Defense supports the franchise's production. The Department of Defense played roles in the franchise as background actors, supplying military vehicles and equipment and giving access to film on military bases (407). In return, the studio must portray the American military positively as heroes and then include a "special thanks" section for the military personnel during the credits (407). While this can be viewed as a propaganda method for the American military, it showcases that the studios do not care about advertising to their audience if it allows them to save money or increase profits. These relationships benefit the studio as the less they have to pay for resources these organizations supply, the more money they save.

         From the studio's perspective, cinema is full of spin-offs, sequels, and reboots for one reason; money. "In 2013, 9 of the 12 top-grossing films in the U.S. and Canada were part of film franchises, and the nine accounted for almost 25% of domestic ticket sales" (Filson & Havlicek 448). With sequels, reboots, and spin-offs dominating the box office, it is increasingly challenging for an original concept to succeed. What is of interest is how these sequels will perform. Typically, the initial first film in a franchise will perform the best over time. Nevertheless, the sequel will have a better opening weekend than the initial film (Dhar et al. 27). While they typically perform worse than the original film, these sequels still generate quick profit that allows them to continue the cycle and produce the next sequel and create products related to the franchise. Sequels, remakes, spin-offs and reboots do not necessarily perform worse than the original film.

         An example of this would be 2019's Avengers: Endgame, the fourth entry of the Avengers series and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an interconnected series of superhero franchise films that tie into one another. Despite being a sequel, Endgame made nearly $ 2.8 billion at the box office, breaking the record for the highest-grossing film (Canavan 357). When it comes to how sequels compare to films outside of a franchise, sequels typically outperform them. Studios know that franchise films will do better as they are built upon a prerequisite knowledge of the story resulting in little risk. This differs significantly for movies not a part of a franchise, as their possibility of success is not definite.

          To perform the best at the box office, studios try to keep the gaps between franchise installments as short as possible to stay on the public's radar (Filson & Havlicek 462). The smaller the gap, the better the sequel will perform. This can be analyzed through the movies that are a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each character leads their franchise that connects to the other characters' franchises, resulting in crossover films (Taylor 183). The MCU produces around three movies a year, though not direct sequels to one another; they still impact the overarching story while furthering the storyline of the individual characters (183). This quick turnaround on movies allows Marvel Studios to constantly be on the public's mind while gaining revenue to produce future films.

          Other factors can impact the performance of a sequel too. Changes in the cast, director, or rating can determine whether or not the audience will go to the theatre to watch the latest entry in the franchise. Typically, changes in the lead actor will result in a poor performance for the sequel (Filson & Havlicek 458). This decrease in sequel performance makes sense as, typically, a franchise is synonymous with the main character, so an attachment grows to the actor portraying the said character.

The Fan Perspective.

         Without the fans, there would be no franchise. A franchise is only as strong as its fan base. Studios rely on the fans to see the films in theatres and purchase the products to continue producing said franchise. However, this calls into question why the audience will keep going to see the same types of movies from these franchises. In their book, Cycles, Sequels, Spin-Offs, Remakes, and Reboots: Multiplicities in Film and Television, Klein and Palmer discuss the idea of "multiplicities" as a term to describe how the audience can enjoy the franchise by seeing repetitions and continuations within the film series (12). The repetition of a franchise is comfortable for the fans. Understanding what to expect from a franchise provides fans with a risk-free form of entertainment due to familiarity. The fans know what they like and what they want to see. This term is expanded upon in Ramna Walia's review of the book, where they state that multiplicities allow the audience to view the franchise's story through a different lens. With each addition to the franchise, something is new (136). This perspective is typically correct for most major franchises, as the audience has some expectations of what they will see in the new film.

         Changes in director, writer, or cast can often entice or deter audiences from seeing the newest entry in their favourite franchise (Filson & Havlicek 458). While the franchise is not changing, a perspective shift is occurring with these production changes. This shift allows the audience to look at the story from this changed lens and determine how it impacts their opinion of the franchise. This shift is evident in the Harry Potter series through the stark contrast between Chris Columbus' first two movies and Alfonso Cuarón's third entry into the franchise (K. Davis 89). "Cuarón brought a grim and dangerous tone to Prisoner of Azkaban, elevating the bright and childlike world of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for more mature audiences" (89). Cuarón's new vision of the series established the world of Harry Potter more clearly for fans through his direction and set the tone for the remainder of the franchise. (90). As a result, the third film is held critically as the franchise's best installment (89). The change from Columbus to Cuarón showcases how despite being the second sequel in a franchise, the third movie brought something new to the franchise and benefited from a new perspective, resulting in overwhelming praise from the fandom.

          Nostalgia also plays a significant factor in why franchise films are successful. As many modern franchises come as a result of an adaption, reboot, or long-awaited sequel, the memories and curiosity of the fan will get them in theatres. Nostalgic factors can be attributed to 2007's Transformers' success at the box office as multiple generations can enjoy this franchise (Owczarski 678). New fans are introduced to the franchise through these films, while older fans are nostalgic for the toys and shows they grew up with. This passes one fan's love for a franchise to the next generation, both equally excited to see the newest addition to their favourite film series.

         Invested fans in a series always want to know the most they can about the subject. When one film ends, fans anxiously anticipate the next entry into the franchise to continue their passion. The fans' desire to see more comes from dissatisfaction with the ending (Ansen 52). While the ending may wrap up the film's story, it is the very notion of a franchise film to make the audience feel like there is more to gain from the story, and a sequel is needed to resolve that dissatisfaction (52). The fan's desire to know what happens next to the characters and the story they love is rooted in this dissatisfaction. While there may be a happy ending in a franchise film, the conclusion brings a longing for something more. This longing is not to say fans are disappointed in the film but rather that their excitement for the following entry fuels their passion for more. The use of end-credit scenes in popular franchises is evidence of fans' desire for what comes next. Popularized by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many franchises now feature one or two scenes to play during and after the credits. Typically, these scenes will provide a teaser for what is to come next in the franchise. It has become a tradition among fans to sit through the entire credit sequence for a minute-long scene to gain more information on the sequel. This scene builds the fan's excitement for the sequel as they fantasize about its implication on the franchise's future.

          The quality of the content also is what attracts fans to these franchises. In modern cinema, comic book movies dominate the box office. However, what is so intriguing about these movies that attract the masses? In his book Comic Book Movies, Blair Davis attributes the love for these franchises to Genre, Myth, and Style (6). Using these factors, one can understand why franchise films have become so popular with the general audience.

         The first category, genre, discusses how many of these franchises are grouped under the genre of comic book movies, despite being significantly different from one another (B. Davis 11). As a result, comic book movies are not a genre of their own but rather a medium to showcase other genres through material adapted from a comic. The genre of comic book movies can range from science-fiction to horror, to westerns or any other genre, as the only shared qualities of these films are that they originated as comic books. This leads to these films ultimately being successful as a wide variety of fans of all different genres can enjoy these franchises.

         Davis then argues that the characters have become modern-day gods and mythological heroes similar to ancient mythologies (47). The different stories of these characters achieving triumphant feats reflect the thematic structure we see with mythological heroes. The fans are entranced in the duality of the characters, being regular people but secretly having special abilities (B. Davis 49). This is what the die-hard fans fantasize about. With each new film in the comic book franchise, the fan is excited to picture themselves in this role.

         The style associated with franchise films is another reason why fans love them (B. Davis 87). Franchise films are often very stylistic. Franchises like Marvel, DC, and Star Wars begin their movies with montages of characters or imagery with triumphant music playing to reveal their logos, building hype for the movie the fans are about to see. The action-packed content gets the audiences in theatres to see the excitement. Franchise films use computer-generated imagery and special effects to create this excitement and spectacle. 1978's Superman utilized the tagline "you will believe a man can fly" to advertise that fans will see feats impossible by the average human (Donner, 1978). Special effects allow the audience to see people perform actions impossible to the average man and take them to places beyond their wildest dream (B. Davis 92). A sense of wonder is formed within the audience's mind, fueling their excitement and love for the franchises. This wonder attracts fans to these films' detailed, rich worlds and stories.

         Fans' connections with franchise films go beyond the extent of just purely enjoying the content they are watching. Parasocial relationships develop between the fan and the characters on screen (Hall 2). The fans establish relationships with the characters as if they know them personally. These relationships entice them to see each new addition to the franchise to see what happens next with their favourite characters. This connection comes from fans identifying or relating to aspects of the character, forming bonds similar to real-life relationships (2). Character traits such as gender, race, class and sexual orientation open up opportunities for fans to relate and see themselves in the heroes on-screen (2). Self-identification is essential in these franchises. They want to be attractive to the general audience and strive to provide something everyone can identify with.

         Regarding gender, favourite characters are typically chosen based on the gender of the fan. In a 1996 study on parasocial relationships between fans and their favourite characters, 91% of the male participants and 53% of the female participant chose a character that was the same gender as themselves (Hoffner 389). Furthermore, the female subjects showed a more profound identification with the female characters that were their favourites than the men (389). These patterns can be furthered by using Frozen as an example. The characters from the Frozen franchise have become feminist icons for little girls, representing female empowerment through the righteousness of Elsa and Anna (Halsall 145). The breaking of traditional tropes is inspiring to fans of the franchise, which has them returning for the sequel. As a result, Frozen 2 would surpass the original film as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, making roughly 1.32 billion dollars at the box office (Whitten). Frozen has proven to be a positive force and successful at the box office, impacting its young fans' lives. 

         This identification of oneself within a franchise is seen further through the lens of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the role race plays in this franchise. The Avengers mainly consists of white superheroes, with minorities typically playing supporting roles or as sidekicks to the main titular hero. This all changed with the release of 2018's Black Panther. Black Panther brought the first black superhero in a leading role as part of the Marvel franchise (Coogler, 2018). With predominantly black characters leading the film, audiences from the same group gravitated to the film on how culturally rich and significant this addition to the Marvel franchise was to them (González-Velázquez et al. 252). As a result, Black Panther would become the first Marvel Studios movie to win an Academy Award, three in total, and a nomination in the Best Picture category (Dove). The inclusion of Black Panther into the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought much-needed diversity into the franchise, which many fans have been begging for years. Fans were finally able to see themselves in these new characters. Black Panther acted as a catalyst for the Marvel franchise, resulting in the studio's addition of diversity as a priority (Chambliss, 374). With this new focus on diversity, the Marvel Cinematic Universe strives to have all its fans feel represented on the big screen. Representation furthers why franchise films are essential to the mass audience. Everyone wants to feel included, and franchise films allow fans to relate and see themselves in the characters they idolize.

Conclusion

         The large profit margins gained from creating franchise films by the studio, while also appealing to fans' connections, showcase why franchises dominate Hollywood. Sequels, reboots, and spin-offs are plentiful in modern media simply because fans love the content, resulting in profits for the studio. With the creation of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s and the rise of blockbuster films, fans flock to the movie theatre to see the latest entry in the franchise. This comes from a deep personal connection they have with the subject matter. Franchises such as Star Wars allow the audience to engage in the subject matter outside of the films through the production of accessory media and merchandising. Purchasing these products enable the studio to increase its revenue from the films and have consistent profits, even when the film leaves theatres. This comes down to the fans' love for the subject. Be it for personal reasons such as identifying oneself within the franchises or simply for the excitement from the action, fans cannot get enough.

         The continuation of these franchises comes down to the simple fact of supply and demand. If fans want franchises, then the studio will make them. The individual film is lost in the sea of franchises that is modern Hollywood. No one is to blame for the lack of individuality in films as the problem routes from the studio and the fan. The franchise film dominates modern Hollywood, resulting in an oversaturation of sequels, spin-offs, and reboots.