A franchise is a privilege given by a government to an individual, a company or a group to conduct a business or to carry out an activity publicly. Franchise also means the license granted by a company to another party or individual to market its products or services. Sometimes the term is applied to an individual considered an asset; for example, an important player of a team. In order for an intellectual property, like a media presentation, to be a franchise, it has to be copyrighted and licensed. In the Hollywood parlance, however, the term refers to a series, a remake, a prequel, sequel or a trilogy of a movie, regardless of its copyright or license. In a franchise, the owners have the copyright of the movie and all the elements, like names of the characters are trademarked and its use by others is subject to licensing by them.

1. The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid, also known as The Kung Fu Dream, is a 2010 American martial arts action movie franchise. It is a remake of the 1984 movie of the same name and it is the fifth serial of the Karate Kid series. Harald Zwart directed the movie, while Will and Jada Pinkett Smith produced it. Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith were its main film stars and its filming started in July 2009. It was mainly photographed in China. The movie completed on October 16, 2009 and was released in the United States on June 11, 2010.The story revolves around a 12-year-old boy from Detroit, Michigan who moved to Beijing, China with his mother and learned self-defense from a kung fu master, Mr. Han.

2. The Shrek franchise

The Shrek franchise belongs to DreamWorks Animation. It is based on William Steig’s book, Shrek. The franchise includes four movies: Shrek 2001, Shrek 2 of 2004, Shrek the Third 2007, and Shrek Forever After (2010).The original Shrek was a 3D film titled 4-D and it was released in 2003. Shrek the Halls, appeared on NBC in 2007, while a spin off, Puss in Boots, was released in October 2011. The story revolves around a good-hearted giant, Shrek. In May, 2010, the New York Times named the principal shrieks characters as ‘brilliantly realized’ and commented ‘nearly a decade after the first Shrek film they remain as vital and engaging fusions of image, personality and voice as any characters in the history of animation.’

3. Inception

Inception is a science fiction movie directed and produced by Christopher Nolan. Its production began on June 19, 2009 and it was filmed in six countries of four continents. Its production started in Tokyo on June 19, 2009 and ended in Canada on November 22, 2009. The film premiered in London on July 8, 2010. It was a box office success, grossing over $800 million and ranking 36th highest-grossing film of all time. In the movie, DiCaprio plays the role of Dom Cobb, who commits corporate espionage through infiltration into the minds of the given targets. He was allowed to revert to his old life, provided that he could implant a given idea into the subconscious of the target. Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures shared the movie’s budget of US $160 million.

4. Tangled

Tangled is a 2010 American fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures as the 50th feature in the Walt Disney Classic series. The story is based on Brothers Grimm German fairy tale, Rapunzel. The story is about a lost princess who wished to get rid of the secluded tower against the wishes of her mother. It was originally titled as Rapunzel but changed to Tangled before its release on November 14, 2010 at the El Capitan Theatre. Production of Tangled required five years and over $260 million, making it one of the most expensive movies of all time. It won the Best Original Song award at 83rd Academy Awards. Tangled Ever After was its sequel released in 2012.

5. Iron Man 2

Based on Marvel Comics Character, Iron Man, Iron Man 2 is a 2010 sequel to 2008’s Iron Man. It is a super hero, American movie, written by Justin Theroux and directed by John Favreau, starring Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke. Iron Man 2 premiered on April 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California and it was released in 54 countries between April 28 and 30, 2010. It is a sequel of Iron Man, released in 2008, and it was followed by its sequel, Iron Man 3, which was released on May 3, 2013. The movie franchise was a box office success.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ Part 1 is the seventh installment of the Harry Potter film series. Based on the novels of J.K.Rowling, the film was produced by David Heyman, David Barron and Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and its sequel is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ Part 2. In the movie, Harry Potter was played by Daniel Radcliffe, while Rupert Grint and Emma Watson played the roles of Harry Potter’s best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. In the very first week of its opening, the movie grossed $125 million, making it the biggest opening for the franchise. In the story, Harry Potter is after finding Lord Voldemort’s secret to immortality with an aim to destroy it.

7. How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 American fantasy film, based on Cressida Cowbell’s book of the same title. The movie was released on March 26, 2010 and was a great commercial success, earning about $500 million. It was nominated for the Best Original Score and Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and at the 83rd Academy Awards. The story is about Hiccup, a teenager Viking, who in the mythical Viking world, aimed at finding and killing a dragon to prove his worth in salt to the tribe. However, after finding his first dragon, he was turned off and did not want to kill the dragon. Instead of killing, he developed a friendship with the dragon, in contradiction to the tribal tradition.

8. Despicable Me

Despicable Me, based on a story of Sergio Pablos, is an American comedy film of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment. It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Gru, voiced by Steve Carrel, was a super villain who adopted three girls, Dana, Elsie and Gaier, from an orphanage. Upon discovering that his rival Vector had stolen the Pyramid of Giza, Gru went for an even greater robbery and planned to steal the Earth’s moon. The movie was animated by the French Mac Guff animation studio and was later on acquired by the Illumination Entertainment. It was followed by a sequel Despicable Me 2, released on July 3, 2013, which in turn was followed by a spin off utilizing Gru’s characters.

9. Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is the third comedy family film of the Toy Story franchise, produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was written by Unkrich, directed by Lee Unkrich and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was released worldwide between June, 2010 and October 2010. The story is about the toys, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their friends, who became anxious after knowing that their owner, Andy, was going to leave for college. The movie broke the record of Shrek the Third as the biggest opening day grossing animation film of North America. It is the highest grossing film of 2010 in America and is the eleventh highest grossing film of all time.

10. Resident Evil: Afterlife 2010

Resident Evil: Afterlife is a science fiction film originating from the video game of the same name from Capcom..In January of 1997, Constantin Film purchased its rights and in 2001 Sony acquired the rights of its distribution. It was written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. In addition to Resident Evil: Afterlife 2010, he had also written Resident Evil 2002, Resident Evil: Apocalypse 2004, and Resident Evil: Extinction 2007. The fifth installment of the series, Resident Evil: Retribution 2012, is being planned to be released in 2014. Its franchise protagonist, Alice, was portrayed by Milla Jovovich.

Conclusion

Movie franchises are iconic to some decades and contain the indicators of their time period. Successful movie franchises are reflective of their time in an unbiased manner. Some movie franchises comprise over a dozen films, like James Bond movie franchises comprised of 24 movies. According to the multiple award-winner Spanish actor Javier Bardem, ‘Bond is the longest-running franchise ever and there’s a reason for that: they are action movies but they are also touched by current events without being political or too serious.’