List of multimedia franchises originating in films

Last updated

Following is a list of multimedia franchises originating in films, whether animated or live-action.

Contents

In the following tables, the initial media through which the franchise characters or settings became known is shown in boldface. Only works of fiction are only considered part of the series; a book or a documentary film about the franchise is not itself an installment in the franchise.

Franchises originating in animated films

Franchise
(Creator)
LiteratureComicsAnimated filmsLive action filmsAnimated TV seriesLive action TV seriesVideo gamesOther media
An American Tail
(Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Steven Spielberg)
variousno An American Tail (1986)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)
no Fievel's American Tails (1992)novarious An American Tail Theatre
Cars
(John Lasseter and various)
variousvarious Cars (2006)
Cars 2 (2011)
Cars 3 (2017)
Planes (2013)
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)
nononovarioustoy line
Cars Land
Casper the Friendly Ghost
(Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo)
variousvarious The Friendly Ghost (1945)
numerous others
Casper (1995) Matty's Funday Funnies (1959–1961)
The New Casper Cartoon Show (1963–1970)
several others
several made-for-TV moviesvarioustoys
Despicable Me
(Sergio Pablos)
children's novelsMinions comic albums Despicable Me 4 (2024)noMinions Holiday Special (2020)no
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Felix the Cat
(Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer)
Felix the Cat comic stripvariousTheatrical Shorts series
(beginning in 1919 to 1930)
sound and color revival shorts from Van Beuren Studios (1936)
Felix the Cat: The Movie (1988)
Felix the Cat Saves Christmas (2004)
no Felix the Cat (1958–1960)
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997)
Baby Felix (2000–2001)
no Felix the Cat (1992/1993)various merchandise
Finding Nemo
(Andrew Stanton)
yesyes Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Dory (2016)
Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau (2003)nonoyesFinding Nemo the Musical
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Frozen
(Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee)
numerousYes Frozen (2013)
Frozen II (2019)
noLEGO Frozen Northern (2016) Once Upon a Time (season 4; 2014)numerous Disney On Ice Frozen, Frozen Ever After and more
Hotel Transylvania
(Todd Durham)
no Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
no Hotel Transylvania: The Series no Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvania Dash
Hotel Transylvania Social Game
Hotel Transylvania BooClips Deluxe App
Ice Age
(Michael J. Wilson)
nono Ice Age (2002)
The Meltdown (2006)
Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Continental Drift (2012)
Collision Course (2016)
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022)
nononovariousIce Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure (live arena ice show)
The Incredibles
(Brad Bird)
yesyes The Incredibles (2004)
Incredibles 2 (2018)
nononovarious Incredicoaster
Kung Fu Panda
(Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris)
noyes Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

no Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011–2016)
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny (2018–2019)
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2022-)
no yes numerous
The Land Before Time
(Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Judy Freudburg & Tony Geiss)
variousno The Land Before Time (1988)
sequels
no The Land Before Time (2007–08)no List of The Land Before Time video games no
Lilo & Stitch / Disney Stitch
(Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois)
children's novels, including the Agent Stitch series (beginning in 2022) Comic Zone: Lilo & Stitch (2002–c. 2006)
Stitch! manga books
Stitch & the Samurai (2020)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Stitch! The Movie (2003)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005)
Leroy & Stitch (2006)
Lilo & Stitch (TBA) Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003–2006)
Stitch! (2008–2015)
Stitch & Ai (2017)
no Disney's Lilo & Stitch (GBA; 2002)
Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (2002)
Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 (2002)
various others
theme park attractions and additional merchandise
The Lion King
(Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff)
adaptionvarious The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
The Lion King (2019)
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
no (though the 2019 remake was advertised as a live-action film) The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999)
The Lion Guard (2015–2019)
no various other media
Looney Tunes
(Rudolf Ising and Hugh Harman)
no various Theatrical Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short films
(beginning in 1930 to 1969 with rival shorts released in the 1990s and 2010s)
various feature films
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989)(cameo only)
Space Jam (1996)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
numerousno List of Looney Tunes video games Music albums, theme park attractions
Madagascar
(Tom McGrath, Eric Darnell)
variousvarious Madagascar (2005)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
novariousnovariousmusical, theme park attractions
Mickey Mouse and Friends
(Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks)
children's books Mickey Mouse (comic book)
various
Theatrical short films
(beginning in 1928)
Fantasia (1940)
Saludos Amigos (1942)
The Three Caballeros (1944)
Fantasia 2000 (1999)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989)(cameo only) the films featured in Animaited films feature live-action scenesnumerous Walt Disney anthology television series various numerous
Monsters, Inc.
(Pete Docter and various)
variousMonsters, Inc.: Laugh Factory Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Monsters University (2013)
no Monsters at Work (2021-)novariousnumerous
The Secret Life of Pets
(Cinco Paul
Brian Lynch
Ken Daurio)
yesyes The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
nononoThe Secret Life of Pets: UnleashedThe Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
Tangled
(Nathan Greno & Byron Howard)
variousvarious Tangled (2010)
Tangled Ever After (2012)
Tangled: Before Ever After (2017)
no Tangled: The Series / Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2017–2020)no Tangled: The Video Game (2010)
Tom and Jerry
(William Hanna & Joseph Barbera)
yes various Theatrical short films, (beginning in 1940 to 1967 and 2005)
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
various DTV animated films
Tom & Jerry numerousno List of Tom and Jerry video games Musical adaption
Toy Story
(John Lasseter, and various)
yes various Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Lightyear (2022)
Toy Story Toons (2011–2012)
Lamp Life (2020)
no Toy Story Treats (1996)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000–2001)
Forky Asks a Question (2019–2020)
two TV shorts
no various other media
Wallace and Gromit
(Nick Park)
yesvarious A Grand Day Out (1989)
The Wrong Trousers (1993)
A Close Shave (1995)
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
two Shaun the Sheep specials
no Cracking Contraptions (2002)
Shaun the Sheep
(2007-)
Timmy Time (2009–2012)
Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention (2010)
no various Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic
Woody Woodpecker / Andy Panda
(Walter Lantz)
yesyesTheatrical Andy Panda short series(starting in 1939 to 1952, with the short Knock Knock debuting the character of Woody Woodpecker)
Theatrical Woody Woodpecker shorts (starting in 1940 to 1971)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989) (cameo only) Woody Woodpecker (2017)

Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024)

The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957–1958)
The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1999–2001)
Woody Woodpecker (2018)
live action segments in The Woody Woodpecker Show varioustheme park attractions
The Woody Woodpecker Song

Franchises originating in live-action films

Franchise
(Creator)
LiteratureComicsAnimated filmsLive action filmsAnimated TV seriesLive action TV seriesVideo gamesOther media
Alien [1]
(Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett)
Alien novel series various no Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
nono various -
Back to the Future
(Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale)
novelizations of the films several no Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future (1991–1992)noyes Back to the Future the Musical
Doc Brown Saves the World (2015)
Beetlejuice
(Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson)
juvenile novels (1992) yes (1991–1992)no Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Beetlejuice (1989–1991)no several Beetlejuice musical (2018)
Bill & Ted
(Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon)
yes Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book (1991–1992)no Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990–1991) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1992)various cereal
musical
Buffyverse
(Joss Whedon)
List of Buffyverse novels List of Buffyverse comics no Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Animated pilot Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Angel (1999–2004)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer video games -
The Chronicles of Riddick / Pitch Black
(David Twohy)
yesno The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004) Pitch Black (2000)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Riddick (2013)
nono several -
DC Extended Universe
(DC Films)
various various no Man of Steel (2013)
several other films
no various various -
Evil Dead
(Sam Raimi)
no Army of Darkness comic book
various
no
no Ash vs Evil Dead several Evil Dead: The Musical
The Expendables
(David Callaham)
no several no The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Expend4bles (2023)
nono several soundtracks
Final Destination
(Jeffrey Reddick)
numerous novelsFinal Destination: Sacrifice (2006)
Final Destination: Spring Break (2006)
nononono-
Ghostbusters
(Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis)
no Ghostbusters (comics) no Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
yesno [2] yes-
Godzilla
(Ishirō Honda)
novels by Marc Cerasini Godzilla (comics) Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters Godzilla (1954)
numerous others
yesyesyes-
Gremlins
(Joe Dante)
novelization of the screenplay nono Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (2022)- several -
Halloween
(John Carpenter and Debra Hill)
list of novels List of comics no Halloween
List of films
nono Halloween -
Herbie
(Gordon Buford and Walt Disney Productions)
Car, Boy, Girl (1961, unpublished)
film novelizations
three Gold Key Comics under the Walt Disney Showcaseno The Love Bug (1968)
Herbie Rides Again (1974)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
no Herbie, the Love Bug Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
Herbie Rescue Rally (2007)
-
High School Musical
(Kenny Ortega and Peter Barsocchini)
High School Musical (2006–2009) yes no High School Musical (2006)
High School Musical 2 (2007)
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
no High School Musical: Get in the Picture (2008)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2023)
yes High School Musical on Stage! (2006)
High School Musical 2: On Stage! (2007)
High School Musical: The Concert (2006–2009)
Highlander
(Gregory Widen)
various various Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (2007) Highlander (1986)
Highlander II: The Quickening
Highlander III: The Sorcerer
Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: The Source (2007)
Highlander: The Animated Series Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Raven
Highlander (1986)
Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods (1995)
Highlander: The Card Game
Indiana Jones
(George Lucas and Steven Spielberg)
yes Indiana Jones (comics) no Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
no The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles various The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role-Playing Game by TSR and The World of Indiana Jones by West End Games
The Karate Kid
(Robert Mark Kamen)
nonono The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
The Karate Kid (2010)
The Karate Kid (1989) Cobra Kai (2018–) The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986)
The Karate Kid (1987)
Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues
King Kong
(Merian C. Cooper)
no various The Mighty Kong (1998) King Kong (1933); numerous others The King Kong Show (1966–1969)
Kong: The Animated Series (2000)
no various King Kong musical (2013); amusement park rides
Marvel Cinematic Universe
(Marvel Studios)
various various no Iron Man (2008)
several other films
What If...? (2021) various various various
The Matrix [3] [4]
(The Wachowskis)
yes The Matrix Comics The Animatrix (2003) The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
nono Enter the Matrix (2003)
several others
-
The Pink Panther
(Blake Edwards and Maurice Richlin)
yes The Pink Panther and the Inspector The Pink Phink (1964)
various
The Pink Panther (1963); sequels and reboots various no various -
Police Academy
(Paul Maslansky)
noyesno Police Academy (1984)
six sequels
Police Academy (1988) Police Academy: The Series (1997)no Police Academy Stunt Show (1991)
Predator [1]
(Jim Thomas and John Thomas)
Predator novel series List of Predator comics no Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1990)
Predators (2010)
The Predator (2018)
Prey (2022)
nono various -
RoboCop
(Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner)
RoboCop 2: A Novel RoboCop (comics) no RoboCop (1987)
RoboCop 2 (1990)
RoboCop 3 (1993)
RoboCop (2014)
RoboCop: The Animated Series (1988)
RoboCop: Alpha Commando (1998−1999)
RoboCop: The Series (1994)
RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)
List of RoboCop video games RoboCop the Ride
Rocky
(Sylvester Stallone)
yesnono Rocky (1976)
Numerous sequels and spin-offs
nonoVarious Rocky the Musical
Saw
(James Wan and Leigh Whannell)
noyesno Saw (2004); numerous sequels nono Saw (2009)
Saw II: Flesh & Blood (2010)
various theme parks, attractions and additional merchandise
Stargate
(Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin)
yes List of Stargate comics no Stargate (1994) Stargate Infinity Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Universe
Stargate: Resistance -
Star Wars [3]
(George Lucas)
List of Star Wars books List of Star Wars comic books Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Star Wars (1977)
several other films
numerous Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
The Mandalorian (2019-)
The Book of Boba Fett (2021-)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022-)
List of Star Wars video games numerous
Terminator
(James Cameron)
various List of Terminator comics no The Terminator (1984)
numerous sequels
no Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) List of Terminator video games park attraction
Top Gun
(Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.)
nonono Top Gun (1986)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
nono List of Top Gun video games soundtracks
Tron
(Steven Lisberger)
yes various no Tron (1982)
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Tron: Uprising no various
Westworld
(Michael Crichton)
nonono Westworld (1973)
Futureworld (1976)
no Beyond Westworld (1980)
Westworld (2016–2022)
Westworld 2000 (1996)
various others

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Star Wars</i> American epic space opera media franchise

Star Wars is an American epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science fiction film</span> Film genre

Science fiction is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, mutants, interstellar travel, time travel, or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to focus on political or social issues, and to explore philosophical issues like the human condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sequel</span> Part of a linear narrative that continues the story of a previous work

A sequel is a work of literature, film, theater, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same fictional universe as an earlier work, usually chronologically following the events of that work.

The decade of the 2000s in film involved many significant developments in the filmmaking industries around the world, especially in the technologies used. Building on advancements from the 1990s, computers were utilized to create effects that would have previously been more expensive and time-consuming, from the subtle erasing of surrounding islands in Cast Away to the vast battle scenes in The Matrix sequels and 300.

Corey Burton is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on The Transformers, Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Count Dooku and Cad Bane in the Star Wars franchise, Zeus in the God of War series and Hugo Strange in Batman: Arkham City.

<i>Alien vs. Predator</i> Science fiction action franchise

Alien vs. Predator is a science fiction action and horror media franchise created by comic book writers Randy Stradley and Chris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, the larger Alien and Predator franchises, depicting the two species — Xenomorph (Alien) and Yautja (Predator) — as being in conflict with one another. It began as a comic book series in 1989, before being adapted into a video game series in the 1990s. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film series began with Alien vs. Predator (2004), directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, and was followed by Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), directed by the Brothers Strause, and the development of a third film has been delayed indefinitely. The series has led to numerous novels, comics, and video game spin-offs such as Aliens vs. Predator released in 2010.

Avatar is a concept in Hinduism representing a material manifestation of a deity.

The National Entertainment Collectibles Association is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey. The company was founded in 1996 and has over 60 licenses for which it produces products.

The Spacey Awards was an annual award presented by the Canadian cable network Space from 2003 to 2007. Awards were presented in the areas of sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, television series and video games. The awards included both audience-voted categories and juried categories, whose winner was selected by a committee of employees of the channel. The award statue was an alien with large, insectoid eyes.

A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Bob Iger, chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, defined the word franchise as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time".

The Visual Effects Society (VES) is an entertainment industry organization representing visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in film, television, commercials, music videos, and video games. It has about 4,000 members in 42 countries. Since 2002 it has produced the Visual Effects Society Awards which honor the best work of the previous year in various categories.

Alien is a science fiction horror and action media franchise centered on the original film series which depicts warrant officer Ellen Ripley and her battles with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as the Alien ("Xenomorph"), and the prequel series following the exploits of the David 8 android and the creators of the eponymous creatures referred to as the "Engineers".

<i>Predator</i> (franchise) American media franchise

Predator is an American science fiction action anthology media franchise centered on the film series depicting humankind's encounters with an intelligent race of extraterrestrial trophy-seeking hunters known as the "Yautja". Produced and distributed by 20th Century Studios, the series began with Predator (1987), directed by John McTiernan, and was followed by three sequels, Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018), and one prequel, Prey (2022). The series has led to numerous novels, comics, and video game spin-offs such as Predator: Concrete Jungle (2005) and Predator: Hunting Grounds (2020). The Alien vs. Predator franchise combines the continuities and universe of the Alien franchise with the Predator franchise and consists of two films as well as varying series of comics, books, and video games. Unlike the Alien franchise, which features a continuous story arc, the Predator films are more non-linear, instead focusing on individual encounters with the Predators spread across multiple timeframes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Toys</span>

Hot Toys Limited is a Hong Kong production house for designing, developing, and manufacturing highly detailed collectible merchandise to worldwide markets. They are known for their high end 1/6th scale figurines of licensed properties, like Marvel and Star Wars, which must be preordered. Hoy Toys collectibles are primarily available to purchase from secondary retailers, like Sideshow.

A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, characters, or world of the overall project. It is common in genres like science fiction. It differs from collaborative writing in which multiple artists are working together on the same work and from crossovers where the works and characters are independent except for a single meeting.

Star Wars has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise Star Wars creator George Lucas reserved the right to both draw from and contradict it in his own works. Such derivative works have been produced concurrently with, between, and after the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, as well as the spin-off films and television series. Commonly explored Star Wars media include books, comic books, and video games, though other forms such as audio dramas have also been produced.

A multimedia franchise is a media franchise for which installments exist in multiple forms of media, such as books, comics, films, television series, animated series and video games. Multimedia franchises usually develop due to the popularization of an original creative work, and then its expansion to other media through licensing agreements, with respect to intellectual property in the franchise's characters and settings, although the trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously.

References

  1. 1 2 Note: Alien vs. Predator is a crossover franchise established from the existing Alien and Predator franchises
  2. Note: The Ghostbusters franchise beginning with the 1984 film is unrelated to the 1975 TV series, The Ghost Busters , and its spin-off, the 1986 Ghostbusters animated series.
  3. 1 2 Harry J. Brown, Videogames and Education (2008), p. 41, ISBN   0765629496:
    In one of the most celebrated ventures in media convergence, Larry and Andy Wachowski, creators of The Matrix trilogy, produced the game Enter the Matrix (2003) simultaneously with the last two films of the trilogy, shooting scenes for the game on the movie's sets with the movie s actors, and releasing the game on the same day as The Matrix: Reloaded. Likewise, on September 21, 2004, Lucasfilm jointly released a new DVD box set of the original Star Wars trilogy with Star Wars: Battlefront, a combat game in which players can reenact battles from all six Star Wars films. In 2005, Peter Jackson likewise produced his blockbuster film King Kong (2005) in tandem with a successful King Kong game designed by Michael Ancel and published by Ubisoft. In the last several years, numerous licensed videogame adaptations of major summer and holiday blockbusters were released a few days before or a few days after their respective films, including: all three Star Wars films (1999–2005); all five Harry Potter films (2001–2008); all three Spider-Man films (2002–2007); Hulk (2002); The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005); Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006); Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007); and Transformers (2007). These multimedia franchises have made it more difficult to distinguish the production of films and videogames as separate enterprises.
  4. Lincoln Geraghty, American Science Fiction Film and Television (2009), p. 94, ISBN   1845207963: Multiple readings of the film are plentiful and highlight the polysemic nature of the text and subsequent multimedia franchise".