Everyone loves a good movie series. It’s always exciting to anticipate when the next one will come and where the story is going to next.
Of all the movie series that Hollywood has gifted us over the years, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best movie series of all time based on overall bankability and appeal to viewers.
Top 10 Best Movie Series
10. Pirates of the Caribbean Film Series (2003-2017)
Who knew a Disney park ride will turn into a global box office hit? With five films in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean has earned around $4.5 billion worldwide.
This is thanks in part to Johnny Depp’s amazing performance as eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
Although its latest installation didn’t do as well as the other films, a sixth Pirates film is reportedly in the works but with no release date announced yet.
9. Batman Film Series (1989-2012)
This is technically not a movie series but more of an assembly of all Batman movies starting from Tim Burton’s 1989 film with Michael Keaton as the caped crusader to Christopher Nolan’s critically-acclaimed trilogy starring Christian Bale. We’ve also included the crossover film Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) in this count.
In the span of almost a quarter of a century, these films have earned a grand total of more than $4.5 billion, a bulk of which we can attribute to Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
8. Spider-Man Film Series (2002-present)
It’s hard to believe we’ve been treated with three Spider-Man reincarnations since the 2000s.
Starting with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy with Toby McGuire, the comic book superhero has entertained audiences with a great mix of audience-friendly humor, drama, romance, and action. The original trilogy is followed by two more takes on the web-spinning superhero and audiences seem to show no signs of getting bored.
Another Spider-Man film is set to come out in 2021.
7. X-Men Film Series (2000-present)
Don’t be surprised to see a couple of superhero films on this list of best movie series. And speaking of superheroes, here we have the X-Men film franchise.
We got Bryan Singer to thank for bringing our favorite comic book characters to life. Heck, without him, Hugh Jackman wouldn’t have played his most iconic character Wolverine/Logan which would put him on the Hollywood A-list.
A movie series spanning almost two decades, the film franchise seems to be going strong.
6. The Fast and The Furious Film Series
Even the producers of this action movie series about street car racing didn’t expect it become such a big hit. Beginning from the first film released in 2001, The Fast and The Furious, up until the latest one released in 2017, The Fate and the Furious, the entire movie series has earned a total of $5.1 billion.
Proof of its enduring popularity among fans worldwide and the studio’s fate in its money-making power is the announcement of a ninth and tenth film while the eighth was still in production. How crazy is that?
Also Read: Movies Like Fast and Furious To Watch If You Love Car
5. The Lord of the Rings Film Series (2001-2003)
Even writer J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t believe that his epic tale can be successfully turned into a movie. Good thing Peter Jackson proved him wrong. And what resulted are the Lord of the Rings films, three films considered to be one of the best movie series ever created.
In the span of three fantastic films, Jackson told the story of Bilbo Baggins as he makes his journey to Mordor in an attempt to destroy the titular ring. His adventure is made harder and easier by the characters he meets. There’s his best friend/gardener Samwise and their friends Merry and Pippin.
4. James Bond Series (1962-Present)
Isn’t it fantastic that a movie series enjoyed by both your grandfather and father can still be enjoyed by you (and hopefully your own kid, too) up to this day?
From the release of the first Bond film in the 1960’s, the movie series currently has a total of a whopping 26 films and seven actors playing Agent 007.
By far the most successful reincarnation of our favorite British spy is its latest with Daniel Craig assuming the iconic role. His Bond era is considered to be both the most profitable and most critically-acclaimed of the series.
Also Read: Top 10 Best James Bond Movies
3. Harry Potter Film Series (2001-2011)
A whole generation of kids grew up watching this magical movie series about wizards, friendship and the triumph of good over evil.
With nine films adapted from J.K. Rowling’s best selling book series, Harry Potter has managed to capture the minds and hearts of people of all ages. The series’ legacy is still felt today with a new set of Harry Potter spin-off films with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald.
2. Star Wars Film Series (1977-Present)
Forty years since the first Star Wars film was shown in theaters, the movie series seems to show no signs of stopping. Fans have been treated to a couple of new installations of the space opera over the past years since Disney purchased the rights to the franchise in 2012.
The latest film from the movie series is Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) which is a standalone film about the origins of one of the fans’ favorite characters, Han Solo. The Star Wars series is one the best movie franchises of all time.
1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-present)
It may seem unfair to lump movie series like The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy into one entry but we see them as part of one creative effort to bring the Marvel comic books to life.
The MCU has already got 19 films under its belt and more to come in the following years (Aquaman fans watch out for his first solo film!). In just a span of a decade, the MCU movie series has earned around $5 billion with hits like Black Panther and The Avengers.
Did your favorite series make it onto our top 10 movie series list? What other film franchises would you have added? Let us know in the comments below!
