#NewsBytesExplainer: Understanding franchise films, their popularity, and prominent examples

As hardcore movie lovers, we want to see multiple installments of our favorite films and wish to immerse ourselves in our beloved cinematic universes time and again. While some movies are just standalone projects that spawn no sequels, some other encash upon the popularity and turn into a franchise with multiple big-budget movies, usually led by the same primary cast. Let's take a look.

To put it simply, franchise films are films that have multiple installments spread across the years. They are often, though not always, made by the same team that worked on the first project. However, since the movie's production house holds the rights, they have the authority to make any changes to the cast, script, or director. They work well due to the nostalgia factor.

Franchise films intrigue viewers since they are aware of the plotline and well-versed with the characters, so the hype is at an all-time high when the venture releases theatrically. Moreover, when makers take a long break and return with a new installment after several years, it heightens audience's curiosity since they are eager to see the changes brought about in their favorite fictional universe.

Hollywood is home to some of the most critically acclaimed franchise films that have fared well both critically and commercially. Examples include The Harry Potter films, Fast and Furious, John Wick, multiple films belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, James Bond, DC Extended Universe, Jurassic Park, Middle Earth, Die Hard, Rocky, Terminator, and Planet of the Apes.

Some of the most famous film franchises in Bollywood are Bhool Bhulaiyaa (two movies so far, third has been confirmed), Golmaal (four movies have been released), Hera Pheri (two films are out while the third one is in the works), Singham (two movies have been churned out, third is confirmed), Raaz (three movies), Dhoom (three movies), and Dhamaal (three films), among others.

While the difference between the two is quite vague and murky, a sequel can be seen as the building block of a franchise. For example, if a movie has only two parts (original and sequel), it may usually not be termed as a franchise, but if it expands the universe through a prequel or a spin-off, it will be dubbed as a full-fledged franchise.