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A multimedia franchise (or a transmedia 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.
In order to qualify for these lists, a franchise must have works in at least three forms of media, and must have two or more separate works in at least two of those forms of media (a television series or comic book series is considered a single work for purposes of this list; multiple spin-off series or reboots of a previously ended series are considered multiple works). For example, a television series that spawned one film and one novelization would not qualify; a television series that had a spin-off series, or was remade as a new series, and which spawned two films and one novelization does qualify. These lists do not include public domain works from which adaptations have been made in multiple media only after the works entered the public domain, which do not involve licensing or other means by which an author or owner controls the franchise. A franchise may be included if it obtained multimedia franchise status prior to works within the collection entering the public domain.
Following are lists of multimedia franchises, divided by media characteristics:
Multimedia franchises originating in print
Main article: List of multimedia franchises originating in print Main article: List of public domain works with multimedia adaptationsFranchises originating in literature
- A Song of Ice and Fire
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- American Psycho
- Anna and the King
- Arthur
- Babar
- Berenstain Bears
- Blade Runner
- Buck Rogers
- Captain Underpants
- Charlie Chan
- Charlotte's Web
- Conan the Barbarian
- Curious George
- Die Hard
- Discworld
- Doctor Dolittle
- Dune
- Ender's Game
- Gidget
- Greyfriars School
- Hannibal Lecter
- Harry Potter
- Hercule Poirot
- His Dark Materials
- Horrid Henry
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- How to Train Your Dragon
- James Bond
- Jason Bourne
- Jennings
- Jumanji
- Jurassic Park
- Lassie's Rescue Rangers
- Left Behind
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes
- Madeline
- Mary Poppins
- Megami Tensei
- Middle-earth
- Miss Marple
- Monogatari
- Moomins
- Night at the Museum
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Paddington Bear
- Parasite Eve
- Perry Mason
- Peter Rabbit
- Planet of the Apes
- Professor Branestawm
- Psycho
- Rambo
- Robert Langdon
- John Carter of Mars
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Sex and the City
- Shrek
- Starship Troopers
- Stuart Little
- Sword Art Online
- Tarzan
- TekWar
- The Cat in the Hat
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Godfather
- The Hardy Boys
- The Invisible Man
- The Lost World
- The Neverending Story
- The Oregon Trail
- The Time Machine
- The Witcher
- Thomas & Friends
- Tom Clancy media
- War of the Worlds
- Zorro
Franchises originating in comics
- 300
- A Wish for Wings That Work
- Abie the Agent
- Archie Comics
- Ashita no Joe
- Asterix
- Attack on Titan
- B.C.
- BanG Dream!
- Barney Google
- Bleach
- Blondie
- Bringing Up Father
- Canyon Kiddies(MightyHunters)
- Cathy
- DC Universe
- Death Note
- Dennis the Menace
- Detective Conan
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Dick Tracy
- Doonesbury
- Doraemon
- Dragon Ball
- Dream of a Rarebit Fiend
- Dyesebel
- Firebreather
- Flash Gordon
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Garfield/U.S Arches
- Gen¹³
- Ghost in the Shell
- Hägar the Horrible
- Heathcliff
- Hellboy
- Henry
- Initial D
- Josie and the Pussycats
- Judge Dredd
- KrazyKat
- Lady Death
- Li'l Abner
- Little Orphan Annie
- Little Jimmy
- Little King
- Little Nemo
- Lucky Luke
- Lupin the Third
- Mandrake the Magician
- Marmaduke
- Marsupilami
- Marvel Universe
- Marvin
- Men in Black
- Miffy
- Mutt and Jeff
- My Hero Academia
- Naruto/Boruto
- Nancy
- One Piece
- Over the Hedge
- Patlabor
- Peanuts
- Popeye
- Pogo
- Prince Valiant
- Ranma ½
- Reg'lar Fellers
- Richie Rich
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- Sad Sack
- Sailor Moon
- Saint Seiya
- Sgt. Frog
- Spawn
- Speed Racer
- Spirou & Fantasio
- Stan Lee's Mighty 7
- Tales from the Cryptkeeper
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- The Addams Family
- The Amory Wars
- The Family Circus
- The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
- The Mask
- The Phantom
- The Rocketeer
- The Smurfs
- The Walking Dead
- TheFarSide
- The Katzenjammer Kids/The Captain and the Kids
- Tintin
- ToonervilleFolks
- Turok
- Wangan Midnight
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- YuYu Hakusho
- Ziggy
Multimedia franchises originating in films
Main article: List of multimedia franchises originating in filmsFranchises originating in animated films
Franchiess originating in animated shorts
- Baby Huey
- Betty Boop
- Casper the Friendly Ghost
- Droopy
- Felix the Cat
- Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies
- Mr. Magoo
- Mickey Mouse and Friends
- Pink Panther (character)
- Tom and Jerry
- Terrytoons
- Woody Woodpecker
Franchiess originating in animated Feature films
- An American Tail
- Cars
- Despicable Me
- Finding Nemo
- Frozen
- Hotel Transylvania
- Ice Age
- The Incredibles
- Kung Fu Panda
- The Land Before Time
- Lilo & Stitch
- The Lion King
- Osmosis Jones
- Sing
- Madagascar
- Monsters, Inc.
- The Secret Life of Pets
- Tangled
- Toy Story
- Wallace and Gromit
Franchises originating in live-action films
- Abbott and Costello
- Ace Ventura
- Alien
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
- Back to the Future
- Beetlejuice
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- Bill & Ted
- Black Dynamite
- Buffyverse
- Clerks
- Creepshow
- Dumb and Dumber
- Evil Dead
- Evolution
- Fantastic Voyage
- Final Destination
- Flipper
- Friday
- Ghostbusters
- Godzilla
- Gremlins
- Halloween
- Herbie
- High School Musical
- Highlander
- Indiana Jones
- Karate Kid
- King Kong
- Laurel and Hardy
- Mighty Ducks
- Napoleon Dynamite
- Odd Couple
- Our Gang
- Pacific Rim
- Police Academy
- Predator
- Real Ghostbusters
- RoboCop
- Rocky
- Saw
- Spaceballs
- Spy Kids
- Star Wars
- Stargate
- Teen Wolf
- Terminator
- The Chronicles of Riddick
- The Creature from the Black Lagoon
- The Karate Kid
- The Little Shop of Horrors
- The Matrix
- The Mummy
- Inspector Clouseau
- The Three Stooges
- The Toxic Avenger/Toxic Crusaders
- The Wolf Man
- Tron
- Underworld
- Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down
Multimedia franchises originating in television and web series
Main article: List of multimedia franchises originating in television seriesFranchises originating in animated television and web series
- Æon Flux
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Beavis and Butt-Head
- Ben 10
- Blue's Clues
- Bob the Builder
- Dora the Explorer
- Family Guy
- Fat Albert
- George of the Jungle
- Gumby
- Gundam
- Generator Rex
- Jem and the Holograms
- Kim Possible
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Rick and Morty
- RWBY
- Scooby-Doo
- South Park
- Space Battleship Yamato
- Space Ghost
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Steven Universe
- Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
- The Amazing World of Gumball
- The Fairly OddParents
- The Flintstones
- The Loud House
- The Proud Family
- The Simpsons
- Underdog
- VeggieTales
- Voltron
- Winx Club
- The Yogi Bear Show
Franchises originating in live action television and web series
- Ali G
- Babylon 5
- Barney & Friends
- Battlestar Galactica
- Blake's 7
- Brady Bunch
- Charlie's Angels
- Dad's Army
- Doctor Who
- Firefly
- Fraggle Rock
- Gilligan's Island
- Henry Danger
- I Love Lucy
- Jackass
- Last of the Summer Wine
- Lost in Space
- Mission: Impossible
- Monty Python
- Mr. Bean
- My Favorite Martians
- Only Fools and Horses
- Power Rangers/Super Sentai
- Red Dwarf
- Sesame Street
- Sooty
- Star Trek
- The Avengers (1960s)
- The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park
- The Bill
- The Brady Bunch
- The Coneheads
- The Dukes
- The Equalizer
- The Ghost Busters
- The Munsters
- The Muppets
- The Naked Brothers Band
- The Prisoner
- The Sweeney
- The Twilight Zone
- The X-Files
- Xenaverse
Multimedia franchises originating in Video Games
Main article: List of multimedia franchises originating in games, toys, and merchandiseFranchises originating in video games, and then appearing in film and/or television series
- Ace Attorney
- Alan Wake (TV series in works)
- Alone in the Dark
- Animal Crossing
- Angry Birds
- Assassin's Creed
- Bayonetta
- Bomberman
- Borderlands
- Carmen Sandiego
- Call of Duty
- Castlevania
- Chrono
- Crash Bandicoot
- Dante's Inferno
- Darkstalkers
- Dead Rising
- Dead Space
- Devil May Cry
- Doom
- Dota
- Double Dragon
- Dragon Age
- Dragon's Lair
- Dragon Quest
- Far Cry
- Fatal Frame
- Fallout
- Final Fantasy
- Five Nights at Freddy's
- Fire Emblem
- Gears of War
- God of War
- Grand Theft Auto
- Half-Life
- Halo
- Hitman
- Kemono Friends
- Kingdom Hearts
- The King of Fighters
- Kirby
- League of Legends
- The Legend of Zelda
- Mario
- Mass Effect
- Max Payne
- Mega Man
- Monster Hunter
- Mortal Kombat
- Onimusha
- Pac-Man
- Persona
- Pokémon
- Prince of Persia
- Ratchet & Clank
- Rayman
- Red Dead
- Resident Evil
- Silent Hill
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Star Fox
- Star Ocean
- Street Fighter
- Tekken
- Talking Tom & Friends
- The Last of Us
- Tomb Raider
- Trails
- Uncharted
- Xeno
- Warcraft
- Wing Commander
- Zone of the Enders
- Yo-kai WatchHouseoftheDead
- Blood Rayne
- DOA:Dead or Alive
- Arcane/League of Legends
- Company of Heroes
Franchises originating in video games appearing in comics or literature only
- Bioshock
- Contra
- Crysis
- Darksiders
- Dead Island
- Deus Ex
- Diablo
- Dishonored
- Drakengard
- Duke Nukem
- The Elder Scrolls
- The Evil Within
- Fable
- Infamous
- Killzone
- Left 4 Dead
- Legacy of Kain
- Life Is Strange
- Metal Gear
- Metroid
- Portal
- Soulcalibur
- Splatoon
- StarCraft
- Suikoden
- Watch Dogs
Franchises originating in Other mediums
Main article: List of multimedia franchises originating in games, toys, and merchandiseFranchises originating in board games, card games, tabletop games and role-playing games
- BattleTech
- Battleship
- Car Wars
- Clue
- Cyberpunk
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Glorantha
- Magic: The Gathering
- Mutant Chronicles
- Shadowrun
- Warhammer
- World of Darkness
Franchises originating on Radio
Franchises originating in toys, dolls, and action figures
- Action Man
- American Girl
- Barbie
- Bratz
- BraveStarr
- Candy Land
- Digimon
- Enchantimals
- Ever After High
- G.I. Joe
- Gobots
- Hero Factory-Lego
- Herself the Elf
- Holly Hobby
- Hot Wheels
- Lego
- Bionicle-Lego
- Masters of the Universe
- Max Steel
- MegaBloks
- Monster High
- My Little Pony
- My Pet Monster
- MyScene
- Playmobil
- Polly Pocket
- Pound Puppies
- Robotix
- Shopkins
- Star Fairies
- Transformers
- Troll doll
- Uglydoll
Franchises originating in Greeting Cards
Franchises originating in Stage plays and Theme Parks
See also
- List of fictional shared universes in film and television – many multimedia franchises are based in fictional universes
- List of public domain works with multimedia adaptations
- List of highest-grossing media franchises
- Media franchise
- List of television programs based on comics
- List of television series based on comic strips
- List of television series based on films
- List of television series based on video games
- List of comics based on television programs
- List of comics based on films
- List of comics based on video games
- List of comics based on radio series
- List of films based on comics
- List of films based on comic strips
- List of films based on radio series
- List of films based on television programs
- List of films based on toys
- List of films based on video games
- List of films based on novels
- List of novels based on video games
- List of novels based on films
- List of novels based on toys
References
- See, e.g., Barry Langford, Post-classical Hollywood: Film Industry, Style and Ideology Since 1945, p. 207, ISBN 074863858X: "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products".
- 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.
- based on historical events
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