Modest Movie Billionaires: Film Franchises That Made Fortunes Without Flash

Hollywood has been obsessed with sequels for decades now, but what once felt like a rare follow-up has evolved into a business model built on cinematic universes and repeat storytelling. Indeed, movie franchises have turned into a reliable formula, especially when the numbers just make sense. These days, some franchises are even greenlit for multiple installments before the first film hits theaters.

While not every franchise lands with audiences, the ones that do have become box office powerhouses, bringing in billions and redefining success in the film industry. The genres may vary, but the formula is simple: give audiences characters they love, then give them more and more and more.

The most profitable franchises aren't always the biggest, most recognizable names; they're the ones that made the most money compared to how little they cost to make. To identify these film franchises by return on investment, 24/7 Tempo analyzed data from The Numbers, calculating the total inflation-adjusted box office revenue divided by total production budgets across franchises with at least four films. Historical inflation data came from the National Association of Theatre Owners.

This post was updated on July 22nd, 2025, to reflect additional information.

25. Scary Movie

Total franchise ROI: +$5.05 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $252.1 million
Most profitable movie: Scary Movie (2000)

24. Evil Dead

Total franchise ROI: +$5.10 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $269.8 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $52.9 million
Most profitable movie: The Evil Dead (1981)

23. Jumanji

Total franchise ROI: +$5.42 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.4 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $446.7 million
Most profitable movie: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

22. Scream

Total franchise ROI: +$5.54 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $252.2 million
Most profitable movie: Scream (1996)

21. MCU's Avengers

Total franchise ROI: +$5.98 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $8.1 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
Most profitable movie: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

20. Hunger Games

Total franchise ROI: +$6.01 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $3.3 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $552.5 million
Most profitable movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

19. James Bond

Total franchise ROI: +$6.10 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $18.1 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $3.0 billion
Most profitable movie: Dr. No (1962)

18. Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Total franchise ROI: +$6.17 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $437.0 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $70.9 million
Most profitable movie: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

17. Peter Pan

Total franchise ROI: +$6.20 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.8 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $447.4 million
Most profitable movie: Peter Pan (1953)

16. Shrek

Total franchise ROI: +$6.34 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $5.3 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $829.1 million
Most profitable movie: Shrek 2 (2004)

15. Step Up

Total franchise ROI: +$6.50 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $727.9 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $111.9 million
Most profitable movie: Step Up (2006)

14. Halloween

Total franchise ROI: +$6.64 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $178.0 million
Most profitable movie: Halloween (1978)

13. Harry Potter

Total franchise ROI: +$6.87 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $6.6 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $966.4 million
Most profitable movie: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

12. American Pie

Total franchise ROI: +$7.16 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $211.4 million
Most profitable movie: American Pie (1999)

11. Ice Age

Total franchise ROI: +$7.51 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $4.0 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $538.0 million
Most profitable movie: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)

10. Twilight

Total franchise ROI: +$7.99 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $3.9 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $491.2 million
Most profitable movie: Twilight: New Moon (2009)

9. Star Wars

Total franchise ROI: +$8.08 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $16.8 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
Most profitable movie: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

8. Jurassic Park

Total franchise ROI: +$8.20 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $8.3 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion
Most profitable movie: Jurassic Park (1993)

7. Friday the 13th

Total franchise ROI: +$8.27 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $835.5 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $101.0 million
Most profitable movie: Friday the 13th (1980)

6. Indiana Jones

Total franchise ROI: +$8.62 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $4.2 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $488.4 million
Most profitable movie: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

5. The Purge

Total franchise ROI: +$10.31 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $568.1 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $55.1 million
Most profitable movie: The Purge (2013)

4. George A. Romero's Dead Series

Total franchise ROI: +$11.31 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $583.2 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $51.6 million
Most profitable movie: Night of the Living Dead (1968)

3. Saw

Total franchise ROI: +$11.63 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $113.4 million
Most profitable movie: Saw (2004)

2. Insidious

Total franchise ROI: +$17.81 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $788.8 million
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $44.3 million
Most profitable movie: Insidious (2010)

1. Paranormal Activity

Total franchise ROI: +$32.88 in box office per $1.00 of production budget
Total worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
Total production budget, adjusted for inflation: $32.1 million
Most profitable movie: Paranormal Activity (2007)