Unexpected Box Office Hits That Sparked Major Franchises

When Hollywood first began creating movies, the franchise was unheard of. Movies were typically made to be stand-alone, and although there was the occasional sequel, it wasn't as commonplace as it is today. Certain feature films were almost de rigueur, films like "Gone With The Wind" and "The Ten Commandments" and more recently "Titanic" and "Gladiator". As popular as they were, they didn't have sequels. Until now, where 24 years after the first film, even "Gladiator" will now see a second movie, joining other unexpected hits that evolved into major film franchises.

The Hollywood of today is vastly different than when it first began. Today is an age of sequels and remakes; the film industry is said to be less original than it once was and rather than explore new ideas, has opted to take successful films and recycle storylines. It works for some films but others were simply not meant to be franchises. Their popularity made it too hard to pass up.(For sequels that failed to hit the mark, discover the 50 worst sequels of all time.)

To compile a list of unexpected hits that evolved into major film franchises, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of movie and entertainment sites including YardBarker, MovieWeb, and Reddit. Next, we selected popular films with an extensive list of sequels or adaptations. After that, we confirmed aspects of the movies' plots and critical receptions using sites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.

Michael Myers started as a homicidal maniac, hell-bent on bringing his family and people in their orbit to their graves. As the film series dragged on, however, Myers inexplicably gained supernatural powers. Bullets couldn't stop him, nor could explosions, and this provided a convenient set-up to each consecutive film. At one point, Michael Myers even hunted down helpless victims in space.

While the original "Halloween" earned critical acclaim, the rest of the films averaged bad or downright terrible reviews. While it inspired the now massive slasher genre, the Halloween franchise films tread out well-worn tropes, narratives, and an increasingly unkillable villain. What's worse, the films don't follow a linear timeline, with many diverting from the main story or outright remaking previous iterations. They may make for a silly horror movie night but taken as a whole, the Halloween franchise mostly amounts to a waste of film.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." The original film follows two lovable slackers, William S. "Bill" Preston Esq. and Theodore "Ted" Logan. Eager to make their metal dreams come true with their band "Wyld Stallyns," the pair instead face flunking out of school due to their lackadaisical attitudes.

Little do they know, however, that their band becomes the basis of a future utopian society. The leaders of said society send back a representative to help them pass their classes, ensuring that "Wyld Stallyns" finds success and results in that futuristic utopia.

"Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" provides fun, harmless laughs and some history lessons to go along with it. Even after the first film, little more could be squeezed from this slacker comedy.

Hollywood, nevertheless, persisted, spawning two sequel films as well as an animated television series, live-action television series, comic books, and video games. While it provides some nice entertainment, the various plots rest on a simple, overused conceit. Even still, the franchise managed to gross $85 million over the years.

"Home Alone" was a revelation when it hit the big screen in the early 90s. Though it initially received mixed reviews from critics, the film became the biggest movie of 1990, grossing $476,684,675 worldwide, earning two Academy Award nominations, and cementing the status of child star Macaulay Culkin. The film is a coming-of-age story focusing on Kevin McCallister, a boy who accidentally stays home alone while his family goes on vacation.

While he gets the lay of the land, a pair of bumbling burglars attempt to rob his house. In response, Kevin springs slapstick traps to catch them in the act.It's a lovely and entertaining film, allowing enjoyment for children and adults alike. Considering the success of the original, it's unsurprising that the studio attempted a franchise. This resulted in five separate sequels.

While the first sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" provides some good laughs (as well as a cameo by former president Donald Trump) the fun stops there. After that, each sequel gets progressively worse, relying on less-known actors to portray the same old gags and pranks. It's a perfect example of the classic Hollywood strategy of beating a dead horse.

The original "Silence of the Lambs" follows young FBI adept Clarice Starling after she begins hunting down a serial killer named Buffalo Bill. To uncover more of the killer's psychological profile, Starling pays a visit to the notorious cannibal and psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. Luckily, he remains safely locked away in a maximum security cell. Unluckily, he uses his cunning and genius-level IQ to unravel Clarice's mind as payment for helping her find Buffalo Bill.

Perhaps the only Academy Award Best Picture Winner to spawn a franchise, "Silence of the Lambs" earned countless accolades and introduced the intoxicating character of Hannibal Lecter to the masses. Besides two additional sequels, the film also spawned a long-running television series about the exploits of a younger Lecter called "Hannibal."

While further exploration of Hannibal Lecter as a character makes sense, the sequels and subsequent television programs illustrated that even the most interesting character can get boring after several iterations.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "Planet of the Apes." Based on the French novel "La Planète des singes," the film adaptation in 1968 became a massive hit, delighting audiences and critics alike. It tells the story of astronaut George Taylor as he travels to an alien planet. There, he discovers that apes run the show. Humans suffer from lower intelligence and therefore a lower step on the biological hierarchy.

By the film's finale, however, George comes upon the Statue of Liberty in ruins. He then realizes he's been on Earth all along.With a relatively unique story idea and a killer final shot, "Planet of the Apes" spawned a gaggle of sequels, remakes, and derivations with the first four sequels following in quick succession. In the process, it became the most successful science-fiction film franchise of all time, grossing over $2 billion.

Though it makes for interesting viewing, at least for the first couple of sequels, there's not much left to explore in the realm of civilized apes, yet the movies keep coming. Just this year, "Kingdom of the Planet of Apes" saw release in theaters. If there was ever an example of the phrase "too much of a good thing," it's the Planet of the Apes franchise.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises but became just too popular is "Aliens." From the mind of James Cameron, the first "Alien" film explores a future cargo crew deep in the confines of space. After an alien manages to get aboard and kills nearly the entire crew, only crewmember Ellen Ripley remains. For her survival, she must use her wits and cunning to outsmart a deadly, powerful alien.

The first "Alien" film provided a welcome exploration of deep space without the usual fantasy or sci-fi tropes, opting instead to anchor the story in a classic man vs. beast survival theme. This worked well for the first movie and even the next two sequels. Its success, however, incentivized various filmmakers to further explore the world of "Alien."

While further adaptations like "Prometheus" provided some interesting visuals and a backstory to the alien's origin, it felt tired. Each successive sequel has scored increasingly worse rankings from critics, probably because, even in the expanse of space, there's not much left to explore with this story.

When "John Wick" was released in 2014, it enraptured audiences. It featured a fully realized criminal world and the explosive action to back it up. The film follows a former Russian mafia hitman named John Wick who is grieving the death of his wife. After some young mafia thugs kill his dog, Wick embarks on a one-man war. He stops at nothing to feel a sense of justice as he burns all his former bridges and nearly takes out the mafia in the process.

While it brought back the classic movie trope of a determined man on a violent mission for justice, "John Wick" felt fresh due to its fantasy-like portrayal of a criminal underworld hiding amidst a normal, productive society. This was further bolstered by a keen sense of action, technical fighting prowess, and the effects to bring it home.

Due to its success, however, "John Wick" saw expansion into several sequels, each less interesting than the last. While the action can be fun, the franchise illustrates that even the most impressive martial arts can feel boring after being done numerous times in a row.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "Godzilla." First released in Japan in 1954, the film follows the disastrous exploits of the kaiju Godzilla. A giant, lizard-like monster from the depths of the ocean, he is awakened due to a nearby nuclear power plant. From there, Godzilla embarks on a reign of terror throughout Japan.

Ironically, "Godzilla" remains the longest-running film franchise in history. Starting in 1954, over 38 films starring Godzilla were released, 33 of which were from Japan, and five through American movie studios. In the process, Godzilla became a recognizable figure, delighting audiences and critics (sometimes) alike.

One would think that Godzilla destroying an entire city would become an exhaustive trope. The movies, however, show no sign of slowing anytime soon. While the newer movies provide updated effects, if you've seen one "Godzilla" film you have seen them all. Sometimes, however, "Godzilla" breaks the pattern and fights another large, unassailable monster.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "The Mummy." The first film follows Imhotep, an Ancient Egyptian mummy killed for attempting to resurrect his dead lover. After a team of archeologists discover his body and accidentally bring him back to life, Imhotep disguises himself as a Modern Egyptian. After that, he attempts to find his long-lost lover, who he believes reincarnated somewhere in the modern world.

While "Godzilla" may be the longest-running film franchise in history due to the sheer number of adaptations, "The Mummy" remains a contender. First released way back in 1932 and starring Boris Karloff, the film spawned five sequels before 1960. The film remained entombed until the new millennium, which saw the release of new adaptations starring Brendan Fraser.

This time, however, Imhotep awakens with a vengeance, hell-bent on destroying the world. Perhaps audiences were eager for more Ancient Egypt-themed movies, as the new adaptions spawned a new spinoff series in the form of "The Scorpion King." Whatever the case, this franchise wasn't even that good or compelling to begin with. It's absurd to think executives felt making a dozen more iterations was worth it. Nowadays, the franchise is best remembered for its laughably bad CGI effects in "The Scorpion King."

When the evil doll Chucky burst onto the silver screen, audiences ate it up. First, Chucky was a vicious human serial killer. Along the way, he somehow managed to transfer his soul to a series of harmless children's dolls and stave off death. The first film, "Child's Play" explores Chucky's exploits after his doll form is gifted to a young boy. From there, he embarks on a reign of terror, lacing the narrative with plenty of curse words and dirty humor.

When it first saw release, "Child's Play" delighted audiences through its mix of children's toys and violent, adult themes. This spawned six sequels, comic books, a television series, and even a video game. In the process, Chucky added his femme fatale girlfriend to the mix. While this kept the series fresh for maybe a movie or two, the fun stopped there.

There are only so many times you can watch a serial killer doll pursue mayhem before it induces yawns. Nevertheless, the franchise shows no sign of slowing, with a reboot of the original "Child's Play" released in 2019.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "Taken." The first film follows Bryan Mills, a retired CIA operative, and his contentious relationship with his 17-year-old daughter. While she travels in France, Albanian human traffickers kidnap her to sell her into sex slavery. Upon hearing the news, Bryan springs into action. He stops at nothing as he hunts down her kidnappers one by one and brings his daughter to safety.

The first "Taken" film provided a juicy sense of justice and revenge, providing a good, satisfying ending to the horrible notion of being sold into sexual slavery. In the film, however, Bryan manages to kill all of the human traffickers, effectively ending the plotline. Movie executives begged to differ, as two sequels and a television series emerged a few years later. The first sequel provided some continuation of the original film.

By the third one, however, Bryan is thrust into revenge plotlines that have little bearing on the story. Frankly, it seems like an excuse for the character to have more options to kick butt. Beyond that, however, the movies retain little redeeming value. (For other movies that should have stood alone, discover 11 movies that should have never been turned into shows.)

The original "Beethoven" film follows a family as it attempts to control the antic-laden exploits of its St. Bernard dog. Unfortunately, a sinister veterinarian sets her sights on Beethoven for her evil experiments. In response, the father's growing fondness for the dog compels him to save Beethoven and bring the veterinarian to justice.

While the original film featured a lovable dog and some child-like adventures and exploits, the fun should have stopped there. Instead, an incredible seven separate sequels were released over the years, each decreasing in quality and believability. After the fourth sequel, none of the original cast remained.

From there, each movie outright skipped the theaters and appeared as direct-to-DVD features. While there are plenty of movies on this list with too many sequels, the run of "Beethoven" movies might be the most egregious.

While the first Fast and Furious films centering on the life and legacy of a car-oriented crime family made sense and provided some high-octane entertainment, the series quickly became a joke unto itself.While it's arguably one of the most successful franchises in history, grossing over $7 billion, it gets worse and worse.

There are even ventures into space (with cars). "The Fast and Furious" has spawned several spin-off films bearing little resemblance to the original or even sequels. Perhaps there are not enough car adventure movies out there these days, because audiences can't seem to get enough of The Fast and Furious franchise.

Another one of the movies that were not meant to be franchises is "The Terminator." The first film follows Sarah Connor while being hunted by a killer robot from the future. He's after Sarah because she will one day give birth to a son. That son will lead an uprising against robots who have taken control of the future of Earth in the form of a computer system called "Skynet."

While the first two films were hugely successful and introduced audiences to a compelling story of time travel, mankind's fall, and subsequent return, the story should have stopped there. Instead, audiences have been treated to an increasing number of sequels. These movies explore the back-and-forth, often confusing attempts to kill John Connor or his relatives before he can come of age and give the robots a run for their money.

Perhaps run for their money is the operative phrase here, as studio executives seem determined to squeeze every last dollar and original idea out of "The Terminator" franchise.

A final film that was not meant to become a franchise is "The Matrix." The original film follows a computer programmer named Neo. Suddenly, he is thrust into a world which he cannot fathom. It turns out the world is a veil, and the real world exists deep below the surface. There, the few remaining humans vie for a chance to destroy the computers that program the reality most people think is real.

Neo becomes the one, a prophetic character tasked with saving humanity and destroying the Matrix.The first film was hugely successful. While it inspired countless other stories with its original ideas about a false reality, the successive sequels tread over a well-worn road. The original trilogy can be excused as it fully fleshes out the origin of "The Matrix," but later films do little except reformulate the same old program. (For movies that failed to reach their expansive goals, discover 12 movies intended as franchise starters that fell short.)