AOL's Money and Finance web site has crunched the numbers and
determined that when it comes to the highest grossing film franchises
of all time, James Bond still has the Midas touch. The series, which
began in 1962, has grossed $4.5 billion to date but it has the
advantage of starting long before any other film series in contention
and amassing the gross over twenty-one films. In comparison, the Star Wars series lags behind Bond by a measly $100 million - and has managed to do so with only six films. However, there are several factors that should be taken into account. Technically, the Bond films could also encompass the grosses of the two "maverick" 007 productions not made by Eon Productions: Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Also, if the early Bond's grosses were adjusted for inflation,
the gap would widen considerably. Preferably, these types of charts
should be based on the number of tickets sold, as a first run movie
ticket in the early 1960s was less than $2.
Here is the complete list from the article along with grosses to date:
- James Bond $4.5 billion
- Star Wars $4.4 billion
- Harry Potter $4.1 billion
- Lord of the Rings $2.9 billion
- Pirates of the Caribbean $2.7 billion
- Spiderman $2.5 billion
- Shrek $2.1 billion
Wanna bet that according to standard Hollywood Hollywood accounting practices, not one of these series has yet to make a profit? To read the article
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