MoviesMatrixMadness | Top 48 Film Franchises

March may be gone, but the madness is still here. (We’re geeks. We know how to sustain momentum better than most.)

The bracket for the Top CBMs was a highly contested, often debated, and much ballyhooed bracket because we have opinions. Those are opinions we base in emotion, angst, and a ton of regalia. We love these movies and believe what we experience is common among the rest of us.

And then, we discover it’s not.

Case in point: “What is the better comic franchise? Marvel or DC?”

There it is. All hell breaks loose because you had the nerve to ask that question. Sure, you could have been discussing comics only, but too late, you’re dead.

That question alone is what brings us to our next bracket:

The Top 48 Film Franchises of all Time

Because there are 48, we have some play-ins to get to the Sweet 16! This is a little different, but that’s only because of all the franchises in film lore–that is, any series of film that goes above three (because that’s a trilogy, and time for another bracket)–there have been so many to captivate us all.

Look at your movie collection, or even your parent’s. You’ll see. One last thing, much like the aforementioned example, which may make it to the Final Four, this isn’t just about cool factor. We consider box office success, visual appeal, characterization, canon, score, storytelling, and direction.

With that in mind, here are your regions.

Wizarding World

All 12 players in this region have iconic parts of each of them. Some have scores who first two notes cause hysteria. Others have characters so renowned they are mononymous. You know, like ‘Cher,’ ‘Madonna,’ or ‘Erkel.’ Here are the brackets:

Play-Ins

32. LEGO Movies vs. 33. Despicable Me (don’t forget Minions)

17. Transformers (including Bumblebee) vs. 48. Scream

24. Star Trek (no TV, but all original films and the Kelvinverse) vs. 41. Monsterverse (all the old originals and the new ones with Kong and Godzilla)

25. Dirty Harry vs. 40. Rambo

Top Seeds waiting for opponents

1. Wizarding World

16. DCEU (including ‘Worlds of DC’)

9. Pirates of the Caribbean

8. X-Men

The Marvelous Universe

This region strikes up as much nostalgia as current feels. And all of them. All genders, creeds, and walks of life will adore this region because there is something in it for everyone. Can you vote objectively? That’s the challenge here.

Play-Ins

31. Hannibal Lecter (yes, begin with Manhunter) vs. 34. Resident Evil

18. Indiana Jones vs. 47. The Exorcist

23. Terminator vs. 42. Police Academy

26. Halloween (even the Rob Zombie ones) vs. 39. Twilight

Top Seeds

2. MCU

15. Jurassic Park

10. Mission Impossible

7. Batman (yes, all of them from Tim Burton to Nolan to Batfleck)

A Galaxy Far, Far Away

This is the region of the forefathers. Some of the most iconic franchises, many of them millennials will have to curl up next to mom and dad to ask, “Um… who?!” However, do your homework before you cast your vote. Some may surprise you how notable they really are.

Play-Ins

30. Predator vs. 35. Shrek

19. Die Hard vs. 46. Paranormal Activity

22. View Askewniverse (FYI, Clerks, Mallrats…) vs. 43. Friday the 13th

27. Jason Bourne vs. 38. Jack Ryan (beginning with The Hunt for Red October)

Top Seeds

3. Star Wars

14. Planet of the Apes (beginning all the way back with the great Charlton Heston in 1968)

11. Rocky / Creed

6. James Bond

Middle Earth

Oddly, this region collected many of the most cinematic journey in motion picture history. From lands of fantasy to deep beneath the ocean, destitute lands of scarcity to the gentle countryside, you have enjoyed most of these trips with us all. Even if they were played back on DVD or Pluto TV.

Play-Ins

29. Oceans’ (11, 12, 13, and 8) vs. 36. Underworld

20. Conjuring vs. 45. Riddick

21. Mad Max vs. 44. TMNT

28. National Lampoon’s Vacation vs. 37. Godzilla (yes, there is an overlap here but please, how can you deny the classic Gojira franchise from Toho to what it has become today? Come at us, Internet.)

Top Seeds 

4. Middle Earth

13. Spider-Man (including Into the Spider-Verse)

12. Alien (and Prometheus)

5. The Fast & the Furious