25 of the longest-running movie franchises that are still active today

The cast of "Superman."Eric Charbonneau/Warner Bros. via Getty ImagesTwo of the longest-running franchises in movie history have recently released films.In theaters right now, you can catch the 10th "Superman" film or the seventh "Jurassic" installment.Those franchises are 84 and 32 years old, respectively.It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … another sequel dominating the box office.Movie franchises have been the backbone of the movie industry for over 100 years. Some of our favorite, most enduring characters have been gracing the silver screen since the silent movie era.There are two long-running franchises with movies in theaters right now, with more on the way later this year."Jurassic World Rebirth" is the seventh movie in 32 years that takes place in a universe where dinosaurs have been brought back from extinction. On the other hand, James Gunn's "Superman" is the first in a new universe, but it's far from the first film to feature the Man of Steel. He's been flying across movie screens since 1941.In honor of these films, we've compiled a list of the longest-running active movie franchises. We've limited this list to live-action films (sorry, "Shrek" and "Toy Story), and implemented a few other ground rules.To be considered "active," a film franchise needed to have released a film in the last 10 years and shown signs that the story will continue, which eliminates things like "The Terminator," which seems to be definitively over.A franchise also needs to have at least three films to make this list. Otherwise, a "series" like "Top Gun" would be on here, even though "Maverick," for now, is just a legacy sequel.We also aren't counting TV series, which is why things like "Star Trek" and "Mission: Impossible" aren't as high up.So without further ado, here are some of the longest-running movie franchises in Hollywood right now.The Universal Monsters — 117 years"The Mummy."Universal PicturesFirst film: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in 1908Most recent film: "Wolf Man" in 2025"King Kong" — 92 yearsJessica Lange in "King Kong."Paramount PicturesFirst film: "King Kong" in 1933Most recent film: "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" in 2024 — though "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" is coming in 2027"Superman" — 84 yearsDavid Corenswet in "Superman."Warner Bros.First film: "Superman" in 1941Most recent film: "Superman" in 2025"Batman" — 82 yearsRobert Pattinson in "The Batman."Warner Bros. PicturesFirst film: "Batman" in 1943Most recent film: "The Batman" in 2022 — though "The Batman: Part II" is set for a 2027 release"Godzilla" — 71 yearsGodzilla in "Godzilla Minus One."Toho Co. LtdFirst film: "Godzilla" in 1954Most recent films: "Godzilla Minus One" in 2023 and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" — though "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" is coming in 2027"James Bond" — 63 yearsDaniel Craig in "Spectre."SonyFirst film: "Dr. No" in 1962Most recent film: "No Time to Die" in 2021"Planet of the Apes" — 57 yearsProximus in "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."20th Century StudiosFirst film: "Planet of the Apes" in 1968Most recent film: "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" in 2024"The Exorcist" — 52 yearsLinda Blair in "The Exorcist II: Heretic."Warner Bros. PicturesFirst film: "The Exorcist" in 1973Most recent film: "The Exorcist: Believer" in 2023"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" — 51 yearsThe cast of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."Netflix.First film: "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" in 1974Most recent film: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in 2022"Rocky" — 49 yearsSylvester Stallone in "Rocky."MGMFirst film: "Rocky" in 1976Most recent film: "Creed III" in 2023"Star Wars" — 48 yearsYoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Mark Hamill in "The Empire Strikes Back."LucasfilmFirst film: "Star Wars" in 1977Most recent film: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019 — though "Star Wars: Starfighter" is expected in 2027"Halloween" — 47 yearsMichael Myers in "Halloween Ends."Ryan Green/Universal PicturesFirst film: "Halloween" in 1978Most recent film: "Halloween Ends" in 2022"Star Trek" — 46 yearsChris Pine in "Star Trek."Paramount PicturesFirst film: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1979Most recent film: "Star Trek Into Darkness" in 2016"Alien" — 46 yearsA xenomorph in "Alien."20th Century FoxFirst film: "Alien" in 1979Most recent film: "Alien: Romulus" in 2024"Tron" — 43 years"Tron: Legacy."Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesFirst film: "Tron" in 1982Most recent film: "Tron: Ares" in 2025"Beverly Hills Cop" — 41 yearsEddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop."Getty ImagesFirst film: "Beverly Hills Cop" in 1984Most recent film: "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" in 2024"Predator" — 38 yearsThe Predator in "Prey."David Bukach / 20th Century StudiosFirst film: "Predator" in 1987Most recent film: "Predator: Badlands" in 2025"Child's Play" — 37 yearsChucky in "Child's Play."MGM/UA Communications Co.First film: "Child's Play" in 1988Most recent film: "Child's Play" in 2019"The Naked Gun" — 37 yearsLeslie Nielsen in "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!"Paramount PicturesFirst film: "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" in 1988Most recent film: "The Naked Gun" in 2025"Home Alone" — 35 yearsMacauley Culkin in "Home Alone."20th Century FoxFirst film: "Home Alone" in 1990Most recent film: "Home Sweet Home Alone" in 2021"Jurassic World" — 32 yearsJonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in "Jurassic World Rebirth."Jasin Boland / Universal Pictures and Amblin EntertainmentFirst film: "Jurassic Park" in 1993Most recent film: "Jurassic World Rebirth" in 2025"Bad Boys" — 30 yearsWill Smith in "Bad Boys."Columbia PicturesFirst film: "Bad Boys" in 1995Most recent film: "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" in 2024"Jumanji" — 30 yearsKevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson in "Jumanji: The Next Level."Sony Pictures ReleasingFirst film: "Jumanji" in 1995Most recent film: "Jumanji: The Next Level" in 2019, though an unnamed sequel is set for a 2026 release"Mission: Impossible" — 29 yearsTom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol."Paramount PicturesFirst film: "Mission: Impossible" in 1996Most recent film: "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" in 2025"Scream" — 29 yearsNeve Campbell in "Scream."Paramount PicturesFirst film: "Scream" in 1996Most recent film: "Scream VI" in 2023 — though "Scream 7" is coming in 2026Read the original article on Business Insider

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