Top 10 Movie Franchises with the Highest Total Box Office Earnings in 1989

1. James Bond Franchise

By 1989's "Licence to Kill," the Bond series had released 16 films since "Dr. No" in 1962, giving it more entries and more decades of steady grosses than any rival franchise. Combined worldwide box office topped $1 billion, built less on any single blockbuster than on consistent mid-to-high grosses film after film across 27 years.

This is the pick for anyone tracking cumulative franchise value rather than peak single-film performance. It trades flashy individual openings for sheer volume and consistency, and unlike the newer Star Wars trilogy below it, its total reflects nearly three decades of continuous releases rather than one concentrated six-year run.

2. Star Wars Trilogy

Three films between 1977 and 1983 pushed the Star Wars trilogy past $760 million in combined domestic box office, with "Star Wars" alone earning roughly $307 million domestically on its original release. Worldwide, the trilogy cleared over $1.3 billion, the highest per-film average of any franchise on this list by 1989.

This ranks below Bond only because three films can't match sixteen years of cumulative volume, even at a far higher per-picture take. It's the pick for raw box-office density rather than franchise longevity, and unlike Bond it had already gone quiet for six years by 1989, with no new installment since 1983.

3. Indiana Jones Franchise

Three films by 1989 combined for roughly $588 million domestic: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" ($212 million, 1981), "Temple of Doom" ($179 million, 1984), and "Last Crusade" ($197 million, 1989). Each entry grossed within a tight band of the others, making this the most consistent top-tier performer among adventure franchises.

This sits below the Star Wars trilogy on total dollars but shows less drop-off between entries. It's the pick for a franchise with no weak grossing installment, though its 1981-1989 span means it moved slower than Bond's release pace and hadn't yet matched the trilogy above it in cumulative total.

4. Rocky Franchise

Four films from 1976 through 1985 brought Rocky's combined domestic gross to roughly $454 million: "Rocky" ($117 million), "Rocky II" ($85 million), "Rocky III" ($125 million), and "Rocky IV" ($127 million). Notably, the series grew rather than faded, with "Rocky IV" outgrossing the original.

This ranks behind Indiana Jones on total dollars despite having an extra film, since its per-entry average runs lower. It's the pick for a franchise that got more popular over time rather than trading on nostalgia, though by 1989 it had gone quiet for four years with no fifth installment yet released.

5. Star Trek Franchise

Five films released between 1979 and 1989 combined for roughly $409 million domestic, led by "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" at $109 million in 1986. The series ranged widely in performance, from that 1986 high to "Star Trek V" earning just $52 million the same year it placed here, 1989.

This sits below Rocky because its five entries average lower per film despite the extra release. It's the pick for a franchise sustained by an existing television fanbase rather than mass theatrical draw, and unlike Rocky its grosses fluctuated instead of building consistently upward.

6. Back to the Future Franchise

Two films combined for roughly $328 million domestic by the end of 1989: "Back to the Future" ($210 million, 1985) and "Back to the Future Part II" ($118 million, released that November). That's the highest per-film average of any series ranked below the top three, achieved with just two entries.

This ranks below Star Trek on total dollars only because it has fewer films, not weaker performance per picture. It's the pick for efficiency over volume, and unlike Star Trek's five-film spread, its total came from a tight four-year window with no dilution across weaker sequels yet.

7. Superman Franchise

Four films from 1978 to 1987 combined for roughly $316 million domestic, but the series declined sharply: "Superman" opened at $134 million, "Superman II" held at $108 million, then "Superman III" fell to $59 million and "Superman IV" collapsed to $15 million. The trend line, not just the total, sets this franchise apart.

This ranks just below Back to the Future because steep sequel decay dragged its total down despite a stronger start. It's a cautionary entry for franchise longevity rather than a model of it, and unlike the steadier series above it, its later films actively eroded the brand's box-office value.

8. Rambo Franchise

Three films from 1982 to 1988 combined for roughly $250 million domestic: "First Blood" ($47 million), "Rambo: First Blood Part II" ($150 million), and "Rambo III" ($53 million). The middle film alone accounts for the majority of the franchise's total earnings, a pattern of one breakout carrying the series.

This ranks below Superman's total despite a less severe late decline, since its middle-heavy structure caps overall volume with only three entries. It's the pick for a franchise defined by a single peak film rather than sustained output, unlike the steadier multi-hit spreads of the series ranked above it.

9. Friday the 13th Franchise

Eight films released between 1980 and 1989 combined for roughly $206 million domestic, with no single entry exceeding $40 million: the original topped the list at $39.7 million in 1980. Volume, not per-film performance, is what keeps this franchise on the list at all by decade's end.

This ranks below Rambo because eight low-grossing films still total less than three films anchored by one genuine hit. It's the pick for horror's dollar-per-film efficiency at the low end, and unlike Rambo's boom-and-bust pattern, its earnings stayed remarkably flat and modest across nearly a decade.

10. Halloween Franchise

Five films from 1978 to 1989 combined for roughly $116 million domestic, led by the original's $47 million in 1978, with every sequel earning under $26 million. "Halloween III" in 1982 hit a franchise low of $14.4 million, reflecting the era's crowded slasher-sequel market.

This ranks last because its five-film total still falls well short of Friday the 13th's eight-film sum. It's the pick for franchise-as-brand recognition over box-office scale, and unlike every series ranked above it, its combined earnings by 1989 remained under $150 million despite over a decade of releases.

How we ranked these

This ranking sums domestic theatrical box office grosses across every entry in a franchise released through the end of 1989, using studio-reported figures later compiled by outlets like Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. A series needed at least two theatrically released films to qualify as a franchise. Totals reflect original theatrical-run grosses only, not merchandising, soundtrack sales, or licensing income that also flowed from these properties.

Left out deliberately: worldwide box office, since international reporting in the 1980s was inconsistent and rarely tracked with domestic precision; home-video and cable revenue, which by 1989 often exceeded a film's theatrical take; and inflation adjustment, since the goal is reconstructing how these totals actually looked at the close of 1989, not how they compare in today's dollars, a distortion that would rewrite the actual competitive picture moviegoers saw that year.

Related questions

Why does the James Bond series outrank single blockbusters like Batman on a cumulative list?

By 1989, Bond had released 16 films since 1962, so even modest per-film grosses compound into a huge cumulative total. Batman, despite earning roughly $251 million domestically in its lone 1989 run, is one entry competing against Bond's decades of theatrical volume — a reminder that franchise totals reward longevity as much as any single film's blockbuster performance.

How is a movie franchise defined for this kind of ranking?

A franchise here means a film series sharing characters, story world, or branding across at least two theatrical releases — Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Friday the 13th, and Police Academy all qualify. A single hit like 1989's Batman doesn't count on its own; it only enters franchise math once Batman Returns and its sequels arrive in the following decade.

Did Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade change the franchise's overall standing in 1989?

Yes — Last Crusade grossed roughly $197 million domestically in 1989, pushing the trilogy's combined domestic total past $600 million alongside Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. That third entry mattered because it proved the series could close strong rather than fade, which is exactly what separates durable franchises from ones that peak with their opener.

Why doesn't this ranking adjust older totals for inflation?

Adjusting for inflation would answer a different question — how these franchises compare by today's ticket prices — rather than how they actually stacked up at the close of 1989. Unadjusted totals preserve the real competitive snapshot moviegoers and studios saw that year, even though it means 1960s Bond dollars sit next to 1989 Batman dollars without conversion.

How reliable is box office data from the 1980s compared to today?

Domestic figures from the 1980s are generally solid because studios reported them to trade papers like Variety weekly, and outlets such as Box Office Mojo later digitized those records. International figures are far shakier for the era, since many territories didn't standardize reporting until the 1990s — which is exactly why this ranking sticks to domestic totals only.

Why do horror franchises like Friday the 13th rank lower despite having eight entries by 1989?

Friday the 13th movies were cheap to make and profitable relative to budget, but each entry typically grossed only $15 to $22 million domestically — far below a single Bond or Indiana Jones outing. Eight low-grossing films still add up to less than three or four blockbuster-sized ones, which is why volume alone doesn't guarantee a high cumulative rank.

What's missing from this list that would matter to a studio executive in 1989?

A studio would also weigh home-video and pay-cable licensing, which by 1989 could add tens of millions per title, plus merchandising and toy tie-ins that made properties like Star Wars vastly more profitable than their theatrical grosses alone suggest. None of that shows up here, because this ranking measures theatrical box office specifically, not total franchise revenue.

Did Back to the Future Part II affect the franchise's 1989 standing?

Part II opened in November 1989 and added roughly $118 million domestically to a franchise that started with $210 million from the original in 1985, pushing the two-film total past $328 million. It arrived too late in the year to fully mature at the box office, so its full impact on the franchise wasn't visible until early 1990.

FAQ

What counts as a 'franchise' rather than a standalone hit in box office rankings?

A franchise requires at least two theatrically released films sharing characters, setting, or continuity — a sequel confirms it, a single film doesn't. Batman (1989) was a massive standalone hit but not yet a franchise entry until Batman Returns followed in 1992; Star Wars, Bond, and Rocky all qualified well before 1989 because their sequels had already arrived.

Which single 1989 release added the most to its franchise's cumulative total?

Batman added the single biggest one-year jump of any franchise entry in 1989, grossing roughly $251 million domestically in its opening run — more than most entire franchises earned across several films combined. It's a reminder that one blockbuster year can briefly outweigh a rival's decade of steady sequels.

Were James Bond's early 1960s films included at their original box office value?

Yes, each Bond film's contribution is counted using its original theatrical-run gross from its release year, not adjusted for inflation. That means 1962's Dr. No and 1989's Licence to Kill sit side by side in raw dollars, which understates how dominant the early films actually were relative to ticket prices of their time.

Did international box office ever get factored into the ranking?

No — this list uses domestic (U.S. and Canada) grosses only, because international reporting through the 1980s was inconsistent across territories and rarely aggregated with the same rigor as domestic figures. Franchises like Bond, which historically overperformed overseas relative to U.S. numbers, would likely rank even higher if reliable worldwide data existed for the full era.

How many Friday the 13th films existed by the end of 1989?

Eight - the original 1980 film through 1989's Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. Despite that volume, the franchise's modest per-film grosses meant its 1989 cumulative total trailed series with far fewer, higher-earning entries, since Star Wars's three films alone out-grossed all eight Fridays combined.

What was the highest-grossing single film of 1989, and did it belong to a franchise?

Batman was 1989's top domestic earner with roughly $251 million, and it did belong to a franchise in the broader sense — it was based on a decades-old comic-book property — but it was the first Tim Burton-era Batman film, so it hadn't yet built the multi-film cumulative total that older series like Bond or Star Wars already had.

Does this ranking count re-releases of older films like Star Wars in its totals?

Only when a source's cited lifetime gross already folds re-release runs into one number, which was common practice for Star Wars by the late 1980s after its 1979, 1981, and 1982 theatrical re-releases. It is not treated as a separate box office event; it's absorbed into that film's single reported total rather than counted twice.

How does profitability differ from raw box office rank on a list like this?

Raw box office ignores budget entirely, so a $200 million-budget blockbuster and a $2 million slasher sequel are compared on gross alone. Friday the 13th films were often wildly profitable relative to cost despite modest totals, while some higher-ranked franchise entries barely broke even after marketing — rank here measures scale, not return on investment.

Why does Superman's franchise total look weaker by 1989 than Star Wars or Bond?

Superman released only four films between 1978 and 1987, with diminishing grosses each time — Superman IV: The Quest for Peace earned just $15.7 million domestically in 1987. That steep decline capped the franchise's cumulative total well below series that maintained stronger box office consistency across their own multiple sequels, like Star Wars or Bond.

Could this ranking look different if it used adjusted-for-inflation dollars instead?

Almost certainly — older franchises like James Bond and the original Star Wars trilogy, whose ticket prices were a fraction of 1989 prices, would gain considerable ground against 1980s-only series once converted to a common dollar year. This list intentionally skips that step to show the raw picture as it existed at the time.

Sources

• https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1989/
• https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1989/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_films
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(1989_film)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future_Part_II
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(franchise)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_in_film

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