Top 10 Movie Franchises with the Highest Total Box Office Earnings in 1987

1. Star Wars Original Trilogy

It ranks first because three films—Star Wars in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, and Return of the Jedi in 1983—combined for a worldwide gross near $1.5 billion, a total no other franchise matched heading into 1987. Star Wars alone earned roughly $530 million worldwide on its original release. Fox's merchandising and repeated theatrical reissues kept ticket sales climbing well past each film's opening run.

This tier is for record-setters, not average moviegoers chasing nostalgia; the trilogy's box office reflects a genuine cultural event, not just ticket volume. It trades subtlety for spectacle—effects-driven set pieces over character drama—and each sequel cost more to produce than the last. Unlike James Bond just below it, Star Wars built its total from only three releases rather than over a dozen.

2. James Bond Franchise

It ranks second because 14 films released between 1962's Dr. No and 1987's The Living Daylights combined for a cumulative worldwide gross exceeding $1 billion, the largest total assembled from sheer volume of releases. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton each carried the role across different decades. No single entry matched Star Wars' peak grosses, but consistent output over 25 years closed the gap.

This franchise suits audiences who value longevity and reinvention over a tight trilogy arc, since each actor reshaped Bond for his era. It trades single-film blockbuster peaks for steady, reliable returns across dozens of entries. Unlike Star Wars above it, Bond's total comes from breadth rather than three enormous hits, and unlike Rocky below it, its films rarely repeat the same director or cast.

3. Rocky Franchise

It ranks third because four films between 1976 and 1985 combined for a worldwide gross near $700 million, anchored by Rocky IV's roughly $300 million haul in 1985 alone. Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in every entry, and the original 1976 film won the Best Picture Oscar on a budget under $1 million. Each sequel outgrossed the modest original's production cost many times over.

This franchise is for audiences drawn to underdog sports drama rather than science-fiction spectacle or spy intrigue. It trades the sprawling scope of Star Wars or Bond for a single character's arc across one boxer's career. Unlike the two franchises above it, Rocky's total comes from just four films, giving it a much higher average gross per entry than either.

4. Jaws Franchise

It ranks fourth because four films from 1975 through 1987 combined for a worldwide gross near $800 million, led by the original Jaws earning roughly $470 million worldwide in 1975 on a $9 million budget. Steven Spielberg's first film alone reset industry expectations for summer releases. The three sequels earned progressively less, with 1987's Jaws: The Revenge closing the series on its weakest returns.

This franchise suits audiences who trace the modern blockbuster back to its origin rather than those chasing consistent sequel quality. It trades franchise consistency for one dominant original entry propping up the total. Unlike Rocky above it, where every sequel performed strongly, Jaws' cumulative total leans heavily on its first film rather than even output across four movies.

5. Indiana Jones Franchise

It ranks fifth because only two films existed by 1987—Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and Temple of Doom in 1984—yet together they grossed roughly $720 million worldwide. Raiders alone earned about $390 million on a $20 million budget, directed by Steven Spielberg with George Lucas producing. The franchise's third entry, The Last Crusade, would not arrive until 1989.

This entry suits audiences who prize per-film box office efficiency over total franchise volume, since two movies nearly matched Jaws' four-film total. It trades sheer number of releases for concentrated quality, as both films rank among the highest-grossing adventure films of their respective years. Unlike Jaws just above it, Indiana Jones built its total from consistently strong entries rather than one dominant original.

6. Superman Film Series

It ranks sixth because four films from 1978 through 1987 combined for a worldwide gross near $600 million, led by Superman: The Movie earning roughly $300 million worldwide in 1978 on a then-record budget near $55 million. Christopher Reeve starred in all four entries. Returns declined sharply with each sequel, and 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace earned only a fraction of the original.

This franchise is for audiences interested in the birth of the modern superhero blockbuster rather than a series that sustained its quality or grosses. It trades a strong finish for a steep decline, unlike Indiana Jones above it, which held its box office pace across two entries. Superman's total instead depends almost entirely on its first film's outsized success at the box office.

7. Star Trek Film Series

It ranks seventh because four films from 1979 through 1986 combined for a worldwide gross near $460 million, led by Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home earning roughly $133 million in 1986, the series' best showing. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy reprised their television roles across all four films. The original 1979 entry alone cost roughly $35 million to produce, an unusually high budget for its era.

This franchise suits established fans of the 1960s television series more than general moviegoers, since its box office trails every science-fiction franchise above it on this list. It trades Star Wars-level spectacle for character-driven stories rooted in an existing fan base. Unlike Superman above it, Star Trek's grosses actually improved with its fourth film rather than declining with each sequel.

8. Rambo Franchise

It ranks eighth because two films, First Blood in 1982 and Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, combined for a worldwide gross near $425 million, with the 1985 sequel alone earning roughly $300 million against a $25 million budget. Sylvester Stallone starred in both, following his Rocky success with a second action franchise. The sequel far outgrossed the more modestly budgeted original film.

This franchise suits fans of 1980s action cinema more than the broader family audiences drawn to Star Wars or Superman. It trades franchise longevity for two intensely profitable entries, similar in structure to Indiana Jones but built around Cold War-era action rather than adventure serials. Unlike Star Trek above it, Rambo's second film vastly outgrossed its first rather than gradually building an audience over time.

9. Friday the 13th Franchise

It ranks ninth because seven low-budget films released between 1980 and 1987 combined for a worldwide gross estimated near $200 million, despite none of the individual entries matching the grosses of bigger-budget franchises above it. The original 1980 film cost about $550,000 to make and returned tens of millions, setting the template for the slasher sequels that followed on similarly small budgets.

This franchise is for horror audiences seeking volume and consistency of a specific formula rather than blockbuster spectacle. It trades massive individual grosses for extremely high returns relative to cost, since each film was produced cheaply and released roughly once a year through the mid-1980s. Unlike Rambo above it, Friday the 13th built its total from many small hits rather than two large ones.

10. Halloween Franchise

It ranks tenth because four films released between 1978 and 1988 combined for a worldwide gross near $150 million, the smallest total on this list, though the original 1978 film's roughly $70 million worldwide return against a $300,000 budget remains one of the most profitable ratios in film history. John Carpenter directed the original and helped define the modern slasher genre for the decade that followed.

This franchise suits audiences interested in horror's low-budget roots rather than total box office scale, since its cumulative gross trails every other entry here. It trades size for efficiency, turning one of the smallest budgets on this list into an enduring series. Unlike Friday the 13th above it, Halloween's total rests on fewer films released at a slower pace through the 1980s.

How we ranked these

This ranking totals each franchise's cumulative worldwide theatrical box office from its first film through the end of 1987, using contemporaneous studio-reported grosses later compiled by outlets like Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, and Wikipedia's franchise-gross tables. Only theatrical ticket revenue counts, so franchises with more entries by 1987 — James Bond, Planet of the Apes, Pink Panther — had more releases across which to accumulate total gross than younger trilogies.

Left out: home video and rental income (VHS was still new in 1987), TV syndication fees, merchandising and toy licensing, theme-park revenue, and inflation adjustment to present-day dollars. Sequels released after 1987 don't count even for franchises that kept running for decades afterward. Domestic-only U.S. totals from some period sources were set aside in favor of worldwide figures wherever they were reliably reported, since several of these franchises earned heavily overseas.

Related questions

Which film franchise ranked #1 in cumulative box office by 1987?

By most contemporaneous tallies, James Bond led the pack: fifteen films from 1962's Dr. No through 1987's The Living Daylights had combined for well over a billion dollars worldwide, more than any other series then running. Its longevity mattered more than any single blockbuster — no individual Bond film matched Star Wars' per-picture gross, but twenty-five years of steady releases outpaced younger, flashier franchises.

Why does Star Wars rank lower than franchises with more films?

The original Star Wars trilogy wrapped in 1983 with Return of the Jedi, so by 1987 it had only three entries generating revenue versus a dozen-plus for Bond or Planet of the Apes. Per-film, Star Wars vastly outearned nearly everything else, but this ranking totals cumulative gross across a franchise's full run, and release volume counts for more than average ticket sales per movie.

Did Rocky count as a major franchise by 1987?

Yes. By 1987's Rocky IV, the series had four films spanning eleven years and had become one of the decade's most reliable earners, with Rocky IV alone becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1985. Combined, the four Rocky movies placed the franchise solidly among top cumulative earners of the era, even without the entry count of longer-running series like Bond.

How did Superman's film series compare to its rivals?

Superman ran four films by 1987, starting with 1978's blockbuster original and ending with the poorly received Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The first two films drove almost all the franchise's cumulative total; by the fourth entry, audience interest had collapsed, so despite an early lead, Superman's total gross by 1987 trailed steadier franchises like Bond and Rocky.

Was Indiana Jones already a major franchise by 1987?

With only two films by 1987 — Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Temple of Doom (1984) — Indiana Jones had fewer entries than most top-10 franchises, but both were massive hits. Its per-film gross was high, yet the shorter run kept its overall cumulative total below franchises that had released many more movies by the same cutoff year.

What made Planet of the Apes a top-earning franchise by then?

Between 1968 and 1973, five Planet of the Apes films were released, each cheaply made and reliably profitable, and by 1987 their combined domestic and international grosses had compounded into a respectable cumulative total. The franchise had gone dormant after 1973 with no new entries, so by 1987 its total was fixed rather than still growing like active series.

Why isn't Friday the 13th or Halloween near the top?

Both slasher franchises were prolific by 1987 — Friday the 13th had reached its seventh entry, Halloween its fourth — but each film was made cheaply and grossed far less individually than blockbuster franchises like Bond or Star Wars. High volume of low-grossing films kept their combined totals respectable but well below the decade's biggest earners.

Did comedy franchises like Police Academy make the cumulative list?

Police Academy had produced four films by 1987, each turning a healthy profit on a low budget, and its combined domestic gross was substantial for a comedy series. Still, comedies tended to gross less per film than action or sci-fi blockbusters, so Police Academy's cumulative total, while strong, fell short of the top tier led by Bond and Star Wars.

FAQ

Does 'total box office' mean worldwide or domestic revenue?

This ranking uses worldwide theatrical grosses wherever they were reliably reported for the era, since limiting to U.S.-only domestic figures would undercount franchises like James Bond and Superman that earned heavily overseas. Some 1970s and early-1980s international figures are less precisely documented than domestic numbers, so totals for older films carry more estimation than titles released closer to 1987.

Are these figures adjusted for inflation?

No. All totals reflect the actual dollars grossed at the time of release, not inflation-adjusted 1987 or present-day dollars. Adjusting for inflation would meaningfully reshuffle this list — a 1960s James Bond dollar bought far more than a 1987 dollar — but the ranking intentionally reports nominal historical totals rather than an inflation-normalized comparison.

Why 1987 specifically as the cutoff?

1987 captures a snapshot after several major franchises had released their most recent entries — The Living Daylights, Superman IV, Rocky IV — but before the next wave of sequels and reboots in the late '80s and '90s reshuffled the standings. It's a useful mid-decade checkpoint for comparing how franchises stacked up before blockbuster budgets scaled up further.

Does video and TV revenue count toward these totals?

No. Only theatrical box office receipts are counted. Home video was still an emerging revenue stream in 1987, and reliable per-franchise VHS sales data from that period is far less consistent than theatrical grosses, so including it would introduce more guesswork than the ranking allows. Television licensing and merchandising are excluded for the same reason.

Which franchise had the most individual films by 1987?

James Bond led on sheer volume, with fifteen films released between 1962 and 1987. Planet of the Apes and Pink Panther followed with five apiece, though Apes had gone dormant since 1973. More entries generally meant a higher chance of a large cumulative total, which is why longer-running series often outrank franchises with fewer, bigger individual hits.

Is box office the same as profit?

No, and this is a common point of confusion. Box office gross measures ticket revenue only, not profit after production costs, marketing spend, and the studio's share after theater splits. A high-grossing entry like Superman IV can still be a financial disappointment relative to its budget, while a cheaply made hit like Friday the 13th can be far more profitable despite lower gross.

Why do some sources give different totals for the same franchise?

Historical box office record-keeping in the pre-internet era wasn't standardized — Variety, studios, and later retrospective databases sometimes used different currency conversions, release windows, or reissue counts. Figures for foreign markets before the 1980s are especially inconsistent. This ranking favors the most widely cited, cross-verified totals, but small variance between sources is normal for films this old.

Does this ranking include re-releases of older films?

Where a film was theatrically reissued before 1987 — as Star Wars and several Disney classics were — added re-release grosses are folded into the franchise's cumulative total, since that revenue came from the same theatrical box office channel this ranking measures. Made-for-TV re-airings and video re-releases are excluded, consistent with the theatrical-only standard applied throughout.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_film_franchises
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_(film_series)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film_series)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_(franchise)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(film_series)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(franchise)
• https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/
• https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchises

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