20 Biggest Movie Franchises Ever - Ranked From Worst To Best

5. James Bond (1962-2012)

As you would expect for a franchise that has run for 50 years and 23 movies, featured six different actors as 007 and seen eleven directors behind the camera, the quality of James Bond's cinematic exploits have varied over the years but there have been far more good movies than bad ones. The franchise has survived the high-camp of the later Roger Moore years, the commercially disappointing Timothy Dalton era and the ridiculousness of the latter Pierce Brosnan efforts to remain as a cultural touchstone and cinemas definitive spy series, backed by a long list of great movies to prove it; From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldeneye and Casino Royale to name but a few. The adventures of 007 have remained enduringly popular for over half a century, with box office takings of over $6bn to prove it. The franchise is constantly evolving with the times, and the more grounded exploits of Daniel Craig's time in the lead role have resulted in the biggest commercial successes so far. Given how Skyfall turned out, expectations are sky-high for Sam Mendes' upcoming return to the director's chair.