5 Franchises That Would Be Better With Other Studios

There is no blueprint to building a successful franchise, so assessing their big screen potential can be difficult. More often than not, it depends on the studios and production companies that acquire the properties.

Sometimes, there is a perfect pairing between property and producer/distributor. The Lord of the Rings could have landed at no better place than New Line Cinema. Warner Bros. did a fantastic job adapting the Harry Potter novels for audiences that would rather not read. Universal Pictures gave us the Bourne franchise, a complex and nuanced spy-thriller that superbly mirrored our 21st Century world.

Although these franchises found ideal homes, there are others that have not been so lucky. These studios may have had success with some franchises, but have not treated others with the same care.

Some franchises need a tear down from top to bottom, with a completely new take being built on its' ashes. Others could benefit from a fresh set of eyeballs and a slight change in direction. Then there are those that just seem ready to move on. In any case, a different studio could cure what ails them.

The Minions were first introduced as the yellow, linguistically-limited companions of Felonious Gru in 2010's Despicable Me. As supplemental characters, their antics could steal a scene and the characters gained widespread popularity.

Universal Pictures took notice as the Minions were given a film of their own, which was released in Summer of 2015. The movie was a hit, grossing well over a billion dollars worldwide.

The film's box office considered, this list is focused on film quality and Minions was not as well-received among critics and audiences as its franchise counterpart. The characters don't have the depth to carry a decent movie, instead choosing to fall back on slapstick and cliché gags.

In Universal's defense, the goal was accomplished. Minions was an effort to stretch the franchise to not only sell tickets but merchandise as well. It worked, but that doesn't preclude making a good film.

If you want proof, look no further than what Warner Bros. did with 2014's The LEGO Movie. The obvious effort to sell LEGO cannot be ignored, but there is still a rich story about finding one's purpose and an inventive animation style with the film and its' spin-off, The LEGO Batman Movie.

The financial potential of the Minions, along with its inseparable ties to Despicable Me, means it will likely never be in another company's hands. Still, this is all hypothetical and Warner Bros Animation has been up to the task of creating fun narratives in the face of blatant commercialism.