Studios often bring back well-known brands for various reasons, and sometimes a release feels designed to profit from an established name. You’ll notice this when a film relies heavily on familiar elements, quickly expands on a story without much introduction, or revives a franchise after a period of inactivity. The reasons behind this can be complicated, but the trend is clear to audiences who pay attention to production costs, timelines, and advertising.
Here’s a collection of twenty films that were clearly made to be big commercial successes. For each film, we’ll look at the background leading up to its release, as well as specific details about its production and how it performed at the box office. Together, these examples demonstrate how sequels, reboots, reimaginings, and other ways of expanding established brands keep popular titles relevant and continue to generate huge marketing efforts worldwide.
‘Jaws: The Revenge’ (1987)
The fourth movie came out two years after the third and tried to benefit from the good name of the original by directly linking back to the first story. Filming happened quickly, starting in the summer and finishing in time for a winter release. While many of the people making the movie were new, the film reintroduced well-known character names to give a sense of connection to what came before.
As a follower of the film’s performance, I saw that the production costs were reported to be in the lower tens of millions, but thankfully, it earned almost double that amount at the global box office. While critics weren’t kind – the reviews were poor – the film’s well-known name and smart marketing during peak vacation time kept it in theaters long enough to earn back its money. It also continued to make money through home video sales later on.
‘Speed 2: Cruise Control’ (1997)
This follow-up movie moved the action from a quick-paced city environment to the setting of a lavish cruise ship, keeping only one of the two actors from the first film. The film aimed to attract viewers with its well-known title and the promise of more impressive scenes, now taking place out on the ocean.
The budget for this movie was significantly higher than the first one, and ultimately, it didn’t earn as much money worldwide as hoped, even with a large promotional campaign over the summer. Viewership in the United States was lower than expected, but international audiences helped to make up some of the difference. Eventually, sales of television and video rights lessened the financial impact of the lower box office numbers.
‘Home Alone 3’ (1997)
As a big fan, I noticed the third movie really shook things up! They brought in a new kid as the lead and a whole new group of bad guys, but thankfully kept the classic pranks and that familiar suburban feel we all love. It was interesting because it didn’t have the original star or director involved, which felt like a shift – less about continuing one character’s story and more about sticking to the franchise formula. It felt like they were prioritizing the series’ overall structure over a continuous narrative.
As a movie fan, I’ve been tracking the numbers, and honestly, this film didn’t quite reach the heights of the first two at the box office. But, to be fair, they kept the production costs pretty reasonable, aiming for that family holiday market. What was interesting, though, was how well it did on home video. The name recognition really helped, and it became a go-to pick during the holidays – people just kept rewatching it. It had some serious seasonal replay value, which kept it in demand for a long time after its theatrical run.
‘Alien Resurrection’ (1997)
After the previous movie had a clear conclusion, this installment reintroduced the main character using a science fiction plot device. It also relied on well-known creature designs and the history of the franchise. While a new director and creative team brought a different visual style, the marketing focused on things fans already recognized.
The film’s budget was higher than previous ones, and most of the money came from theaters outside of the US. It made enough worldwide to not only cover its expenses but also turn a profit, and it continued to expand the product line that first became popular in the nineties. This success built on a strong brand recognition.
‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ (2009)
This movie started as a spin-off, focusing on a popular character to tell their origin story before they joined the main team. It was released at a time when superhero franchises were creating individual character films to provide content in between larger team-up movies.
Making this film was quite expensive for its time, and it ultimately earned over several hundred million dollars globally. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the studio decided to plan multiple films featuring the character. The film also performed well in physical media sales, likely due to the continued popularity of the overall series. Ongoing interest helped boost disc sales.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2011)
The fourth installment shifted the focus to the most popular character and established a quest-based storyline that didn’t rely on the initial group of characters. Filming took place at various locations, and the use of premium format screens was intended to increase ticket sales. It proved that the series could succeed even without the original ensemble cast, and allowed for more flexibility in future films. This change proved beneficial for the franchise’s longevity.
Initial reports indicated the film’s budget was one of the largest ever at the time of its release, and its worldwide earnings exceeded one billion dollars. The movie was particularly successful internationally and contributed to the ongoing popularity of a related theme park and merchandise line.
‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (2013)
Chapter five moved the story to a modern, international setting and revealed a connection to a new generation of the family. The marketingstrategy focused on the well-known main character and the brand’s memorable catchphrases to appeal to loyal fans.
The film’s production costs were reasonable for a large action series, and it earned over three hundred million dollars globally. While ticket sales in the United States were somewhat weak, audiences internationally were enthusiastic, which continued to drive revenue through things like merchandise and television deals.
‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ (2014)
This installment revitalized the human characters and maintained the focus on the robotic characters, while also introducing fresh robot designs for merchandise. It was designed to be easily accessible to new viewers following an established storyline and was created with impressive visual effects that looked great on large displays.
The film earned over one billion dollars globally, with a significant portion coming from China thanks to a production collaboration that increased its popularity there. It also continued to sell well through licensed merchandise and remained a popular choice for screenings throughout the summer worldwide.
‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ (2014)
The filmmakers decided to turn one book into a three-part movie series. This allowed them to add more characters and longer action scenes. The final movie in the series centered around a major showdown and was released a year after the second one, ensuring a consistent release schedule. This helped maintain audience engagement and momentum.
The expenses for making the films were distributed throughout the three movies, and the last one nearly earned a billion dollars globally. Extended versions of the films and related products kept bringing in money for a long time after they left theaters, especially during holiday releases for home viewing.
‘Terminator Genisys’ (2015)
Following multiple shifts in creative leadership, this new entry tried to refresh the storyline by using time travel to revisit familiar, iconic scenes. A well-known actor returned to lead the project, and the narrative was designed to pave the way for future installments, provided the current one performed well. The plans for sequels depended on its success.
The film’s budget was in the $90-100 million range, and it grossed around $400-500 million worldwide. International audiences showed more interest than domestic ones. While a sequel wasn’t immediately greenlit, the movie continued to perform well on digital platforms thanks to the strength of the franchise. The steady performance on these platforms helped maintain interest.
‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ (2016)
Twenty years after the first movie became popular, this sequel made the alien danger even bigger and added new pilots to the story, along with some returning characters. The film utilized modern visual effects to show massive destruction of cities and used familiar elements from the past in its promotional trailers.
The movie had a large production budget, but its worldwide earnings were less than $400 million. While audiences in the United States didn’t turn out as expected, strong international sales and ongoing licensing deals – especially for science fiction fans – kept the film visible on various platforms. This sustained activity helped maintain its presence even after its initial release.
‘The Mummy’ (2017)
This new beginning started with a film focused on a popular character, set in the present day, and hinted at a larger series of monster movies. The initial marketing also featured logos and branding suggesting a shared universe, where many well-known characters could appear together.
The first installment was expensive to produce, but it earned over four hundred million dollars globally, primarily from international audiences. Despite the film’s performance outside of the US, plans for sequels were cancelled due to lower-than-expected domestic box office numbers. However, the movie continued to attract viewers through streaming services and international television deals.
‘Justice League’ (2017)
After a series of solo films, a team-up movie brought characters from different stories together. However, the film faced a challenging post-production process with a very short timeline. Significant reshoots and a shift in who was leading the creative direction made finishing the movie particularly complex, as the goal was to appeal to a wide range of viewers.
The film had one of the biggest budgets for both making and promoting it, and it ultimately grossed around $650 million worldwide. While the high production costs made it difficult to turn a large profit, the film still boosted sales of related merchandise and sparked renewed interest in individual projects featuring its characters.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ (2017)
The fifth movie brought the series back to a storyline centered around a journey, featuring both returning well-known characters and new, younger actors. It relied on familiar seafaring settings and impressively detailed physical sets, enhanced with digital effects.
Despite a large budget, the film earned over seven hundred million dollars globally, thanks to a strong response from international audiences. Although interest in the movie decreased somewhat within the United States after its initial release, it continued to benefit from exposure at theme parks and strong sales of home video copies.
‘The Emoji Movie’ (2017)
This animated movie told a story using characters based on the icons found in text messaging, and it was made for families to enjoy together. It also included collaborations with well-known brands and popular voice actors to appeal to younger audiences who are familiar with app culture.
The film’s budget was reasonable for a studio animated release, and it earned over two hundred million dollars worldwide. Even though critics weren’t very impressed, the movie performed well with things like DVD sales and streaming, and it was a natural fit for merchandise and other promotional products.
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ (2018)
The second chapter continued a spin-off series set within the familiar wizarding world, extending the story’s timeline to include connections with established characters. It featured detailed historical settings and impressive visual effects, and also advanced key plot points to set up events in later installments.
Expenses were significant, and global earnings landed in the mid-600s, a bit lower than the previous installment. However, the title continued to fuel robust sales of merchandise and maintained audience engagement with the broader franchise as anticipation built for the upcoming sequel.
‘Men in Black: International’ (2019)
This gentle refresh of the series introduced new characters and settings, but kept the familiar elements like the stylish suits, cool gadgets, and complex alien organization that fans loved. The new marketing focused on featuring popular actors and taking the story to more locations around the world.
The film’s budget and marketing costs exceeded $100 million, and its global earnings totaled around $250 million. While it didn’t perform as well as expected in North America, it earned consistent revenue internationally. It also helped maintain the value of the franchise through streaming and rental options for older titles.
‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Disney created a new, highly realistic version of its beloved animated film, utilizing the latest in virtual production technology. The storyline stayed true to the original, which simplified marketing efforts because families were already familiar with the songs and characters. This made it easy to connect with audiences and rekindle their nostalgia.
The film had a substantial production budget but went on to earn over $1.5 billion globally. Its success was boosted by showings on premium screens and strong performance in international markets. The release was also accompanied by a variety of consumer products and successful soundtrack sales.
‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ (2019)
The ninth episode concluded a lengthy storyline, featuring the return of well-known characters and tying up several plot points. It was released during the holiday season, a time when previous installments had been successful, and the marketing campaign utilized classic images. The timing and promotion strategy aimed to capitalize on past performance and reconnect with fans. This episode effectively resolved multiple ongoing narratives.
The marketing and advertising costs were some of the highest in ten years, with the global spending exceeding one billion dollars. While movie theater attendance decreased in some areas compared to the last film, it significantly boosted sales of related products and led to a strong launch for the home entertainment version.
‘Jurassic World Dominion’ (2022)
The third movie in the recent trilogy brought together characters from the original films with the new actors and broadened the story’s location beyond the familiar, enclosed parks. It was released as cinemas worldwide were beginning to recover, and it was marketed as a major event best experienced in premium formats like IMAX.
The film had a large budget and earned over one billion dollars worldwide, performing well in many different countries. Critics had varying opinions, but the film’s well-known name and appeal to families kept it popular. Additionally, merchandise like toys and games, along with income from streaming, continued to bring in money for a longer period.
Share your picks in the comments and tell us which titles felt the most like brand plays to you.
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2025-10-03 06:29