Franchise (Creator) | Literature | Comics | Animated films | Live action films | Animated TV series | Live action TV series | Video games | Other media |
87th Precinct Evan Hunter | Cop Hater (1956) several sequels | 87th Precinct (1962), Cop Hater (1990) | no | Cop Hater (1958) The Mugger (1958) The Pusher (1960) several others | no | 87th Precinct (TV series) (1961–62) | no | no |
A Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin) | A Game of Thrones (1996) several sequels | A Game of Thrones (comics) | no | no | no | Game of Thrones (2011–2019) | several, beginning in 2007 | board games, role-playing games |
Arthur (Marc Brown) | Arthur's Nose (1976) several more books | no | Arthur's Missing Pal (2006) | no | Arthur (1996–2022) Postcards from Buster (2004–2012) Hop (2024) | no | yes | children's album |
American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis) | American Psycho (1991) Budapesti skizo (1997) | no | no | American Psycho (2000) American Psycho 2 (2002) | no | no | no | musical |
Babar (Jean de Brunhoff) | The Story of Babar (1931) various | no | Babar and Father Christmas (1986) Babar: The Movie (1989) Babar: King of the Elephants (1999) | no | Babar (1989–1991; 2000) Babar and the Adventures of Badou (2010–2014) 2 TV specials | Les Aventures de Babar (1968) | various | various |
Berenstain Bears (Stan and Jan Berenstain) | The Big Honey Hunt (1962) several more | no | TV specials | no | The Berenstain Bears Show (1985–1987) The Berenstain Bear (2002–2004) | no | various | - |
Blade Runner (Philip K. Dick) | Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) three sequels by another writer | several | no | Blade Runner (1982) Blade Runner 2049 (2017) | no | no | Blade Runner (1985) Blade Runner (1997) | - |
Bourne (Robert Ludlum) | The Bourne Identity (1980) several sequels | no | no | The Bourne Identity (1988 TV movie), The Bourne Identity (2002), and several sequels | no | no | Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy (2008) | - |
Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey) | The Adventures of Captain Underpants (1997) several sequels and activity books | in-universe graphic novel series, including Dog Man | Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) Dog Man (2025) | no | The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (2018–2020) | no | no | children's song from Dav Piley's website |
The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss) | The Cat in the Hat (1957) The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (1958) several subsequent appearances | ? | 1971 TV special of the same name The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) | The Cat in the Hat (2003) | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (2010-) | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | yes | theme park attractions musical |
The Chronicles of Narnia[1] (C. S. Lewis) | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) several sequels | no | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979) | The Chronicles of Narnia film series (2005–present) | no | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1967) The Chronicles of Narnia (1988–1990) | various | radio dramatisation, audiobooks |
Conan the Barbarian (Robert E. Howard) | Original Robert E. Howard Conan stories (published from 1932–1936); various later publications | Conan the Barbarian (comics) | no | Conan the Barbarian (1982), and several others | Conan the Adventurer (1992–1993) Conan and the Young Warriors (1994) | Conan The Adventurer (1997–1998) | several, beginning with Conan: Hall of Volta (1984) | - |
Clifford the Big Red Dog (Norman Bridwell) | Clifford the Big Red Dog (1963) numerous sequels | no | Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004) | Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) | Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000) Clifford's Puppy Days (2003) Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019) | no | no | no |
Curious George (Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey) | Curious George (1941); numerous sequels | no | Curious George (2006); various | no | Curious George TV series (2006); various | no | Curious George video game (2006) | - |
Die Hard (Roderick Thorp) | The Detective (1966) Nothing Lasts Forever (1979) | yes | no | Die Hard (1988) Die Hard 2 (1992) Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) Live Free or Die Hard (2007) A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) | no | no | several | no |
Discworld (Terry Pratchett) | The Colour of Magic (1983); several sequels and spin-offs | yes | no | Hogfather (2006) The Colour of Magic (2008) Going Postal (2010) | Soul Music (1997) Wyrd Sisters (1998) | The Watch (2021) | several | stage and radio plays board games |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) several sequels spin-off series | no | yes | Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) | no | no | Poptropica tie-ins | Toys Action figures |
Dune (Frank Herbert) | Dune (1965); numerous prequel and sequel novels | Dune: The Official Comic Book | no | Dune (1984) Dune (2021) Dune: Part Two (2024) | no | Frank Herbert's Dune (2000) Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003) | Dune (1992); several others | Dune board game (1979); other games, soundtracks |
Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) | Ender's Game (1985) several prequels, sequels, and spinoffs | several | no | Ender's Game (2013) | no | no | no | audioplay |
Gidget (Frederick Kohner) | Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas (1957) seven sequels | yes, two issues published in 1966 | Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (1972; made for TV) | Gidget (1965) Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) | no | Gidget (1965–1966) The New Gidget (1986–1988) | no | Stage productions in 2000 and 2007 |
Greyfriars School (Charles Hamilton) | The Magnet (1908) Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (1947) | yes | no | no | no | Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV series) | no | Stage, Radio |
The Godfather (Mario Puzo) | The Godfather (1969) several sequels | no | no | The Godfather (1972) The Godfather Part II (1974) The Godfather Part III (1990) | no | The Godfather Saga (1977) | The Godfather (1991) The Godfather (2006) The Godfather II (2010) | - |
Hannibal Lecter (Thomas Harris) | Red Dragon (1981) several sequels | no | no | Manhunter (1986) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Hannibal (2001) Red Dragon (2002) Hannibal Rising (2007) | no | Hannibal (2013–2015) Clarice (2021-) | no | - |
Harry Potter[1][2] (J.K. Rowling) | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) several sequels | no | no | Harry Potter (film series) (eight films released between 2001 and 2011) | no | no | yes | The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter |
Haruhi Suzumiya (Nagaru Tanigawa) | The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2003) several sequels | Haruhi Suzumiya (2004) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2005-2013) The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan (2007-2018) Nyorōn Churuya-san (2007-2008) The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (2009-2016) | The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010) | no | The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006-2009) | no | several | Original net animations for Haruhi-chan and Churuya-san, live action promotional videos, multiple character singles, alongside audio dramas |
Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie) | The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) several other novels and short stories | Great Detectives Poirot and Marple (2004–2005) graphic novel adaptations | no | yes | Great Detectives Poirot and Marple (2004–2005) | Poirot (1989–2013) | Murder on the Orient Express (2006) 3 sequels | stage and radio plays |
His Dark Materials (Phillip Pullman) | Northern Lights (1995) | no | no | The Golden Compass (2007) | no | His Dark Materials (2019) | no | His Dark Materials (2003), radio drama (2003), Lyra's Oxford |
Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson) | Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955) | no | no | Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024) | Harold and the Purple Crayon (2001) | no | no | no |
How to Train Your Dragon (Cressida Cowell) | Hiccup the Viking who was Seasick (1999) How to Train Your Dragon (2003) several sequels | no | How to Train Your Dragon (2010) How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) 5 short films | How to Train Your Dragon (2025) | DreamWorks Dragons (2012–2018) DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders (2019-) DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms (2021-) | no | yes | live stage show |
The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) | The Hunger Games (2008) Catching Fire (2009) Mockingjay (2010) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) | no | no | The Hunger Games (2012) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) | no | no | no | no |
James Bond[3] (Ian Fleming) | Casino Royale (1953) 13 additional novels over 30 other novels and published stories by other authors | various | no | James Bond in film over 20 films | James Bond Jr. (1991–1992) | no | James Bond in video games | - |
Jennings (Anthony Buckeridge) | Jennings (1950–1994) | no | no | Stompa | no | several | no | Stage, Radio |
Jumanji (Chris Van Allsburg) | Jumanji (1981) Zathura (2002) | no | no | Jumanji (1995) Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) | Jumanji (TV series) (1996–1999) | no | various | no |
Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton) | Jurassic Park (1990) The Lost World (1995) | various | no | Jurassic Park (1993) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Jurassic Park III (2001) Jurassic World (2015) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Jurassic World Dominion (2022) | Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020–present) Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024–present) | no | Jurassic Park video games | List of Jurassic Park water rides |
Left Behind (Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins) | Left Behind (1995); 15 prequel and sequel novels Left Behind: The Kids series | no | no | Left Behind: The Movie (2000) Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002) Left Behind: World at War (2004) Left Behind (2014) Vanished – Left Behind: Next Generation (2016) | no | no | Left Behind: Eternal Forces | no |
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Yoshiki Tanaka) | Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1982–1987) | Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1986–2000) | spinoffs to OVA series (1988–1993) The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Seiran trilogy (2019) | no | The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Kaikō (2018) | no | several | Legend of the Galactic Heroes OVA series (1988–1997) Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden OVA series (1988–1997) |
Mary Poppins (P. L. Travers) | Mary Poppins (eight books; 1934–1988) | no | no | Mary Poppins (1964) Mary Poppins Returns (2018) | no | no | no | Mary Poppins (musical) |
Megami Tensei (Aya Nishitani) | Digital Devil Story (1986) two sequels and video game adaptations | List of Megami Tensei manga | Persona 3 The Movie: Chapter 1, Spring of Birth (2013) | no | List of Megami Tensei anime | no | Video game series and spin offs | various media |
Miss Marple (Agatha Christie) | The Royal Magazine (1927) | Great Detectives Poirot and Marple (2004–2005) graphic novel adaptations | no | The Body in the Library (1984), The Moving Finger (1985), Nemesis (1987), A Caribbean Mystery (1989) The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side (1992) | no | Miss Marple#Television | no | Miss Marple#Stage |
Monogatari (Nisio Isin) | Monogatari (novel series with over 26 volumes; 2005–2021) | Bakemonogatari (manga) | Kizumonogatari | no | no | Monogatari Series | no | Bakemonogatari Portable |
Moomins (Tove Jansson) | The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945) several sequels and other books | Moomin comic strips comic book | Comet in Moominland (1993) Moomins on the Riviera (2014) two compilation movies | no | several | several | several | Moomin World theme park Moomin Museum other merchandise |
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (Dodie Smith) | The Hundred and One Dalmatians (1956) The Starlight Barking (1967) | - | One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003) | 101 Dalmatians (1996) 102 Dalmatians (2000) Cruella (2021) | 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998) 101 Dalmatian Street (debuting 2019) | no | 101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor (1997) | The 101 Dalmatians Musical (2009) |
Paddington Bear (Michael Bond) | A Bear Called Paddington (1958) | no | no | Paddington (film) (2014) Paddington 2 (2017) Paddington in Peru (2024) | Paddington (TV series) (1976) Paddington Bear (TV series) (1989) The Adventures of Paddington Bear (1997) The Adventures of Paddington (2019 TV series) (2019) | no | no | Paddington: The Musical (2025) |
Parasite Eve (Hideaki Sena) | Parasite Eve (1995) | yes | no | Parasite Eve (1997) | no | no | Parasite Eve (1998) Parasite Eve II (1999) The 3rd Birthday (2010) | Soundtracks, guidebooks, figure action and various merchandise |
Perry Mason (Erle Stanley Gardner) | The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933); 81 other novels | no | no | no | no | Perry Mason (1957–1966) The New Perry Mason (1973–1974) Perry Mason TV movies (1985–1995) | no | Perry Mason radio show |
Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) | The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) several sequels | no | Peter Rabbit (film) (2018), Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021) | The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), Peter Rabbit (film) (2018), Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021) | The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992), Peter Rabbit (TV series) (2012) | no | yes | various |
Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren) | Pippi Långstrump (1945) | no | Pippi Longstocking (1997 film) | Pippi Longstocking (1949 film) | Pippi Longstocking (1997 TV series) | no | various | no |
Planet of the Apes (Pierre Boulle) | La Planète des singes (1963) several sequels | Planet of the Apes (comics) | no | Planet of the Apes (1968); numerous sequels, and a reboot series. | Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) | Planet of the Apes (1974) | yes | various |
Professor Branestawm (Norman Hunter) | The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (1933) several sequels | no | no | yes | no | yes | no | no |
Psycho (Robert Bloch) | Psycho (1959) | graphic novels (1992) | no | American Psycho (1960) Various sequels and remakes | no | Bates Motel (2013–2017) | video game (1988) | various |
Rambo (David Morrell) | First Blood (1972) various others | several | no | First Blood (1982) Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) Rambo III (1988) Rambo (2008) Rambo: Last Blood (2019) | Rambo: The Force of Freedom (1986) | no | various | no |
Robert Langdon (Dan Brown) | Angels & Demons (2000) The Da Vinci Code (2003) | no | no | Robert Langdon (film series) | no | The Lost Symbol (TV series) | no | no |
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Robert L. May) | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1939) several sequels | yes | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001) | no | various TV specials | no | no | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song, 1959) |
Sex and the City (Candace Bushnell) | Sex and the City (1997) The Carrie Diaries (2010) Summer and the City (2011) | no | no | Sex and the City Sex and the City 2 | no | Sex and the City The Carrie Diaries | no | no |
Shrek (William Steig) | Shrek! (1990) | yes | Shrek (2001) Shrek 2 (2004) Shrek the Third (2007) Shrek Forever After (2010) Puss in Boots (2011) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Shrek 5 (2026) | no | various TV specials | no | yes | musical theme park attraction |
Starship Troopers (Robert A. Heinlein) | Starship Troopers (1959) | no | Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012) | Starship Troopers (1997) 2 direct-to-DVD sequels | Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999–2000) | no | yes[broken anchor] | several table-top games original video animation |
Sword Art Online (Reki Kawahara) | List of Sword Art Online light novels | List of Sword Art Online manga volumes | Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017) | no | Sword Art Online (2012) Sword Art Online II (2014) Sword Art Online: Alicization (2018–present) | no | yes | Figures |
Middle-earth[1] (J. R. R. Tolkien) | The Hobbit (1937) The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) The Two Towers (1954) The Return of the King (1954) other literature | various | The Hobbit (1977) The Lord of the Rings (1978) The Return of the King (1980) | The Lord of the Rings film series (2001−2003) The Hobbit film series (2012−2014) | no | no | Middle-earth in video games | various media |
Thomas & Friends (Rev W. Awdry) | The Railway Series | no | yes | Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) | Thomas & Friends (1984–2021) Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (2021) | Shining Time Station (1989–1993) | yes | Scale models |
Tom Clancy media (Tom Clancy) | The Hunt for Red October (1984) | various | no | The Hunt for Red October (1990) several others films and short films | no | Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018-) | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (1998) several sequels and spin-off Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (2001) several sequels Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002) several sequels | no |
Winnie-the-Pooh (A. A. Milne) | When We Were Very Young (1924) Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner Featured in two others | yes | various | Christopher Robin (2018) Outside of that film, not primarily. A bit of live-action was used in some of the animated films. | various | yes | various | Consisted of audio stories, specials, songs and theme rides, etc. See also the Disney franchise. |
The Witcher (Andrzej Sapkowski) | The Witcher Stories The Saga novels | various | no | The Hexer (2001) | no | The Hexer (2002) The Witcher (TV series) (2019–present) | The Witcher (2007) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2014) | board and card games |