Since its inception in 1888 and 1889, the British film industry has been well known for the blockbuster movies that it had made on its own or has been a part of. Moreover, we can all think of a few famous movie series or franchise that has been associated with the British film industry, even if we never realized that they were. Movies like Mission Impossible or Mummy Series that began in 1999. Then, there are the two big ones that everybody knows and loves the two most successful series in the world’s history- the Harry Potter and James Bond series. Below are three famous British related franchises with a few quick facts about them.
Harry Potter
A prince of the British film world, a true darling, the Harry Potter franchise has gone on to become the highest grossing franchise in history when unadjusted for inflation. With a record breaking 7.7 billion (more than 9 billion adjusted) in worldwide receipts, it has only the James Bond series to challenge and rival its throne. Based on the book series authored by J.K. Rowling, the film first began in 2011 with the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and continued on for the next decade to finish triumphantly in 2011 with the eighth and final Film- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, this last film going on to break records and climb ladders to become the 4th highest grossing film in history with over 1.3 billion dollars made. Staring Danielle Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Orint as Ron Wesley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, the film series easy took these little known people and turned them into one of the most recognizable stars in the modern world.
James Bond
The 007 series is probably the series that is most closely tied with Britain and is hands down one of the single longest running film franchises in the world, beginning over fifty years ago 1962 and only stopping for a hiatus between 1989 and 1995. In all that time, James Bond has filled the world with aura and exotic locations of the modern spy genre, taking viewers across the world and across every situation that could be imagined. Influential and setting the standard for all subsequent spy movies, this series is the second highest grossing film series unadjusted for inflation, the first when you adjust it (the film series has made more than 14 billion when you adjust inflation). In addition, with 23 films under its belt and still counting, this series proves that you can never run out of a good thing.
The Mummy Series
The modern mummy series that began in 1999 is another well-known series with British partnerships. Made as a loose interpretation of the original mummy series that began in 1932, this series has branched off into almost ten movies starring the likes of Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weiz, Arnold Vosloo, Dwayne Johnson, Freddie Boath, and Jet Li. Set in both Egypt and China, the series originally lived under the premise of a group of courageous people, the O’Conner family mostly, trying to stop priest Imhotep from resurrecting his love and ruling the world. It has since branched off since then to the Scorpion King series with Dwayne Johnson staring in the first movie and to a third mummy movie with Jet Li as the next evil mummy to stop. Adjusted for Inflation, this series has made close to 2 billion dollars.
Movie location tours are popular at the moment. You can bet if you have a favourite film that there will be a movie location tour. Brit Movie Tours offer movie location tours in England including a popular Harry Potter Tour London and a Greenwich Tour which was a location used for The Mummy Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean 4 to mention just a couple.
