One of the most successful genres in movie and television history is sci-fi, and the best franchises in this genre are among the best of all time. Sci-fi has been a significant draw since the start of cinema. One of the earliest silent films, A Trip to the Moon, released in 1902 by Georges Méliès, was a sci-fi release.

Since that film’s release, masterpieces like Metropolis, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Blade Runner have helped define the genre. However, it is the sci-fi movies that created franchises that have risen to the top. From Terminator and Aliens to Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who, these are the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time.

Comic book franchises from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe are not included here, as they belong to a genre all their own.

Tron

Tron was released in theaters in 1982, and it was unlike anything viewers had seen at the time. It was a sci-fi adventure set inside a video game, which at the time was still something exciting and new for fans. Jeff Bridges starred in the film, and the action was technologically advanced for its time, making it an exciting release.

However, it seemed that was the end, except for its effects on video games and a Disneyland ride created in the 1980s. That said, 27 years later, a sequel arrived called Tron: Legacy, with Bridges returning alongside new star Garrett Hedlund. The film was a success, with a great soundtrack by Daft Punk.

In 2012, the two movies evolved into a franchise, with an animated TV series called Tron: Uprising, which was set between the events of the first two films. Finally, a third movie, Tron: Ares, is set to hit theaters in 2025, with Jared Leto in the lead, while Nine Inch Nails provides the soundtrack.

Men In Black

Men in Black is a sci-fi franchise based on the Malibu comic books by Lowell Cunningham. The entire series is based on UFO conspiracy theories, with the Men in Black as the organization tasked with keeping track of any aliens who arrive on Earth and keeping their existence hidden from the public.

The original movies were beloved, with Tommy Lee Jones as the veteran agent and Will Smith as the rookie, as they set out to deal with the aliens by any means necessary. The third movie dealt with time travel, and Smith went back in time to team with a younger Agent K (played perfectly by Josh Brolin).

There was also an underrated fourth movie, Men in Black: International, released in 2019, which did not involve Smith or Jones and was much less successful. In all, the franchise has grossed $1.9 billion at the box office, but the last movie stopped any progress on future projects.

Dune

Dune is a sci-fi franchise based on the novels by Frank Herbert. The author wrote seven books in the series, and that led to a series of traditional games, role-playing games, and video games based on the novels. In 1984, David Lynch directed the first film adaptation of the book series, and it later gained cult classic status.

There were also two TV shows released in 2000 and 2003, but neither made much of a dent. However, in 2021, Denis Villeneuve took a stab at the property and directed the critically acclaimed Dune. This was such a success that he got two sequels greenlit, with the second arriving in 2024 and the third in 2026.

A spinoff TV series also arrived in 2024, called Dune: Prophecy, and rumors suggest that a fourth movie could be made, depending on the success of Dune: Part Three.

Predator

It is incredible how much more respected the Predator franchise is now compared to a decade ago. For many years, there was the original Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, followed by a disappointing sequel with Danny Glover in the lead role. Fans still loved the franchise based solely on the first movie.

However, when the monster mashup with Alien arrived, it began to soil the name of the Predator franchise even more than the Alien one. Nimród Antal’s Predators in 2010 was a lot of fun, but the 2018 movie, The Predator, arrived to critical and fan disappointment. That said, in 2022, things turned around drastically.

Dan Trachtenberg brought the entire Predator franchise back to life with his 2022 film, Prey. He then followed up with the surprisingly great Predator: Killer of Killers, and for the first time in years, fans are excited to see what is next, which will be Predator: Badlands in late 2025.

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica had an interesting run as a franchise. It began in the 1970s as a TV series for fans of Star Trek and Star Wars. While it was nowhere near as popular as those two sci-fi franchises, it did garner a cult audience and even had a comic book line and some cool action figures, especially of the Cylons.

However, the series got another chance years later and exploded in popularity. This came in 2004 with what might be the best critically acclaimed show to ever air on the Sci-Fi Channel. With a cast that includes Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, and more, this series delivered brilliant sci-fi stories.

The show lasted for four seasons and also included two television films, going on to win a Peabody Award and earn 19 Emmy nominations during its run. Its legacy is impressive, especially considering it is based on the Sci-Fi Channel series, rather than the original release.

Avatar

James Cameron had a hand in two of the best sci-fi franchises of all time with his creation of Terminator and his directing of Aliens. However, all he seems to want to do now is continue his most recent sci-fi franchise, called Avatar. This is about humans colonizing a planet called Pandora and the native species that live there.

The franchise has been a considerable success. The first movie, sH๏τ in 3D, grossed $2.923 billion at the box office, ultimately becoming the second-highest-grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation, and the first to ever surpᴀss $2 billion at the box office. The sequel grossed $2.3 billion, proving the franchise’s success.

The third movie is set to release in December 2025, with two additional films planned for release after that. If they continue with the same level of success, this could end up as the highest-grossing sci-fi franchise in history.

Transformers

Transformers is a sci-fi franchise that seems to be almost critic-proof, although its popularity has waned in recent years. This started as a toy line, a comic book series, and an animated cartoon. It was about robots that could turn into vehicles and battled each other, with the Autobots protecting Earth from the Decepticons.

This was a brilliant idea for toys, and the animated series made it even more popular. There was even an animated Transformers movie that traumatized an entire generation thanks to the death of a beloved Autobot. The franchise continued with cartoons and comics until Michael Bay came along.

In 2007, Bay directed Transformers, which received positive reviews and grossed $709 million at the box office. There have been six mostly poorly received sequels since then, and the movies grossed $5.2 billion. Sadly, one of the best films, the animated Transformers One, was a box office flop, and it looks like Bay might be returning once again.

The Twilight Zone

There have been several anthology series on television, including Tales from the Crypt, The Outer Limits, and others. However, none of these series would exist if not for the one that started it all. Rod Sterling opened every episode of The Twilight Zone by welcoming viewers to the episode and then sending them on a bizarre tale.

The best episodes of The Twilight Zone are all sci-fi in nature, although they also have a touch of horror along the way. The cast included notable names such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Julie Newmar, Ron Howard, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Carol Burnett, and Burt Reynolds.

Two additional series were released in 1985 and 2002, and Jordan Peele relaunched it in 2019. However, his choice of a streaming service backfired, and the series ultimately ended with just one season. Add in comic books, a big-screen release, and a made-for-TV movie, and the stories are limitless.

Mad Max

Mad Max is another great sci-fi franchise that has morphed and changed over the years. The franchise began with Mel Gibson starring as Max Rockatansky, a former cop in a post-apocalyptic wasteland who seeks revenge after the death of his family. The first film was groundbreaking, and the sequel, The Road Warrior, was a masterpiece.

While Beyond Thunderdome was still exciting, it was a step down and marked the last movie in the franchise for 30 years. When director George Miller returned to his franchise in 2015, something amazing happened. Mad Max: Fury Road recast Max with Tom Hardy, and the film earned 10 Oscar nominations.

Mad Max: Fury Road was the only film in the franchise to earn a Best Picture and Best Director nomination, and it remains among the most highly praised sci-fi action movies of the 21st century. While Furiosa wasn’t as good, it still kept the action high, and the franchise, as a whole, remains a beloved cult favorite.

Back To The Future

Not enough people discuss Back to the Future when talking about the best sci-fi movie franchises, and that is a crime. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who is sent back in time thanks to a DeLorean, and he must ensure his parents hook up, or he will cease to exist.

It was a mᴀssive hit and one of the most beloved movies of the ’80s. What is shocking is that the sequels might not have reached the same level as the first, but they were great sci-fi movies in their own right. The second saw him sent into the future, and the third had him going into the very far past in a Western setting.

All three films were fantastic and deserve their spot as beloved fan favorites. There was also an animated TV series in 1991 that lasted for two seasons, as well as comics, theme park rides, a stage musical, video games, and even a Back to the Future short film that reunited the original cast decades later.