Franchisography

With a story that began with a blind date between a producer and a physicist, then evolved into a Steven Spielberg movie written by Jonathan Nolan, and eventually became a Christopher Nolan film about missing his kids that spanned the cosmos.

This is 2014’s INTERSTELLAR

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss revisiting Nolan’s polarizing film twelve years later, alternate casting ideas, robot enemies to robot ride or dies, and rude nurses.

NEXT WEEK: Dunkirk

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Starting it’s inception as a horror film about “dream thieves”, Nolan would write and rewrite the screenplay for his dream heist film dozens of times over the course of a decade until a vacation with his family would inspire the final piece of the puzzle needed to complete the story. And while he would need 4 times the budget of The Prestige to fully realize the concept, The Dark Knight had proven that Christopher Nolan was a franchise in and of himself, so WB had no issues signing the check.

This is 2010’s INCEPTION.

Join Nick and...

After taking on a studio film (2002’s Insomnia) and reinventing the superhero film (2005’s Batman Begins), Christopher Nolan finally had enough clout to fund the adaptation of a Christopher Priest novel that he had PLEDGED to be his next project when he pitched it to his brother Jonathan five years earlier.

But the story of two rival magicians at the TURN of the century was more complicated to adapt than either of them initially believed and the screenplay would not be finished until mere days before the start of production.

This is 2006’s THE PRESTIGE.

...

Season 4 of FRANCHISOGRAPHY begins with a look at the original feature films of Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker who became a franchise. And it all started with the breakout success of his second feature, 2000’s MEMENTO.

Originally pitched to him on a long cross country road trip by his brother Jonathan “Jonah” Nolan who was working on a short story about a man with a particularly rare form of amnesia. Working on the story and the screenplay together in tandem, Nolan cracked the film when he realized he would have to put the audience into the experience of the pr...

In 2024, two of the biggest production companies in modern horror, James Wan’s Atomic Monster and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, would successfully merge with the goal of increasing their output of horror hits. Their first major production would be an untitled film written and directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin, hot off the success of 2023’s Evil Dead Rise. The untitled film would later be revealed as a reimagining of The Mummy. And that’s where things get interesting.

This is LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY.

After much speculation and uncertainty, here now at last is the fin...

Round 1 of this year’s Listener Pick Tournament is over and Nick & Scott are here to discuss where the choices made by our listeners on Discord and Patreon have led us. There were surprising victories and devastating losses, but no obvious frontrunners. Let’s break it down.

Daily match-ups end March 31st!

Vote in our March Madness Listener Pick Tournament by Joining the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Get a second vote in every daily match-up by supporting us on PATREON!

Patreon Associate Producer: Matt Bennett...

Well… that happened.

Originally conceived for Happy Death Day and Freaky director Christopher Landon, Scream 7 was going to feature new franchise stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as the returning Carpenter Sisters… until all of that was thrown out the window.

Now, Scream 7 has been reconceived by original franchise writer Kevin Williamson in the vacated director’s chair and original franchise star Neve Campbell back as Sydney Prescott.

The result is a film that has the worst reviews in the franchise’s history, while having its biggest opening weekend box office ever.

A mixe...

It’s a Listener Pick Tournament Bonus-ode!

With March barely a week away, Nick & Scott are joined by Patreon Producer Mark Ybarra to reveal the 32 franchises that were chosen for this year’s Listener Pick Tournament and discuss their potential as future Franchisography mini-series.

Daily match-ups begin March 1st!

Vote in our March Madness Listener Pick Tournament by Joining the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Get a second vote in every daily match-up by supporting us on PATREON!

Patreon Associate Producer: Mark Ybarra, Matt Bennett & Harley...

February is almost here and March is right around the corner…

…which means it’s almost time for this year’s Listener Pick Tournament!

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss this year’s Tournament rules and regulations! What’s off limits? What’s back IN limits?

Find out all of the details and get your picks ready as nominations are officially open on the Dueling Genre Discord Feb. 1 thru Feb. 7!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server to nominate franchises and vote on which ones make into the tournament: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw<...

The second act of Wicked lives in infamy for many Broadway fans. When the filmmakers behind the big screen adaptation made the decision to split their saga into two movies, they were left with an interesting challenge: an entire film made up of the most divisive, polarizing aspects of the musical.

Did John M. Chu and company find a way to fix Act Two’s problems and deliver a sequel that lives up to Part 1’s promise? This is 2025’s WICKED: FOR GOOD!

Nick and Scott return to Oz in this uproarious episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY

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It’s a Finale-sode!

Join Nick & Scott as they discuss/rank the Oz franchise, pitch ideas for future Oz movies, look back at our third season, and look forward to Season Four, coming in Summer 2026!

Next week: Our hiatus begins!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: Labyrinth (1986) episode now available on PATREON!

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Dueling...

Good news! FRANCHISOGRAPHY at last covers the movie musical that became a pop culture phenomenon during the 2024 holiday season. It’s John M. Chu’s WICKED!

Rumblings of a film adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel predates even the Tony-winning musical starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, but the road to the big screen would prove to be anything but smooth.

Join Nick and Scott as they uncover all the secrets behind the film that finally came to be.

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plu...

On the heels of 2010’s Alice in Wonderland’s massive box office success, Disney was eager to have another live action 3D fantasy ready for audiences quickly, and with the musical Wicked still filling seats on Broadway, the world of Oz was back in the zeitgeist. And so, Spider-Man mastermind Sam Raimi was recruited to bring to life the origin story of another one of Oz’s most iconic citizens.

This is 2013’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.

Join Nick and Scott as they spotlight this oft overlooked addition to the filmography of one of their fa...

After buying the film rights to L. Frank Baum’s remaining Oz books in 1954, Walt Disney Productions began work on a live action film starring the teen stars of “The Mickey Mouse Club,” but plans quickly stalled. It wouldn’t be until the 80’s that the House of Mouse would try once more to bring Baum’s wonderful world to the big screen and the resulting film would prove to be one of the most divisive and infamous children’s films of that generation.

This is 1985’s RETURN TO OZ.

Nick and Scott dive deeper into the world o...

Premiering on Broadway in 1975, The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and became a mainstream breakthrough for productions with all-Black casts on Broadway. By the late 70’s, Motown mastermind Berry Gordy would attempt to adapt the musical for the silver screen, bringing together a generational collection of talent including legends Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor.

Lonely schoolteacher Dorothy Gale rarely leaves her neighborhood of Harlem, but soon finds herself in the fantastical land of Oz. With the help of a dancing scarecrow, a Coney Island Tin Ma...

Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Nick and Scott as they uncover the secrets of the Oz franchise, winner of the 2025 FRANCHISOGRAPHY Listener’s Pick Tournament!

L. Frank Baum’s children’s book was already a beloved American classic by the time MGM first broke ground on their musical adaptation of the book in 1938, but previous adaptations of Baum’s novels had flopped both critically and at the box office. Could MGM flip the script and deliver a hit?

Uncover the secrets of one of Hollywood’s most treasured creations, 1939’s THE WIZARD OF OZ!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled mini-series for our second ever Centenisode!

Join Nick and Scott as they celebrate 200 episodes of Franchisography, re-answer listener questions, and rank all of the franchises that we’ve covered since out 100th episode.

Plus, after winning out Centenisode bracket, we discuss a young woman’s journey through a time loop on her birthday as she tries to solve who keeps murdering her, just to do it all over again in an alternate universe.

It’s Christopher Landon’s HAPPY DEATH DAY & HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U.

Specia...

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they rank the American Pie franchise, go over the American Pie Presents DTV spin-offs, propose an American Pie reboot, announce our next mini-series, and discuss what to expect on next week’s Centenisode!

Next week: Centenisode 2!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: The Girl Next Door (2004)

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Duel...

Writing partners Jon Hurtwitz and Hayden Schlossberg saw the first American Pie multiple times in theaters during their freshman year of college. Like original Pie screenwriter Adam Herz, the pair would mine their own adolescent adventures to create comedy in the form of the Harold and Kumar series, their big Hollywood breakthrough.

So when Universal Pictures offered Hurtwitz and Schlossberg the keys to the franchise, they two saw this as a chance to create the Pie film they as fans would most want to see. And their first move was to bring the whole gang together.

While on set for American Pie 2, series creator and screenwriter Adam Herz revealed to producer Chris Moore that he already had an idea for a third and final chapter to their raunchy coming of age saga: the boys throwing a bachelor party to celebrate the wedding of Jim and Michelle. And after American Pie proved to be an even bigger hit than the first, the bachelor party was on.

This is 2003’s AMERICAN WEDDING.

But not everyone would be invited to the party. WEDDING would be without many key members of the beloved ensemble. Will th...

After the first slice became an unexpected smash hit at the box office, Universal Pictures was quick to greenlight a sequel. Screenwriter Adam Herz once again decided to draw from his own life experiences, this time recalling that awkward transition between high school and college, and how growing and changing can affect even the most loyal group of friends.

The class of East Great Falls High have gone their separate ways, but with summer vacation starting, the gang is eager to make new memories, rekindle old flames and make the most of the time they have left...

We interrupt the American Pie franchise with yet another Bonus Feature!

Marvel’s First Family has returned to the silver screen, this time in the creative hands of Marvel Studios and WandaVision director Matt Shakman. Will a comic book adaptation about adventurers and explorers with a midcentury aesthetic appeal to modern audiences? Do we finally have the definitive takes on Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben?

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and why the answer to those questions is a resounding YES.

Become a Prem...

Inspired by the success of Scream in 1996, young screenwriter Adam Herz set out to do for 80’s sex comedies like Porky’s and Bachelor Party what Wes Craven’s masterpiece did for the slasher. The result was an unexpected smash hit that would define a generation of comedy and introduce a new class of heartthrobs to moviegoers everywhere.

This is 1999’s AMERICAN PIE.

Join Nick and Scott as they find unexpected sweetness behind the gross-out laughs in this outrageous and unrated episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our...

We continue to interrupt your regularly scheduled next franchise with yet another Bonus Feature!

After the failure of the DCEU, Superman is back to kickstart a brand new DC Universe with writer/director James Gunn taking the creative reins. Can a movie with this many characters and a plot this convoluted really stick the landing in a way that feels natural and satisfying? The answer? A resounding YES. So get in on this group hug of a movie that feels like the Superman movie the world needs more than anything right now.

Join Nick and...

We interrupt your regularly scheduled next franchise with a Bonus Feature!

It is unlikely that anyone believed the Jurassic franchise was dead after the mega success of the almost universally derided Dominion, but the assumption seemed to be that there would be a bit of a break before another entry in the Jurassic World series and we all seemed fine with that.

However, Universal Pictures and Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp had other ideas though and three years later those ideas have culminated in the release of 2025’s JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH. This time, it’s a Di...

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they discuss the end of the Mission: Impossible franchise, what directors we wish we could have seen make entries in the past, reveal our personal rankings, dream about where the franchise could go in the future, and of course, reveal our next franchise.

Next week: Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us… one last time.

In the fallout of Dead Reckoning’s muted release, a final (but maybe not so final?) Mission was given a greenlight by Paramount to finish up the story of the evil AI known as the Entity. But not wanting to repeat themselves, Cruise and McQuarrie decided on yet another tone (their fourth tonal shift in as many films): this time, the impossible mission was going to be treasure hunt. With the entire planet on the line against the t...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us for the most expensive entry in the entire franchise.

After the success of Fallout, another Mission was greenlit quickly with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie returning yet again. This time, Cruise and McQ had big plans to produce not one but TWO Mission films back-to-back that told one epic, globetrotting story.

However, a global pandemic had other plans and after only a few weeks of production, the film was shut down as the world shutdown in March of 2020. Six...

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Impossible Mission with a bonus Scheme!

After the unexpectedly contentious response to 2023’s Asteroid City, Anderson returns with a simple, crowd-pleasing comedy about the relationship between an industrialist who has survived multiple assassination attempts and his estranged daughter who is studying to become a nun.

Join Nick and Scott as they return to the world of Wes Anderson with his latest film to hit theaters: 2025’s THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week incl...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us for the first direct sequel in the franchise and one of the greatest action movies ever put to film.

While Rogue Nation was only a modest success, there was no other director that Tom Cruise wanted behind the camera on his sixth Mission than Christopher McQuarrie. After some mild coaxing, McQ returned to the IMF to helm the next entry with a focus on Ethan’s character and a plan in place to make a movie that felt totally different fr...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us for the sequel that kickstarted a brand new era for the series going forward.

After Ghost Protocol was another success, Tom Cruise turned to the film’s ghost writer turned Jack Reacher director to take the reins on the next installment. With a focus on the audience’s experience, the created 4 thrilling action set-pieces that would have them at the edge of their seat and built the story for the fifth Mission around them. Not only would the resulting film ceme...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us for the espionage sequel that launched the live action career for an animation director.

After Tom Cruise’s deal on M:I 3 created issues for Paramount’s bottom line, Viacom head honcho Sumner Redstone nuked Cruise’s production deal with the studio and badmouthed him to the press. It seemed that the franchise was over until film piracy became such a major issue for the entertainment business that only one man could concoct an impossible mission to save it with a stun...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us for the espionage sequel that started the cinematic career of a television director.

The year was 2006, and a sequel to MI2 had spent six years in development hell as a handful of directors had all come and gone, one of which with an entire alternate cast attached. But after an exuberant incident involving a coach, producer/star Tom Cruise was at a crossroads with moviegoers and desperately needed a win. He finally turns to the creator of ABC’s hit sp...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch the high octane sequel to the espionage summer blockbuster four years in the making.

The year was 2000, and a highly anticipated sequel was released in the early days of summer that would take the pop culture and MTV’s Total Request Live by storm with not one, but two hit singles by the likes of Limp Bizkit and Metallica. After a sequel developed by director Oliver Stone went belly-up, Tom Cruise chose a Hong Kong action director to replace him. The re...

Good evening, Mr/Ms. Listener. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch every entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise along with the newest mini-series from the podcast FRANCHISOGRAPHY.

The year was 1996, and a film based on a 1960s television series would be released in the early days of summer that would continue with new entries in its franchise for the next 30 years. Starring Tom Cruise, the film would be his first as Producer, and he would go on to handpick the director of every entry going forward. To start? Legendary filmmaker Brian De...

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they discuss the Fantastic Four, the current state of the MCU, look ahead toward First Steps, and announce our next mini-series!

Next week: A new franchise begins!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: Sky High (2005)

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Patreon Associate Producer: Matt Bennett & Mark Ybarra

Well that didn’t work! After Rise of the Silver Surfer failed to up the ante at the level of a Spider-Man 2 or X2: X-Men United, Marvel and Fox decided to hit the reset button and reboot the adventures of Marvel’s first family and bring in an exciting new director, Chronicle’s Josh Trank.

There was just one problem: Trank didn’t much care for the Fantastic Four or superhero stories in general. What he did care about was blazing a trail through Hollywood and crafting a cinematic legacy to rival Spielberg’s. What would transpire next is a...

This week’s FRANCHISOGRAPHY digs deep into one of the most infamous comic book movies in all of nerd history, a film that manages to whittle down a three part masterpiece of sequential art into a 90-something minute comedy and reduces one of the most awe-inspiring cosmic characters in all the Marvel universe into a CLOUD.

How did it come to this, true believers? Only our pair of podcasting pals Nick and Scott have the answer! 2005’s Fantastic Four was by no means a flop, but left much to be desired for both die hard fans and gene...

With Marvel’s First Family finally taking their “First Steps” into the MCU, Nick and Scott are marking the occasion by looking back at the previous attempts to bring those iconic Silver Age explorers to the big screen! Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben have had a rough go of it when it comes to cinematic adventures, and FRANCHISOGRAPHY is here to find out why!

After successfully sabotaging a small budget, big hearted Roger Corman production in 1994, Marvel would team up with 20th Century Fox to toil for the next decade in adapting Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s legend...

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they discuss the state of female filmmaker “authors”, rank the films of Small Talk and Big Kitchens, and announce our next mini-series!

Next week: A new franchise begins!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: Home Again (2017) / Sleeping With Other People (2015)

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Patreon Associate Producer: Matt Bennett & Mark Ybarra