Cover Movies equal merchandise. Just ask Pokemon fans everywhere. (Photo: Thimo Pedersen / Unsplash)
Movies equal merchandise. Just ask Pokemon fans everywhere. (Photo: Thimo Pedersen / Unsplash)
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Hollywood understood long ago that hit movies don’t just end at the credits. It lives on in lunchboxes, costumes, collectables and theme parks
Billion-dollar movies and their franchises conjure images of shattered box office records. But for some franchises, the real money wasn’t made in theatres. It was made in toy aisles, clothing racks, Funko toys and lunchboxes. Some films accidentally (or very intentionally) became full-blown merchandising empires, earning more through plushies and plastic than popcorn sales.
From the galaxy-spanning saga of Star Wars to the beloved world of Toy Story, here’s a closer look at the rare movie-first franchises that outsold their own cinematic success.
Also read: 10 most expensive Korean dramas to make
1. ‘Star Wars’
Above It's not an understatement to say that ‘Star Wars’ is everywhere. (Photo: Craig Adderley / Pexels)
It's not an understatement to say that ‘Star Wars’ is everywhere. (Photo: Craig Adderley / Pexels)
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Merchandise revenue: Over US$32 billion
Box office revenue: Approximately US$10.3 billion
Star Wars essentially invented modern movie merchandising. George Lucas famously negotiated to keep the merchandising rights when the studio didn’t see the potential, a decision that made him a billionaire a few times over. The franchise created a template: toys, lunchboxes, Lego sets, apparel, video games even kitchen appliances. In many ways, Star Wars became less about the movies and more about the galaxy of products it spawned. The Force, it turns out, is strong at retail.
Also read: The art of collecting Star Wars memorabilia
2. ‘Cars’
Above The ‘Cars’ setup at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim (Photo: Isaac Garcia / Pexels)
The ‘Cars’ setup at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim (Photo: Isaac Garcia / Pexels)
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Merchandise revenue: US$10 billion
Box office revenue: US$462 million
Cars wasn’t Pixar’s most critically adored film, but it was easily its most financially savvy move. Designed almost like a moving catalogue for toy cars, backpacks, pyjamas and lunch boxes, it captured the young boy demographic with ruthless efficiency. Cars merchandise flooded stores, and Disney built entire theme park lands around Radiator Springs, a world bigger (and more profitable) than the original movie could ever contain.
3. ‘Toy Story’
Above ‘Toy Story’ movies have gone full circle when it comes to merchandise (Photo: Antonino Visalli / Unsplash)
‘Toy Story’ movies have gone full circle when it comes to merchandise (Photo: Antonino Visalli / Unsplash)
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Merchandise revenue: US$9 billion
Box office revenue: Approximately US$3 billion
Ironically, Toy Story is a movie about toys coming to life, and it has become one of the biggest toy-selling machines in history. Woody and Buzz Lightyear flew off shelves, embodying the emotional power of childhood nostalgia. Unlike Cars, which was engineered to sell, Toy Story merchandise thrived because audiences wanted to bring home what they loved. This is a case where art and commerce came perfectly together.
4. ‘Frozen’
Merchandise revenue: Over US$5 billion (within the first year)
Box office revenue: About US$2.7 billion (for the two main films)
Elsa, Anna and Olaf became a merchandising juggernaut seemingly overnight. Disney reportedly sold three million Elsa dresses in one year alone. Frozen’s success redefined how Disney approached animated films, not just as movies, but as merchandise pipelines. “Let It Go” wasn’t just a song. It was a retail battle cry.
5. ‘The Lion King’
Merchandise revenue: US$3 billion
Box office revenue: US$968 million (original 1994 movie)
In the pre-Frozen era, The Lion King was Disney’s reigning merchandising king. Simba plushies, Hakuna Matata T-shirts and even stage adaptations turned this animated classic into a lifestyle. The Lion King created a generation that grew up sleeping in Lion King sheets, proof that heartwarming storytelling combined with masterful branding creates lifetime fans (and lifetime consumers).
6. ‘Jurassic Park’
Above The real-life Jurassic Park in Orlando (Photo: Dave Harwood / Pexels)
The real-life Jurassic Park in Orlando (Photo: Dave Harwood / Pexels)
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Merchandise revenue: Over US$1 billion
Box office revenue: US$912 million (first movie‘s original run)
Jurassic Park made dinosaurs cool again—and more importantly, made them profitable. The franchise moved everything from action figures to lunch boxes and theme park rides. Steven Spielberg wisely kept merchandising rights to some of the products, creating a system where the dinosaurs never really went extinct. While the total box-office gross of the franchise has now reached over US$6 billion, every new Jurassic Park movie feels engineered more for toy store domination than for cinematic entertainment.
7. ‘The Lego Movie’
Merchandise revenue: Over US$15 billion (franchise-wide toy sales)
Box office revenue: About US$1.1 billion (all movies combined)
Yes, the toys came first, but The Lego Movie is different from Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Battleship. The surprising success of the film franchise turbocharged Lego’s popularity into the stratosphere. It wasn’t just about selling bricks; it became a full lifestyle brand, including movie-specific sets, video games and theme parks. “Everything is awesome” was less a lyric and more a business forecast.
8. ‘Pokémon’
Above There’s nothing more appealing to Pokémon lovers than these cards. (Photo: Mick Haupt / Unsplash)
There’s nothing more appealing to Pokémon lovers than these cards. (Photo: Mick Haupt / Unsplash)
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Merchandise revenue: Over US$100 billion (across the Pokémon brand)
Box office revenue: About $1.8 billion (all movies combined)
Pokémon may have started as a video game, but the first movie unleashed a merchandising tsunami. Trading cards, action figures and stuffed Pikachus flew off shelves at a scale rarely seen before. The movies played a crucial role in deepening Pokémon’s global appeal and extending its stranglehold on the hearts (and wallets) of a generation.
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