tent-pole movies

Franchise flagship films

Tent-pole movies are big-budget productions that studios rely on to support their entire release schedule, the way a central pole holds up a tent.

These blockbusters—superhero franchises, sequels, adaptations of popular properties—generate enough revenue to offset riskier or smaller films: The summer tent-poles carry the studio through awards season.

box-officeTheater's ticket-selling counter
sequelContinuation of prior work
megahitEnormously successful release
summer blockbusterHigh-grossing warm-season theatrical release
blockbusterEnormously successful entertainment property

billion dollar club · epic · franchise · spin-offs · Marvel Studios · cinema · merchandising · studio · cinematic universe · licensing deals · director · world-building · brand partnerships · character arcs · fan conventions · superhero · releases · release date

Opposites

budget and production scale

tent-pole moviesindie films

Non-mainstream cinema productions

independent cinema · B-movies · guerrilla filmmaking · art house films · student films

commercial strategy and risk

tent-pole moviesprogrammers

Those who write code

contractual obligations · write-offs

artistic independence vs. corporate calculation

tent-pole moviesarthouse films

Aesthetically ambitious, non-commercial movies

independent cinema · character studies

Family

tent, pole, tents, poles, poled, poling, movie, movies, tented

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Rated G