Hollywood’s Longest Movie Franchises: Ranked By Total Runtime

There are many lengthy Hollywood movie franchises, but it’s worth considering which will take the longest to complete from start to finish. Many of the best movie franchises with more than 10 films are expected to take a while to watch, but they aren’t necessarily one of the longest, and this is all due to runtimes.

Several big movie franchises aren’t as long as you’d think, either. For example, The Godfather trilogy is made up of three very long movies, but it only takes around nine hours to watch them all. Whether you’re immersing yourself in a fantasy world or are hiding behind your couch from a slasher villain, these Hollywood movie franchises will keep you busy for days, even weeks.

Planet Of The Apes

Total Watch Time: 18h 40m

There are a total of 11 Planet of the Apes movies, the first being the original of the same name in 1968, and the latest being Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in 2024. The longest of the bunch is 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which comes in at 145 minutes.

The shortest, however, is 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes, which is only a mere 87 minutes. Still, the Planet of the Apes franchise isn’t over yet. There’s a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel set for release in 2027, and considering the way the cinematic world works nowadays, it wouldn’t be surprising if this upcoming title beats its predecessor runtime-wise.

Halloween

Total Watch Time: 21h 8m

The Halloween movies make up one of the greatest horror film franchises of all time, with the original title gripping audiences back in 1978. The series has been relatively consistent over the last few decades, releasing a new title every few years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. With 13 films to enjoy, now is the perfect time to watch them all.

The actual Halloween isn’t far off, and as it’ll take just over 21 hours to consume them from start to finish, you’ll need to dedicate a solid few days to catch up. Plus, as the Halloween franchise is split into several eras, you can easily cover these films in chunks to save being overwhelmed.

The Lord Of The Rings Universe

Total Watch Time: 19h 26m (Theatrical) 22h 6m (Extended)

Understanding how to watch The Lord of the Rings in order can be a little complicated, especially as there is so much content. There isn’t just the original trilogy; there are also The Hobbit movies and the 2024 title, The War of the Rohirrim, too, with the animated film being the shortest at only 134 minutes.

If you’re hoping to revisit both Bilbo and Frodo on their respective journeys again, you’ll need to put aside a good amount of time. The theatrical releases alone of these 7 films come in at close to 19 and a half hours, but the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings franchise movies will take over 22 hours to watch.

Fast & Furious

Total Watch Time: 22h 59m

The Fast & Furious movies begin with 2001’s The Fast & Furious, the first in a series of 11 films which are all similarly named, with the exception of the spinoff title Hobbs & Shaw in 2019. Over the last two decades, the series has kept us entertained with its car chase scenes and action-packed sequences, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The most recent installment is 2023’s Fast X, and despite production delays, we know that Fast & Furious 11 will eventually hit screens, and it will be the last in the main series. However, this doesn’t mean the franchise is necessarily over, so it’s a good idea to bunk down and watch almost 23 hours of it before the next title is officially announced.

Wizarding World

Total Watch Time: 26h 28m

There aren’t many who are unfamiliar with the Wizarding World films, which are made up of the 8 Harry Potter movies and the 3 Fantastic Beasts titles. Altogether, it’ll take you around 26 and a half hours to make it through them all, starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and wrapping up with The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Considering the release of the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV show and the discourse online surrounding the franchise in general, binge-watching the Wizarding World movies might not be for everyone. However, it’s important to note that this story about a young boy finding a place in a world he feels he doesn’t belong in is one that we can all learn from.

Star Wars

Total Watch Time: 26h 45m

There are a total of 11 Star Wars movies, which are made up of the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, as well as the standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Episode IV, or A New Hope, is the first installment chronologically and introduces us to Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.

However, Rogue One and Solo are the earliest installments in the Star Wars movie timeline as they’re set before the events of A New Hope. This thrilling space adventure is brilliantly enjoyable to watch, but you’ll need more than a day to watch them all, as their combined runtimes come in at a total of 26 hours and 45 minutes.

DCEU

Total Watch Time: 37h 18m

Every DCEU movie expands on the stories of some of DC’s most notable superheroes, including the likes of Aquaman and Wonder Woman. The first entry in the DCEU is 2013’s Man of Steel, and the most recent is 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is the last title in the franchise.

In 2024, the franchise was rebooted and became the DCU instead, which shifts its focus back toward other characters. Despite only technically existing for a decade, the DCEU being one of the longest Hollywood movie franchises is quite an achievement.

Watching all 16 films (including both cuts of Justice League) will take 37 hours and 18 minutes, which will keep you busy until the DCU’s next release, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Although the DCEU is now over, it’ll remain memorable for its astounding combined runtime.

Billy The Kid

Total Watch Time: 39h 58m

Based on the famous outlaw from the 1880s, the Billy the Kid movies make up one of the best Western movie franchises of all time. In the space of 6 years, Sam Newfield directed an incredible 42 Billy the Kid films, the first being Billy the Kid in 1940 and the last being Outlaws of the Plains in 1946.

A majority of these movies have a runtime of around 50 minutes to an hour, which doesn’t sound like a lot. However, with so many of them to watch, it’ll take close to 40 hours to complete the entire franchise. While there are other Westerns about Billy the Kid, this series from the 1940s has more content than any other.

Hopalong Cassidy

Total Watch Time: 71h 2m

William Boyd proves why he’s one of the best Western actors of all time by portraying the titular character in all 66 Hopalong Cassidy movies, starting with 1935’s Hop-Along Cassidy (or Hopalong Cassidy Enters) and finishing with 1948’s Strange Gamble. The Hopalong Cassidy titles are iconic, but there are a lot of them.

In order to complete them all, you’ll need at least 3 days (and that’s if you’re not planning to sleep). However, by the end, you’ll have consumed one of the greatest Western movie series ever, and it’ll make you look at other Western titles in a whole new light.

MCU

Total Watch Time: 80h 41m

As of July 2025, there are an astonishing 37 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, which have a collective runtime of over 80 hours. From its beginnings in 2008 with Iron Man to its most recent release, 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU has produced some of the best superhero movies of all time.

It’s no surprise that the MCU is Hollywood’s longest movie franchise, considering the hold it has on the world of cinema. However, it’s even more shocking to learn that the time it takes to watch every MCU movie and TV show is around 6 days, but die-hard fans of the franchise are unlikely to even blink at this number.