Many often criticize the mere existence of movie franchises since they tend to represent the less artistic, more business-driven side of Hollywood, but the truth of the matter is sequels have been a huge part of cinema since the medium started. Tinseltown "running out ideas" is not a new thing as franchising has been a part of filmmaking for a hundred years.

Think of these ongoing stories as being a testament to great characters, addicting narratives, and breathtaking action. It's giving the people what they want, in one of its most basic forms, and many times the results are spectacular. The durability of these beloved IPs is unparalleled and it's made for some of the best film runs in history. From world-conquering apes to world-saving spies, from magical teens to possessed tweens, here are the longest running movie franchises of all time.

James Bond

With the search still currently on for a new Bond it's important to recognize how long this action-adventure series has been around. From the pages of British novelist Ian Fleming comes a film series that began back in 1962 with Dr. No. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all portrayed stalwart, lethal Agent 007 in a franchise that dabbled in loose continuity until Craig's run as Bond gave us a reboot and a fully serialized Bond (with a closed ending). There are 25 official movies in all (27 if you count non-series 1967's Casino Royale and 1983's Never Say Never Again). Many of these films are worthy our list of the best spy films of all time.

See our guide to the James Bond movies in order.

Planet of the Apes

With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes arriving this year on May 2024, this series has been officially running since the classic 1968 film adaptation of Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel. The first Planet of the Apes film spawned four sequels, two TV shows, and a Tim Burton remake in 2001. The Reboot Trilogy, telling an alternate timeline prequel story, began in 2011, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and has been going strong ever since. The overall premise -- of humanity falling to intelligent super-apes -- makes for a unique ongoing story, and not one you'd expect to stand the test of time. But here we are. Aping our way to box office gold.

See our guide to the Planet of the Apes movies in order.