Franchises that have transitioned from film to streaming (and sometimes back again)

As a unrepentant science fiction and fantasy nerd of a certain age, I can remember my teenage years when, while playing with my friends, I hungrily read a number of series-based novels that would serve as inspiration for the campaigns we would create. The character-centric roleplaying format allowed us to do what wasn't practically possible at the time: being able to, at least on a limited basis, bring these stories to life, beyond our imaginations.

In particular, I was a loyal fan of the Michael Moorcock fantasy books featuring the albino king Elric of Melniboné who was a sorcerer and warrior of a dying kingdom. As an iteration of the Eternal Champion (a heroic archetype who existed under other names throughout Moorcock's novels and stories), Elric thrived, in part, thanks to his reliance on an enchanted sentient sword called Stormbringer that drained the life force of any vanquished foe and transferred some of the collected power to its wielder. There were seemingly countless stories in Elric's saga — with even more to consider, if you include the Eternal Champion narratives.

For years, I dreamed of films based in that world and my earliest casting wish list had Johnny Depp lined up as the languid anti-hero. If I were to update the top-line casting, I would probably shift to Timothée Chalamet (if I could even imagine him being able to lift Elric's ebony blade). Initially I could truly only conceive of feature film adaptations, which would, of course, translate each novel into a glorious swords and sorcery masterpiece.

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And yet, all of these years later, it appears that there are far more intriguing options to consider for serialized budding franchises. Special effects alone have transformed how filmmakers can realize these detailed worlds that are beyond both our comprehension and conceptualization. In addition, thanks to the willingness of visionary storytellers and risk-taking studios, we've been gifted a number of films that have dared to push boundaries in terms of leaning into the epic length of such projects. Who would have placed a bet on the idea that audiences would be willing to sit through multiple three-plus-hour films?

But an even stranger opportunity has emerged as we have entered the streaming phase of storytelling. Now, we can begin revealing a glimpse into these majestic dreamscapes on big screens and then smoothly transition to streaming for follow-up projects — sequels or ongoing narratives in the franchise universe — and then return to the larger format to continue or conclude the stories. This new trend is currently in play and offering an unprecedented blueprint for the future of not only these stories, but also for the film and streaming collaborative model moving forward.

The Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power

What better place to start this conversation than JRR Tolkien's mythic world-building? Peter Jackson coaxed Warner Brothers to embark on a quest to bring the three novels that encompass to the screen as a live-action franchise after a handful of engaging-yet-half-hearted attempts, primarily via animated storytelling. It should have been cost-prohibitive and highly impractical based on the effect work necessary to render what was on the page in any realistic way, but Jackson, brick by brick, built the path for a growing legion of filmmakers to follow. And then he did it again with his overly rich adaptation of — the prequel, if you will, to trilogy. Suddenly became a trilogy in its own right and audiences probably assumed the dream was complete. But now, a new team at Amazon Prime has picked up the franchise thread and — using The along with footnotes and appendices from Tolkien's writings — created a new streaming prequel series, documenting the Second Age of Middle Earth. Two seasons in, has been forecast to require at least five seasons to complete its tale of the rise of the evil Lord Sauron.

The Batman and The Penguin

Comic books have always leaned into epic mythology, largely because superheroes are modern-day reflections of the same age-old concerns that drove men to create myths in the first place. I would actually take that notion a step further and liken comic book storytelling to an ever-expanding multiverse of soap operas. These archetypes filled with characters dealing with great powers and responsibilities to avenge their dead parents and worlds while protecting the downtrodden — all while seeking to hide in plain sight from the attention of villains and the adoring public — are rooted in the most primal and human experiences, which can be updated and recycled for each new generation.

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from co-writer and director Matt Reeves, is the latest iteration of the story of one Bruce Wayne (played by Robert Pattinson), a rich orphan who grows up and dons a mask and bat suit to fight crime in Gotham, a crime-ridden city that needs hope in the face of institutional corruption and urban decay. Thankfully, Reeves avoided the typical origin story of his titular protagonist, and instead dropped us into the crime and grime alongside The World's Greatest Detective (before he has properly earned that distinction). We see how one member of his rather-stacked rogue's gallery — The Riddler (Paul Dano in full John Doe mode a la ) — pushes the Batman to forego vengeance for hope.

The ending of opened the door for other stories and other rogues to pop up and seek to gain control of the criminal underworld of Gotham. The new celebrated series steps in to fill the void, offering the tale of Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell unrecognizable under layers of makeup and prosthetics, but still as brilliant as ever) who will eventually and quite proudly claim the title moniker and his place at the head of the table. The series is an origin story of sorts for Cobb and more accurately for the city of Gotham as it lives and breathes in this current moment.

has truly done, though, is illustrate how comic book narratives can hopscotch from film to streaming and back again, spinning off forever, without feeling the need to always directly feature the hero at the center.

Dune and Dune: Prophecy

I started this feature with a spotlight on one of my early favorites from Michael Moorcock, so it is fitting that I near the end with Frank Herbert's , which perfectly bookends my infatuation with science fiction and fantasy. Not only did I read all six of Herbert's epic and increasingly weird novels, but I have boldly gone into the expanded universe as continued by Herbert's son Brian and co-writer Brian Anderson. Having consumed over 20 books overall, it is safe to say that I live in this world full of sandworms, consciousness-raising spice, and intergalactic prophetic intrigue more so than I inhabit this current moment.

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I have watched the David Lynch adaptation of from the 1980s, the series based on Frank Herbert's immediate follow-up novels, and even , the documentary exploring Alejandro Jodorowsky's failed attempt to create a cultish take on mixed with the filmmaker's ambitious dreams that had nothing to do with the seminal work. But it took decades and a filmmaker with the ability to wrestle with the outsized and ever-evolving surreality of the material to find the golden path to cinematic glory. Denis Villeneuve proved to be that storyteller, daring to break the first book into two films, while planning (at this time) to convert the second book to cement his trilogy.

Villeneuve has also laid the groundwork for others to step in and carry the narrative on. an HBO original series, journeys back 10,000 years before Paul Atreides, the long-prophesized hero of , allowing us to experience the early days of the Bene Gesserit, before they even had that name, when they were founded by two sisters from House Harkonnen, lifelong enemies of House Atreides. At this very moment, threatens to overtake the world thanks to emergence as a possible Academy Award contender as the series debuts on streaming. If takes root, there is more than enough narrative fodder for the sandworms and the spice to flow for some time to come. I believe Frank Herbert would be as pleased as my teenage self.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention a couple of instances that are somewhat adjacent to this conversation. The first, of course, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is struggling right now with figuring out the right mix of feature films and streaming content. Due to a stupendously large library of characters and stories, the MCU brain trust has been flailing since the absolute box office high they achieved during their initial 10-year run that concluded with . To be fair, the first decade featured characters and teams that felt like B-to-C listers (I'm looking directly at ) and a handful of others that Marvel had to spend time negotiating rights for, in order to get them back into the fold. (Hulk, who only gets to appear as a supporting player in Spider-Man, continues to operate as a shared property.)

But since , we've been presented with lackluster, disconnected films and a plethora of streaming shows that, while they may have genre or thematic hooks on the front end (), have ultimately failed to live up to potential. How does Marvel course-correct and get back on a winning path? That, it seems, is the multibillion-dollar question and I'm not sure the answer is on the horizon.

The second scenario falls to some extent into the category of complex rights issues previously mentioned with Marvel. I have been an unabashed fan of the Michael Connelly adaptations focused on his crime thriller franchises (Prime) and (Netflix). Their inclusion here might feel outside the main discussion, especially since movie with Matthew McConaughey in the lead didn't necessarily jumpstart the stellar series output we've seen thus far. But talk about complications. The protagonists in these two franchises happen to be half-brothers and have crossed over routinely in the novels, but since Amazon Prime and Netflix likely have no intention of ever partnering, fans like myself will never get to enjoy the existing narrative fusion. But why not?

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