Few science-fiction franchises have had the cultural impact of Star Wars. Since the original film was released in 1977, it has become one of the most recognizable franchises in popular culture. It influences everything from filmmaking and CGI technology to toys and merchandising. The franchise grew even larger after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and opened the floodgates to more Star Wars stories. But cultural impact and sheer popularity do not automatically make something the best, especially if you look at the franchise as a whole.

Here, we take a look at the select franchises that are better than Star Wars. It may sound impossible, but these franchises excel in areas where Star Wars has sometimes struggled, from storytelling expansion to tackling more sophisticated ideas. What’s interesting about these franchises is that there are some mutual names involved, and they either created these franchises or energized them for the new generation. Star Wars may remain the king of sci-fi, but these are the franchises that can legitimately challenge its throne.

1

‘Blade Runner’ (1982–Present)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed by Ridley Scott, Blade Runner follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a weary blade runner tasked with hunting down escaped replicants in a dystopian future. Denis Villeneuve followed it up decades later with Blade Runner 2049. The sequel expands that universe, now following replicant officer K (Ryan Gosling) as he uncovers a secret that could change the relationship between humans and artificial beings.

Across both films, the franchise has built one of science fiction’s richest visions of the future, and also one of the most influential. The Blade Runner franchise may be small compared with Star Wars, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in ambition and consistency. It combines noir detective fiction, breathtaking production design, and deeply philosophical storytelling. Blade Runner 2049 is particularly impressive because it manages to expand the mythology while preserving the mood and intellectual seriousness of the original, something Star Wars has struggled to maintain across its increasingly sprawling canon, especially after Disney’s acquisition. The true test of the franchise will be its first series, Blade Runner 2099, led by Hunter Schafer.

2

‘Avatar’ (2009–Present)

Image via Disney

James Cameron‘s Avatar franchise began in 2009 with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former Marine who travels to Pandora and operates an artificially grown Na’vi body as part of a scientific expedition. Also working to gather intelligence for a corporation seeking Pandora’s resources, Jake gradually becomes immersed in Na’vi society and falls in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He becomes a key figure in the tribe and has a big family, as seen in the sequels.

Star Wars was revolutionary for its technological advancements. However, those advancements seemed to slow down after the prequel series. The franchise adopted a retro look to replicate the original trilogy that became a standard for the subsequent entries. Avatar, however, is simply breathtaking in its world-building and pioneering new tech, such as motion capture and CGI. Cameron created an ecosystem in which the geography, animals, plants, and cultures of Pandora all feel interconnected. The films also use their spectacular visuals to reinforce their themes of environmental exploitation, colonialism, and humanity’s relationship with nature. Cameron’s commitment to pushing visual-effects technology has also allowed the franchise to repeatedly redefine what audiences consider possible in blockbuster filmmaking.

3

‘Alien’ (1979–Present)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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The Alien franchise began as a horror film in which the crew of the spaceship fights for survival as a deadly alien is loose aboard their vessel. The sequel amps up the action while still focusing on Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). The recent films vary from horror space-adventure to survival horror, with the most recent one, Alien: Romulus, taking on a smaller-scale approach but still delivering the usual thrills of the franchise.

Alien is almost as old as Star Wars, but the fact that this franchise can reinvent itself without losing its identity edges out the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. Alien, Aliens, and even Alien 3 are radically different films, yet all feel unmistakably part of the same universe. Prometheus injects a new thematic core to the franchise. While the result may be mixed, it is a brave step. Its first series, Alien: Earth, expands the franchise’s storytelling scope. At its best, the franchise combines groundbreaking creature design, atmosphere, practical effects, memorable characters, and genuinely mature science-fiction ideas.

4

‘The Matrix’ (1999–2021)

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The Matrix follows Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer and hacker known as Neo, who discovers that the world he knows is actually a simulated reality created by machines that have enslaved humanity. Guided by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo joins the resistance and fulfills the prophecy as The One. The Matrix Resurrections revisits Neo’s story but also subverts expectations by delivering a critique of nostalgia.

In some respects, The Matrix is an obvious franchise on this list to argue that it is better than Star Wars. Its central concept remains extraordinarily focused, and it’s always pushing the limits of filmmaking. Its central premise is undeniably ambitious and cerebral, questioning reality, identity, and control. The original film, in particular, is almost perfectly constructed as a blockbuster, and the sequels go even bigger. Even the animated spin-off, The Animatrix, is a respectable entry that captures the spirit and themes of the movies. Its influence on popular culture and action filmmaking is simply enormous. Star Wars may have the larger universe and greater longevity, but The Matrix arguably has the stronger philosophical foundation and themes.

5

‘Dune’ (2021–Present)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Frank Herbert‘s Dune has always been one of science fiction’s most ambitious stories. The book is a dense, sprawling story of politics, religion, and power. After several ambitious adaptations, Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune films finally demonstrated what the material could accomplish. The story follows Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), whose family is given control of the desert planet Arrakis. After the family’s downfall, he follows the path laid for him as Lisan Al-Gaib.

It is no secret now that Star Wars borrows heavily from Dune. It’s just unfortunate that Dune wasn’t adapted first into a film. While David Lynch’s version has its supporters, Villeneuve’s films have put the title back on the map. The film’s success has won new devoted viewers. The films are huge in scale, and they are also ambitious in their storytelling. Star Wars remains more accessible and arguably more fun, but Dune offers a more sophisticated look at power and heroism. With its star-studded cast, the films are simply unmissable and have even spurred a respectable spin-off series, Dune: Prophecy. The end of the saga, Dune: Part Three, will arrive this December.

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Dune

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Release Date

September 15, 2021

Runtime

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155 minutes

Director

Denis Villeneuve

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Writers

Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Frank Herbert

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Fantasy readers know the feeling of picking up a new book because the premise sounds incredible, only to discover that you’ve just signed yourself up for six more installments, three prequels, and an encyclopedia’s worth of lore. Although there is much to be enjoyed in the lengthy fantasy series, there are some times when readers would prefer a story that fulfills all of its promises by the end of the volume. Fortunately, there are many fantasy novels that do just that.

If you are looking for innovative stories, interesting characters, and magic without being bound to a series, these five novels will be perfect. The stories here can vary from weird and gloomy to heartwarming and terrifying, and they are all told in stand-alone volumes.

Piranesi

Image via Bloomsbury Publishing

Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi drops its protagonist into one of the strangest fantasy settings imaginable: a seemingly infinite structure known simply as the House. The great halls of the House contain numerous sculptures, while clouds drift in the upper areas and water waves in the lower areas, periodically sending ripples through its walls. Piranesi’s life is spent exploring the House, discovering its secrets, and tending the corpses. He believes there are only 15 people in existence, although he regularly meets one living person, the mysterious Other, who is searching the House for something called the Great and Secret Knowledge. Then Piranesi begins finding evidence that his own memories can’t explain.

Part of what makes Piranesi such a satisfying standalone is how completely Clarke commits to its central mystery. The book doesn’t need a sprawling mythology or multiple sequels to explain every corner of the House; its unanswered questions are part of what makes the world so compelling. As Piranesi pieces together the truth about his identity and how he came to be trapped there, the story shifts from an eerie exploration of an impossible world into something much more personal. It’s an especially good pick for readers who want fantasy that feels unusual and literary rather than familiar, and at roughly 250 pages, it’s also a relatively painless commitment.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Image via Saga Press

Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone authored This Is How You Lose the Time War, which is a short novel full of stories. The characters, named Red and Blue, are agents of two opposing nations who are competing for victory in the ongoing war. Red and Blue are enemy agents fighting for rival empires in a war that spans multiple timelines and realities. Their missions involve traveling through history and changing events so their respective sides can win, but their rivalry takes an unexpected turn when they begin leaving messages for one another.

At less than 200 pages, this book is an ideal choice for those who enjoy fantasy but are short on time. Many novels fail to tell a complete story in a short volume; this is not the case for El-Mohtar and Gladstone’s story. The authors kept their plot simple and focused on the love story of Red and Blue, avoiding the need to complicate matters for readers by explaining other aspects of their Time War in detail. The result is romantic, strange, and remarkably dense, with a story that feels much larger than its page count.

The Night Circus

Image via Doubleday

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a great option for those looking for a short fantasy novel. Le Cirque des Rêves is a magical show that pops up out of nowhere, opens its doors only at night, and disappears as suddenly as it appears in the morning. The core of the show is the competition between two young magicians, Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, taught by their respective mentors from childhood. Although they do not know one another’s identities from the very beginning, they are meant to compete until one of them gives up. However, once they discover their rival’s identity, their relationship becomes more complex as they realize they are in love with each other.

The true magic of The Night Circus lies in the atmosphere. Morgenstern invests just as much effort in creating a thrilling circus vibe as in narrating the main contest, enriching it with mesmerizing tents, tricky illusions, and performers seemingly untouched by time. Its non-linear scheme and alternating POVs help the novel achieve broad scope, but the events remain confined to a single narrative.

Kindred

Image via Hachette

In Kindred, Octavia E. Butler uses time travel as a device to explore themes of slavery, family, and the parts of history one cannot escape. The protagonist, Dana, is a young Black woman living in Los Angeles in 1976 who is suddenly transported to Maryland in the 19th century, where she meets Rufus Weylin, the son of a white plantation owner. Dana learns that Rufus is part of her family tree and has to repeatedly go back in time to help him survive long enough to bear her child, who becomes part of Dana’s lineage.

Although Kindred incorporates science-fiction and fantasy elements, its emotional significance comes from Butler’s decision to keep the story grounded in Dana’s experience. The purpose of her travels is to connect the modern woman with her past. Although it is a very intense and, at times, ruthless piece of writing, the book is coherent and analyzes topics such as race, power, family, survival, and memory without resorting to further fiction.

Juniper & Thorn

Image via Harper Voyager

Ava Reid’s Juniper & Thorn is the choice for anyone whose definition of fantasy includes the words “deeply unsettling.” The gothic horror novel follows Marlinchen, a young witch living with her two sisters and their tyrannical wizard father in a city caught between old magic and industrial progress. The sisters are among the last true witches of Oblya, but their father keeps them isolated while exploiting their abilities. When Marlinchen sneaks into the city and meets Sevas, a ballet dancer who captures her attention, she begins imagining a life beyond the walls of her father’s home. Meanwhile, a monster is stalking the city, and Marlinchen’s increasingly dangerous circumstances force her to confront both the creature outside and the darkness within her own family.

Juniper & Thorn is a particularly good standalone for readers who want something that feels like a traditional fairy tale before taking a very sharp turn into horror. Reid reworks The Juniper Tree into a story about control, abuse, desire, hunger, and identity, creating a world that becomes increasingly disturbing as Marlinchen begins to understand the reality she’s been living in. It’s not an easy read — the novel contains extensive content warnings for subjects including eating disorders, self-harm, sexual abuse, parental abuse, gore, and body horror — but it is also intensely atmospheric and character-driven.

Christopher Nolan has tackled everything from superhero epics to science fiction, but they say all great directors have to make a great war movie at some point, don’t they? Nolan must have felt the weight of expectation because in 2017, he followed in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, David Lean, Quentin Tarantino and more.

Almost a decade later, Dunkirk has officially landed on the beaches of Paramount+ after it became one of Nolan’s biggest successes critically and financially. Dunkirk opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea, they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. The story unfolds on land, sea and air. RAF Spitfires engage the enemy in the skies above the Channel, trying to protect the defenseless men below. Meanwhile, hundreds of small boats, manned by both military personnel and civilians, are mounting a desperate rescue effort, risking their lives in a race against time to save even a fraction of their army. The story unfolds across three separate timelines in another of Nolan’s famous clock-watching ideas.

The cast is led by Fionn Whitehead (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) as Tommy, alongside Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Farrier, Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) as the Shivering Soldier, Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) as Mr. Dawson, Kenneth Branagh (Murder on the Orient Express) as Commander Bolton, Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) as George, Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as Collins, and Harry Styles (Don’t Worry Darling) as Alex.

How Successful Was ‘Dunkirk’?

Dunkirk has remained one of Nolan’s most critically acclaimed movies, currently holding a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes from 469 reviews, alongside an 81% audience score. The critical consensus has particularly praised Nolan’s command of the movie’s spectacle and its ensemble cast.

The movie was also a major commercial and awards success, grossing approximately $525 million worldwide and receiving eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Nolan’s first for Best Director. It ultimately won three Oscars for Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing, cementing its status as one of the most decorated movies of Nolan’s career.

Dunkirk is streaming now on Paramount+.

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Release Date

July 21, 2017

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106 minutes

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Kelsea Ballerini is coming to Stella Lefty’s defence after the “Thinking ‘bout You” singer ruffled some feathers with her recent appearance at Grand Ole Opry.

Lefty has been in the line of fire from some online critics after she made her Opry debut on Tuesday, September 1. The following day, the Opry shared footage via its Instagram account of Lefty performing her hit “Boston” with two young St. Jude patients.

The video received some negative comments, including accusations that Lefty is a “nepo baby.” (Lefty’s dad is Eric Lefkofsky, the co-founder of Groupon and a CEO of a biotech company.)

Others threw shade at the singer for using Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” in the hit song while some people expressed their opinion that Lefty didn’t deserve the honor of performing at the Nashville institution.

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Commenting on the video, Ballerini, 32, clapped back at Lefty’s haters.

“Opry member chiming in!!” Ballerini wrote. “Yes, the Opry is about honoring the legacies and the people that have inspired both me and her. But, from different backgrounds and hometowns and generations, we can find ways to say and sing things that resonate with people that fill the seats…and that is always the goal right?”

The “Love Me Like You Mean It” singer continued, “This backstage moment is beautiful. And y’all in the comments continue to not honor the people the actual Opry house opens its arms to. It’s about celebration of all kinds of country music…new, old, traditional, current, however you wanna say it. It’s all important, and it should all be able to be shared in our safest and most sacred stage in country music.”

Ballerini further urged, “Celebrate music like the Opry does. ❤️”

In an additional comment, Ballerini continued to emphasize her point of view and stress that the performance was for a good cause.

“DOUBLING DOWN that this is a video of her singing to St Jude’s patients,” she added. “Yall go get some sleep.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair published on August 21, Lefty addressed the “nepo baby” criticism leveled at her because of her father and his billionaire status.

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“Obviously there’s going to be this conversation around it, which I totally understand,” Lefty told the publication. “Me and my dad have spoken about this a lot since I even started music. He was like, ‘The truth will set you free.’”

Lefty noted that a benefit of her privileged upbringing was time to work on her craft without pressure to find a way to pay the bills.

“I had the ability to really explore, and I didn’t have a stopwatch. I felt like I had this cushion,” she said.

Last week, the world lost a true acting legend as Tim Curry passed away aged 80. The star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Clue, and Muppet Treasure Island was one of Hollywood’s recognizable faces and voices, having pioneered groundbreaking projects and lent his unmistakable tone to many iconic characters. After suffering a serious stroke in 2012, his on-screen career was curtailed, but his many show-stealing performances remain favorites in households around the world.

Curry’s most famous performances include being buried underneath makeup as Darkness in Ridley Scott‘s Legend, as the groundbreaking Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show and its subsequent movie, and as Wadsworth in the iconic murder mystery Clue. Curry was a three-time Tony Award nominee, a Daytime Emmy winner, and a two-time recipient of an Olivier nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He was best known for his villainous performances, with few better than his nightmare-inducing turn as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries based on Stephen King‘s It.

Childish, depraved, and utterly compelling, Curry’s Pennywise is to this day one of the most frightening performances in screen history and remains the reason many are still scared of clowns. His ever-expressive face allowed for minimal prosthetics to be used, freeing Curry to take each beat and twist it into fuel for nightmares. In memory of his passing, millions are returning to this iconic performance to pay their respects. At the time of writing, Tommy Lee Wallace‘s It is one of the ten most-watched titles on HBO Max in the U.S., a list topped by Bob Odenkirk‘s new action movie, Normal.

‘It’ Would Later Break a Huge Record

Following Wallace and Curry’s memorable adaptation, It would cement itself in screen history in 2017 courtesy of Andy Muschietti‘s adaptation of the flashback portions of King’s novel. Starring the likes of Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Martell, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, this modern adaptation would prove an enormous hit with audiences, earning more than $700 million at the global box office and becoming the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, a record that stands to this day.

It is a hit on HBO Max. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

1990 – 1990

Directors

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Tommy Lee Wallace

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• 
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  Harry Anderson

  Richie Tozier

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You’ve got tees, blouses and plenty of cardigans in your closet, but nothing that carries you from errands to boardroom meetings looking like a millionaire. Blazers are an easy way to elevate your aesthetic, but they usually cost hundreds . . . until now. We found a chic, polished blazer on sale for only $44!

This Cicy Bell Casual Blazer has more than 11,700 five-star ratings on Amazon, with shoppers coming back for the same reason: It looks and feels much more expensive than it is, like something you’d pull off a rack at Aritzia or Banana Republic, not a bestseller list.

Get the Cicy Bell Casual Blazer for $44 (was $59) on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Here’s what makes it work. The buttery-soft fabric is wrinkle-resistant, the lapel collar keeps things structured and the slim fit skims your figure without squeezing. Better yet, the single-button closure gives you that clean, tailored shape when you want it, and the open-front drape works when you don’t.

One happy shopper raved, “This jacket is amazing! The fabric is of very decent thickness and quality is quite rich. The black color is deep and rich-looking.”

Another five-star fan shared, “The quality is comparable to one of my $400 blazers, so I’ll be buying this brand from now on.”

Throw it over a white tee and jeans for lunch, layer it over a silk cami for dinner or wear it with trousers to the office. No matter how you style this ultra-classy layer, people will assume you got promoted.

The khaki version is having a moment right now, and honestly, so is every other shade it comes in. With 31 dreamy colors to choose from, you’ll want at least two. Snag the deal while your size is still in stock, and hurry!

Get the Cicy Bell Casual Blazer for $44 (was $59) on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more chic blazers, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Fall Sale Alert: These chic fashion finds are up to 60% off – plus free shipping

Welcome to fall with our biggest sale of the season. Our favorite dresses, tops, handbags, and shoes are all on sale + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

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