: Unique for blending film with anime ( Crunchyroll ) and gaming ( PlayStation Productions ), it operates Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures .
By the 1990s, studios were subsidiaries of multinational conglomerates (e.g., Disney’s acquisition of ABC, Time Warner’s merger with AOL). Productions became global events, with budgets ballooning to $200 million+. The focus shifted to franchise films (sequels, prequels, adaptations) as hedges against financial risk.
The term "popular entertainment" is no longer controlled by Hollywood. International studios are producing content that rivals—and often surpasses—American productions in scale and fandom.
No essay on modern studios is complete without Netflix. Born as a DVD-by-mail service, Netflix became the prime mover of the , fundamentally altering how we consume popular entertainment. But its deeper impact is on what gets produced.
Classics like The Lion King and modern hits like Frozen .
Produced the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. Universal Pictures