Via Forbes.com:

At the core of any successful franchise is the ability to license toys and products based off a related piece of media, a business strategy famously highlighted by George Lucas in his dealings with 20th Century Fox over the first Star Wars film. Fox allowed Lucas to make his own licensing deals independent of the studio and when the movie was an unexpected hit, several of the following products would go down in collectable and toy history as nostalgic keepsakes forever-connected to the promise of play. The other end of the licensing spectrum is a property like the Transformers: little more than a concept for a robot-car that has proven a resilient toy line and given birth to four live action movies that have all together grossed well over a billion dollars.

Click the image below for the full story!