As both Thompson (2007: 4) and Sladdin (2004: 1) argue, we tend to misunderstand or misrepresent the concept of franchising, which is often sloppily reduced to “sequelization”. While sequels are, indeed, connected to franchising, the concept of franchising is broader, including the selling of tie-in products, tied promotion deals, cross media distribution and cross-promotion (cf. Hardy 2010: 4-7, Halskov 2010). The notion of a “blockbuster” covers a wide range of films, but essentially defines a huge box office hit that attracts a horde of movie goers (as if busting an entire apartment block) (cf. Shone 2004, King 2002: 66-75). Is this still the case for modern-day blockbusters, or do modern big budget movies, in fact, generate profits by thinking outside the box (office), by thinking beyond ticket sales and by producing a block of different sources of entertainment and income? This paper was presented at a conference on “Bestseller and Blockbuster Culture” at Aalborg University, March 2013. … More The Never-Ending Story – The Concept and Issue of Franchising