Franchisography

Good news! FRANCHISOGRAPHY at last covers the movie musical that became a pop culture phenomenon during the 2024 holiday season. It’s John M. Chu’s WICKED!

Rumblings of a film adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel predates even the Tony-winning musical starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, but the road to the big screen would prove to be anything but smooth.

Join Nick and Scott as they uncover all the secrets behind the film that finally came to be.

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

On the heels of 2010’s Alice in Wonderland’s massive box office success, Disney was eager to have another live action 3D fantasy ready for audiences quickly, and with the musical Wicked still filling seats on Broadway, the world of Oz was back in the zeitgeist. And so, Spider-Man mastermind Sam Raimi was recruited to bring to life the origin story of another one of Oz’s most iconic citizens.

This is 2013’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.

Join Nick and Scott as they spotlight this oft overlooked addition to the filmography of one of their favorite directors on an eye-popping episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

After buying the film rights to L. Frank Baum’s remaining Oz books in 1954, Walt Disney Productions began work on a live action film starring the teen stars of “The Mickey Mouse Club,” but plans quickly stalled. It wouldn’t be until the 80’s that the House of Mouse would try once more to bring Baum’s wonderful world to the big screen and the resulting film would prove to be one of the most divisive and infamous children’s films of that generation.

This is 1985’s RETURN TO OZ.

Nick and Scott dive deeper into the world of Ozma, The Gump and The Nome King in a darkly delightful episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Premiering on Broadway in 1975, The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and became a mainstream breakthrough for productions with all-Black casts on Broadway. By the late 70’s, Motown mastermind Berry Gordy would attempt to adapt the musical for the silver screen, bringing together a generational collection of talent including legends Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor.

Lonely schoolteacher Dorothy Gale rarely leaves her neighborhood of Harlem, but soon finds herself in the fantastical land of Oz. With the help of a dancing scarecrow, a Coney Island Tin Man and one mean ole’ lion, the timid Dorothy finds her voice and a 70’s new age sense of self worth in this box office failure turned cult classic. It’s 1978’s THE WIZ!

Ease on down the road with Scott and Nick on all-new FRANCHISOGRAPHY!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Nick and Scott as they uncover the secrets of the Oz franchise, winner of the 2025 FRANCHISOGRAPHY Listener’s Pick Tournament!

L. Frank Baum’s children’s book was already a beloved American classic by the time MGM first broke ground on their musical adaptation of the book in 1938, but previous adaptations of Baum’s novels had flopped both critically and at the box office. Could MGM flip the script and deliver a hit?

Uncover the secrets of one of Hollywood’s most treasured creations, 1939’s THE WIZARD OF OZ!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

We interrupt your regularly scheduled mini-series for our second ever Centenisode!

Join Nick and Scott as they celebrate 200 episodes of Franchisography, re-answer listener questions, and rank all of the franchises that we’ve covered since out 100th episode.

Plus, after winning out Centenisode bracket, we discuss a young woman’s journey through a time loop on her birthday as she tries to solve who keeps murdering her, just to do it all over again in an alternate universe.

It’s Christopher Landon’s HAPPY DEATH DAY & HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U.

Special Centenisode Franchise Potential episode covering FREAKY and TREMORS now available on PATREON!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they rank the American Pie franchise, go over the American Pie Presents DTV spin-offs, propose an American Pie reboot, announce our next mini-series, and discuss what to expect on next week’s Centenisode!

Next week: Centenisode 2!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: The Girl Next Door (2004)

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Writing partners Jon Hurtwitz and Hayden Schlossberg saw the first American Pie multiple times in theaters during their freshman year of college. Like original Pie screenwriter Adam Herz, the pair would mine their own adolescent adventures to create comedy in the form of the Harold and Kumar series, their big Hollywood breakthrough.

So when Universal Pictures offered Hurtwitz and Schlossberg the keys to the franchise, they two saw this as a chance to create the Pie film they as fans would most want to see. And their first move was to bring the whole gang together.

This is 2012’s AMERICAN REUNION.

The class of ‘99 return to East Great Falls for a high school reunion and find that all of their lives have turned out quite differently than they imagined as teenagers. But some things never change, like friendship, love and uncontrollable sexual urges.

Nick and Scott wrap up this series that no one asked for on another wild episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

While on set for American Pie 2, series creator and screenwriter Adam Herz revealed to producer Chris Moore that he already had an idea for a third and final chapter to their raunchy coming of age saga: the boys throwing a bachelor party to celebrate the wedding of Jim and Michelle. And after American Pie proved to be an even bigger hit than the first, the bachelor party was on.

This is 2003’s AMERICAN WEDDING.

But not everyone would be invited to the party. WEDDING would be without many key members of the beloved ensemble. Will things be the same without fan faves like Chris Klein, Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth and Natasha Lyonne? Join Nick and Scott for another laugh out loud episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

After the first slice became an unexpected smash hit at the box office, Universal Pictures was quick to greenlight a sequel. Screenwriter Adam Herz once again decided to draw from his own life experiences, this time recalling that awkward transition between high school and college, and how growing and changing can affect even the most loyal group of friends.

The class of East Great Falls High have gone their separate ways, but with summer vacation starting, the gang is eager to make new memories, rekindle old flames and make the most of the time they have left together, all while staying at one legendary lake house.

This is AMERICAN PIE 2 (2001).

Does this second helping of raunchy laughs and wholesome friendship prove as charming as the first? Grab a beer, turn up the Sum 41 and join Nick and Scott for some FRANCHISOGRAPHY summer fun!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey