The Big Five (Major Film Studios)

The Big Five refers to the five major Hollywood film studios that historically dominated the industry: Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Columbia (Sony), and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). They controlled most of the production, distribution, and exhibition of films, essentially shaping the industry’s landscape. These studios were vertically integrated, meaning they owned the entire process from making movies to distributing and showing them in theaters. Over time, their dominance declined due to regulatory challenges and industry shifts, but they remain influential. Today, the landscape has become more fragmented, with other major players like Disney and Netflix rising in prominence.