Curious to know—what’s your all-time favorite transmedia world? I’m talking stories that stretch across books, games, films, maybe even comics or animation. The kind of universes that just keep expanding and still hold up.
Here are a few of mine:
1. Shrek – Wildly entertaining across formats and ages
2. Star Wars – From novels to games to streaming, it’s a global myth
3. The Lord of the Rings – Still the blueprint for cinematic worldbuilding
4. Underworld – Dark fantasy done loud and stylish
5. Van Helsing – Gritty, gothic, and underrated in how it crosses mediums
These kinds of OTT worlds have inspired how I build my projects for film, games, and streaming.
Would love to hear yours—what transmedia world has stuck with you over the years and why?
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What has stuck with me are the early Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale. They are seemingly everywhere and have been for decades. As a child of the 60s and 70s, I would see them on TV, in the cinema, at Disney World. I would receive Disney related toys and clothing and books as a child. They still have not gone out of style.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dwayne Williams 2. It's fun and they're always doing something fresh with the universe. I grew up watching the movies, watching the cartoon, and playing the games. I also read one of the comics growing up.
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That’s such a timeless pick Wyman Brent. Those early Disney characters really are the blueprint for transmedia longevity—they’ve been part of every format imaginable and still feel relevant decades later. It’s wild how deeply embedded they are in pop culture, from screen to merch to physical spaces like Disney World. That kind of consistency across generations is rare. Totally get why they stuck with you. Classics for a reason!
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Ahh, that’s a gem Maurice Vaughan. TMNT is one of those franchises that’s seriously underlooked when it comes to transmedia success. It’s been through so many reinventions—comics, cartoons, movies, games—and still finds a way to stay fresh while keeping that original energy. That kind of worldbuilding is hard to replicate.
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You're right, Dwayne Williams 2. Did you see TMNT: Mutant Mayhem?
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Yeah, I’ve seen it a few times—actually rewatched it just a few weeks ago. The graphics are super fun—gave me that same kind of vibe I got from Spider-Man. It honestly makes me feel like I’m watching a video game in motion, which I think is a great setup for transmedia. The energy, visuals, and humor are on point. They did a great job keeping it fresh while staying true to the TMNT spirit.
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The TMNT: Mutant Mayhem style reminded me of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse style, Dwayne Williams 2. I want to see more movies with those styles. I remember one of the TMNT shows had a female turtle. That was a fresh idea for the franchise.
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Dwayne Williams 2 Van Helsing! I loved that movie! It underperformed but Stephen Sommers always seemed to be a bit out of touch when in fact he was ahead of the curve, I think. He had material for an MCU-style series with Van Helsing and maybe even The Mummy. Alas, box office numbers dictated his fate and he hasn't done anything of scale recently.
But some transmedia I like:
1) The 007 Universe - not as tight with canon as others but it was a proto-combined universe as early as the 1960s.
2) The Terminator Series - they tried to make a third entry 4 times - T3, Salvation, Genesys, Dark Fate - but never quite got it. Still, the first 2 are awesome and the game "Terminator: Resistance" is pretty cool.
3) Starship Troopers - a controversial 1955 novel (that's not satire), a 1997 satirical movie with odd sequels, and some ok games that eventually start to resemble Heinlein's original vision. My sci-fi action script took some cues from this universe.
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I loved Starship Troopers growing up, Michael Dzurak. I saw it for the first time in theaters. I think they're making another one.
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Yeah Maurice Vaughan, definitely! That Into the Spider-Verse style feels like it’s carving out its own animation genre—I could see it expanding into more mature, even R-rated stories. I've always thought a spinoff focused on Master Splinter’s past could be wild. Like, his life before the turtles… how he trained, what kind of underground war or dojo rivalries shaped him. It could be gritty, emotional, and visually unforgettable. And imagine if he had trained a female turtle before them—someone who vanished or was thought lost. That kind of mystery could add real depth to the lore.
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I'd watch a spinoff focused on Master Splinter’s past, Dwayne Williams 2! I like your ideas for it!
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Michael Dzurak Man, I feel that—Van Helsing was such a moment. I was only a kid when I watched it, but it stuck with me hard. The world felt massive, like it had room for spin-offs and side quests way before that was the norm.
Sommers had a vision people weren’t quite ready for yet. And your lineup 007, Terminator, Starship Troopers—those are treasures, no doubt. I haven’t seen Starship Troopers yet, but it’s been on my list for a while. 007 and Terminator are easily in my top 10—such iconic, genre-shaping worlds. Appreciate you dropping these. Opened me up more to the edges of transmedia and how deep it really runs.
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For me, it has to be The Matrix/Animatrix and the graphic novels.
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Geoff Hall I love The Matrix—that one’s a legend for real. I remember playing the game when I was younger too, felt like stepping right into the universe. I haven’t seen Animatrix yet, but it’s officially on the watchlist this week.
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My marketing brain looks at how transmedia is used to bring audiences together:
1) The Dark Knight Rises launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuC7HhCPWA
2) TNT Dallas 2012: I loved how the actors' characters had their own social media pages and interacted with fans in character.
3) Kokanee Ranger Live or Die Campaign https://mediaincanada.com/2008/04/02/kokanee-20080402/
4) The Barbie movie
Of course, merchandising is king in my books, and it's where Marvel and Star Wars excelled. I will never forgive Zorro for dropping the ball on merchandising, and same to the NHL on their Nike goalie campaign (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFB4E5895B1A27DE4&si=zADcbAaVBx5AkeBe).
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I’m with Geoff Hall! The Matrix universe is one of the best and most successful true transmedia storytelling examples out there!
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Debbie, I’m with you on The Dark Knight Rises—absolutely iconic. That rollout was unforgettable, especially how it made fans feel like part of something global. I was also deep into Batman video games growing up, so it hit even harder on that level.
About the TNT Dallas campaign, that was a fun execution, but it might not fully qualify as transmedia in the traditional sense. Still, I love seeing efforts like that where audience engagement crosses mediums.
The Kokanee Ranger campaign is definitely a creative approach to brand world-building, though I’m still weighing if it fits cleanly into transmedia—or leans more into immersive marketing. Either way, it’s smart use of character as an anchor.
Appreciate you sharing all of these. It’s always inspiring to see the many ways storytelling and marketing collide.
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Ashley Renée Smith! I agree, also, The Matrix is a strong case study for screenwriters learning transmedia. I think that model shows how a writer can design the philosophical core, mythology, and expansion seeds themselves. The Matrix demonstrates how a screenwriter can build a transmedia-ready engine through story first.