Three of these were among that original era's 'Big Eight' major film studios. The current 'Big Five' majors (Universal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, and Columbia) all originate with film studios that were active during Hollywood's 'Golden Age'. It is 'nearly impossible' for a film to reach a broad international theatrical audience without being first picked up by one of the majors for distribution. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures – routinely distribute hundreds of films every year into all significant international markets (that is, where discretionary income is high enough for consumers to afford to watch films). Today, the Big Five majors – Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros.

studios have benefited from a strong first-mover advantage in that they were the first to industrialize filmmaking and master the art of mass-producing and distributing high-quality films with broad cross-cultural appeal. major film studios have dominated both American cinema and the global film industry. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate. In the American and international markets, the major film studios, often known simply as the majors or the Big Five studios, are commonly regarded as the five diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85% of U.S. Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. Class=notpageimage| Big Five studios in Hollywood (Paramount) and on the Westside (Columbia)

Cinema studio