20th Century Fox

The Studio That Brought Blockbusters to Life

Before the Disney era, before the streaming wars, before superheroes ruled the box office—there was 20th Century Fox. One of the original powerhouses of Hollywood’s golden age, this legendary studio was behind everything from epic sci-fi sagas to musicals, Westerns, and Oscar-winning dramas.

In this post, we’re taking a walk through Hollywood history to explore how 20th Century Fox helped shape modern cinema—and what became of the iconic studio name we all grew up with.

Where It All Began

A Tale of Two Studios

The story starts way back in 1935, when two companies merged:

Fox Film Corporation (founded in 1915 by William Fox)

Twentieth Century Pictures (co-founded in 1933 by Joseph Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck)

Together, they formed 20th Century-Fox (the hyphen was dropped later), and the studio quickly rose to the top of Hollywood’s elite.

With its signature spotlight fanfare and sweeping logo, 20th Century Fox became one of the “Big Five” studios during Hollywood’s Golden Age, alongside MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., and RKO.

A Legacy of Legendary Films

20th Century Fox built its reputation on big, ambitious, crowd-pleasing movies. Here are just a few of the iconic titles it brought to life:

The Sound of Music (1965)

A timeless musical classic and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Julie Andrews twirling in the Alps? That’s Fox magic.

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Yep, Fox gave George Lucas a shot—and it changed everything. Star Wars launched one of the most successful franchises in film history.

Alien (1979)

Part sci-fi thriller, part horror masterpiece—Alien helped define a genre and introduced the world to Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ripley.

Titanic (1997)

Co-produced with Paramount, James Cameron’s historic epic was distributed internationally by Fox and became a global phenomenon.

Life of Pi, The Revenant, Bohemian Rhapsody, Avatar—the list goes on.

For decades, Fox balanced prestige films and popcorn blockbusters, turning the studio into a household name worldwide.

More Than Movies: TV, News, and More

In the 1980s and '90s, Fox expanded beyond film into television with the launch of the Fox Broadcasting Company (yep, that’s where The Simpsons, X-Files, and 24 came from).

While 20th Century Fox Film Corporation focused on movies, sister companies like 20th Century Fox Television made massive waves in primetime entertainment.

The Iconic Fox Lot

Located in Century City, Los Angeles, the 20th Century Fox studio lot has been home to thousands of productions over the decades. The “New York Street” set, iconic sound stages, and executive buildings became Hollywood landmarks.

Even the studio’s own backlot appeared in films and TV shows—making Fox as much a part of pop culture as the movies it created.

The Disney Takeover: End of an Era?

In 2019, a seismic shift happened in Hollywood: The Walt Disney Company officially acquired 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion. The deal included:

20th Century Fox film and TV studios

FX Networks

National Geographic

Fox Searchlight (now Searchlight Pictures)

But it did not include:

Fox News

Fox Sports

Fox Broadcasting Company (these stayed under the newly formed Fox Corporation)

What Changed?

As part of the rebrand, Disney dropped the “Fox” name:

20th Century Fox became 20th Century Studios

Fox Searchlight became Searchlight Pictures

The goal? To avoid brand confusion with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp, which retained the "Fox" name for its news and TV channels.

What’s 20th Century Studios Doing Now?

Though the name has changed, the legacy lives on. Under Disney, 20th Century Studios continues to release a mix of theatrical films and streaming content, including:

Free Guy (2021)

West Side Story (2021)

The Creator (2023)

It also manages key franchises like:

Avatar

Planet of the Apes

Kingsman

Home Alone (now rebooted on Disney+)

Meanwhile, Searchlight Pictures has taken the mantle of releasing more “art house” and awards-season contenders like The Menu, Poor Things, and The Banshees of Inisherin.

Why 20th Century Fox Still Matters

Even if the original name is no longer on the marquee, the impact of 20th Century Fox is everywhere. For over 80 years, the studio was a place where creators could dream big—whether they were building spaceships, singing in the hills of Austria, or surviving an alien attack.

The studio took risks. It backed visionaries. And it helped shape the modern moviegoing experience.

So while Disney now owns the keys to the kingdom, the legacy of Fox—the real Hollywood Fox—remains woven into cinema history.

Final Thoughts

In a world where studios come and go, few have left a mark like 20th Century Fox. Its blend of classic storytelling and cutting-edge innovation helped define multiple generations of film.

Whether you first fell in love with movies thanks to Star Wars, The Sound of Music, or Home Alone, there’s a little bit of Fox magic in all of us.