A
major film studio is a
movie production and
distribution company that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of
box-office revenues in a given market. In the North American, Western, and global markets, the major film studios, often simply known as the
majors, are commonly regarded as the six diversified
media conglomerates whose various movie production and distribution subsidiaries command approximately 90 percent of the U.S. and Canadian box office. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary movie business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate. The "
Big Six" majors, whose movie operations are based in or around
Hollywood, are all centered in
film studios active during Hollywood's
Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. In three cases—
20th Century Fox,
Warner Bros., and
Paramount—the studios were one of the "Big Five" majors during that era as well. In two cases—
Columbia and
Universal—the studios were also considered majors, but in the next tier down, part of the "Little Three." In the sixth case,
Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age; it was an important Hollywood entity, but not a major.
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