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tentpole movie

tentpole movie

1 6.5
A big film that earns a lot of money and helps pay for other films
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛntˌpoʊl ˈmuːvi/
  • Jargon
translation icon : película blockbuster
  • Marvel's tentpole movie released last summer became the highest-grossing film of all time.

Would you say a lot of tentpole movies are hand holding and maybe some people want that.

Examples

  • The studio invested heavily in a new tentpole movie expected to generate over a billion dollars at the box office.

  • Would you say a lot of tentpole movies are hand holding and maybe some people want that.

  • Here was a woman who actually succeeded in having a tentpole movie, so, wow, maybe this other girl can.

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  • Prior to that, if you want a major tentpole movie, it must be geared toward 13-year-old boys.

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  • It'll no doubt be a "big tentpole" movie, and with these two storytellers leading the way, it is definitely something to watch for.

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  • The immutable Laws of Corporate Synergy (they're like the Three Laws of Motion, but for money) require tentpole movies to have video game adaptations.

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  • Each year, Hollywood studios release several tentpole movies to ensure profitable earnings and support smaller projects.

Synonyms

blockbuster
vstentpole movie
81 2.6

A very popular film or book that earns a lot of money

aims to bring large revenue and specifically support funding for other projects
tentpole
vstentpole movie
  • Jargon
3 6.8

A main event or product that brings most attention and money to a company

is a major studio production meant to earn money and fund other projects
megahit
vstentpole movie
3 3.4

A very popular movie or song many people enjoy

is focused on generating revenue to finance less profitable projects

How Big

blockbuster
81 2.6
tentpole movie
  • Jargon
1 6.5
arthouse
1 6.9
indie
  • Jargon
75 5.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

tentpole + movie

The compound combines 'tentpole' (a principal/supporting event or product) with 'movie' (a film), so its meaning—a film that supports or drives a studio's slate—is directly inferable from the constituents. The metaphor of a tentpole as something that supports other things is transparent in this construction, so a learner who knows both words can readily deduce the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Tentpole movie comes from the picture of a big circus tent: a single pole holds up the tent so the whole show can run. A 'tentpole movie' is a very large film that 'holds up' a studio by bringing in lots of money and helping to pay for smaller projects.