The movie industry is one of the hugest in the world, making millions and millions of pounds every year. The leading production studios (WB, Paramount, Disney / Buena Vista etc) monopolise the market in a number of different ways to stay number one;

Exclusive deals : Actors, directors and even scriptwriters are tied down to contracts which stipulate that they can only act / direct / write for a certain studio. Up and coming and younger actors (e.g. Chris Rock) are a financial risk to the studio, so this is balanced by the studios by doing the same with a guaranteed box office draw such as a Mel Gibson.

Use the successes to fund new projects : A hugely successful film for a particular studio will allow the studio to bankroll other projects with the money gained from the success. More money into the new projects gives the new projects more of a chance of success and in turn more money for the studio.

Fads & Trends : If a certain cartoon or television programme is hugely successful, it will more likely become a film. The huge money and big names of the studios will give them more of a chance of getting the cartoon/ programme rather than a smaller independent company and because it has allready been a hit on the small screen, financially there is minimum risk.

Latest Technologies : Without blowing up a real building and filming the result, smaller studios cannot afford to develop special effect filled extravaganzas. A big name studio with an archive of successful films will have more room to buy the latest developments in technologies. Smaller, independent studios simply do not have the money to make something as extravagant as Toy Story or Independence Day. Then if these films become a success for the large studios, they will invest more money on more equipment to add other dimensions to their films and make them further steps ahead of their competition.