What Happened to 20th Century Fox?

20th Century Fox, a titan of the American film industry, was born from the 1935 merger of Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures, quickly becoming one of Hollywood's 'Big Five' studios. For decades, it produced iconic films and television shows, establishing a rich legacy. A significant turning point occurred in 1985 when Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation acquired the studio. In 2013, News Corporation split its publishing and entertainment assets, with 20th Century Fox becoming a core part of the newly formed 21st Century Fox.

The most pivotal event in the studio's history was the acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox's assets by The Walt Disney Company. Announced in December 2017 and finalized on March 20, 2019, this monumental $71.3 billion deal dramatically reshaped the entertainment landscape. Disney sought to bolster its content library for its streaming services and gain control over valuable intellectual properties like the X-Men and Fantastic Four, which originated from Marvel but were previously held by Fox.

Following the acquisition, Disney undertook a rebranding effort to distinguish its newly acquired assets from the remaining entities that formed the independent Fox Corporation (which retained Fox News, Fox Sports, and the Fox broadcast network). On January 17, 2020, the film studio was officially renamed 20th Century Studios, dropping 'Fox' from its name. Similarly, its television production arm became 20th Television in August 2020. The specialty film division, Fox Searchlight Pictures, was also rebranded as Searchlight Pictures.

As of September 2026, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, and Searchlight Pictures operate as integral parts of Disney Entertainment. 20th Century Studios continues to produce feature films for both theatrical and streaming release, with notable projects in 2026 including 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' and 'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' the latter having surpassed $1 billion at the global box office. 20th Television remains a prolific producer of live-action television series for ABC, Hulu, Disney+, and other platforms, actively developing new dramas like 'Con Law' and 'The Undertaker' in August 2026. Searchlight Pictures continues its focus on specialty films, with releases and projects in development for 2026 such as 'Is This Thing On?' and 'Wild Horse Nine.' Both 20th Century Studios and 20th Television relocated from the historic Fox Studio Lot to the Walt Disney Studios campus in Burbank by the end of 2025 or early 2026. Meanwhile, the separate Fox Corporation reported strong fiscal year 2026 financial results, with $17.13 billion in revenue, and made headlines in June 2026 with an announced, though later scrutinized, acquisition of Roku, Inc.