Tentpole
A huge, high-budget project
Example
i miss peak MCU
yeah, that was a wild ride. they were the main tentpole for so many summers
Related Slang
| Blockbuster | A commercially successful film |
| Barbenheimer | Barbie and Oppenheimer |
| Dunesday | Theatrical release date of Dune and Doomsday |
| Cinephile | A devoted fan of cinema |
| Rom com | Romantic comedy |
| Dramedy | Dramatic and comedic movie |
| Fandom | Community of fans |
| Requel | A movie featuring elements from a previous film |
| Threequel | The third installation in a series of works |
| Slasher | Horror film |
| Buddy cop | Movie and TV genre featuring two different characters that must work together |
| MCU | Marvel Cinematic Universe |
| DCU | DC Universe |
Take the pop culture acronym challenge
Tentpole is a slang term in the entertainment industry for a big, high-budget project, typically a movie, expected to draw massive audiences and generate major revenue. The term comes from the idea of a tent's central poles holding everything up, with these major releases "supporting" a studio's financial success for the year.
The term began gaining traction in Hollywood in the late 20th century as blockbuster filmmaking grew, especially during the rise of summer and holiday movie seasons packed with large-scale releases. Today, tentpole is commonly used by film studios, marketers, journalists, and cinephiles to talk about major releases with wide appeal, such as superhero films, sequels, or franchise entries. These projects typically come with huge marketing campaigns, well-known actors, and global releases.