50 Coolest Fictional Movie Companies

Stark Industries

The Company: Defence contractor that undergoes a transformation into more altruistic goals when Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) has a Damascene conversion en route to becoming Iron Man (2008).

Why We'd Want To Work There: Here, for once, is a military-minded corporation with a sense of ethics, and who wouldn't rather be making superhero armour than bombs 'n' bullets? Also: cool parties.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The Stark Tower becoming a stomping ground for Chitauri, Asgardian gods, a Hulk and various other Avengers.

Macmillan Toys

The Company: Toy manufacturer that finds it has a secret insight into what children likes when it hires boy-in-a-man's-body Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) in Big (1988).

Why We'd Want To Work There: So we could test toys all day and get paid for it. Even a trip out of the office only goes as far as FAO Schwartz.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: All the dull business stuff that goes with it.

Cyberdyne Systems

The Company: U.S. defence experts who try to eliminate human error from warfare by creating the self-aware Global Digital Defence Network known as Skynet.

Why We'd Want To Work There: It's the easiest gig in the world. Find state-of-the-art technology that's been sent back in time, figure out how it works and reverse engineer some innovations to call your own.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: Skynet going rogue and causing armageddon.

Wonka's

The Company: Chocolate manufacturer owned by eccentric Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp, take your pick) and staffed by the diminutive Oompa-Loompas.

Why We'd Want To Work There: Endless chocolate! And songs! And chocolate! And great glass elevators! But mostly the chocolate.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The side-effects of Wonka's more experimental creations, like the Three-Course-Dinner gum.

Omni Consumer Products

The Company: The big playa in Detroit, which controls everything from the media ("I'd buy that for a dollar!") to the police force. Speaking of which, meet their latest prototype: Robocop (1987).

Why We'd Want To Work There: Yes, they are an evil mega-corporation, but they let their scientists run wild coming up with cool, if totally impractical, killbots like ED209.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The desire to privatise life itself, by creating a town - Delta City - where the inhabitants are shareholders.

Universal Exports

The Company: Just your common-or-garden import/export firm. [Not really. It's a front for MI6. Ssh! Don't tell anybody.]

Why We'd Want To Work There: The girls, the gadgets, the extensive overseas (and occasionally outer space) travel, the licence to kill.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The near-constant threat of assassination via laser, alligator, golden gun, poison-dipped shoe, Grace Jones, etc.

Monsters Inc.

The Company: The lifeblood of Monstropolis, fuelled by human emotions - and once the monsters have figured out that laughter carries more juice than screaming, this is the kind of place where the more fun you have, the better a job you do. (It's Pixar, in other words.)

Why We'd Want To Work There: There's no discrimination - the odder you look, the better, frankly. And if you like to travel… great! Behind every door lies a new world.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The overzealous decontamination process after getting touched by a human.

Weyland-Yutani

The Company: Earth's business ambassador to the stars, this huge conglomerate is always on the prowl for the best that space can offer, be it new planets suitable for colonisation or xenomorph tech for the military division.

Why We'd Want To Work There: If you've ever wanted to see the stars, Weyland-Yutani a range of job prospects from working on a freighter [in Alien (1979)] to archaeological exploration [ Prometheus (2012)].

Though We Could Probably Do Without: Their habit of using employees as guinea pigs to smuggle chestbursters back to Earth.

Wayne Enterprises

The Company: Family business turned corporate giant, which confounds shareholders thanks to the whims of owner Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) in using the firm to fund top-secret R&D into crime-fighting gadgetry.

Why We'd Want To Work There: Because this - specifically, the Applied Sciences division, under the leadership of Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) - is where Batman gets all those wonderful toys.

Though We Could Probably Do Without: The constant pincer movement from boardroom rebels on the one hand, and masked psychos on the other, to discredit the firm.

Ghostbusters

The Company: Entrepreneurial start-up founded in 1984 by boffins Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) to rid Manhattan of its ectoplasmic scourge.

Why We'd Want To Work There: The Ghostbusters have a cool logo, a knack for reusing unwanted stuff (their vehicle is an ambulance, their HQ is a fire station with a pole) and - best of all - they have their own theme tune! Who else ya gonna call?

Though We Could Probably Do Without: Getting slimed on every job.