Hollywood playing it saffe in 2002 with sequels

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood continues to borrow the business plan from the fast-food industry, whose three guiding words are franchise, franchise, franchise.

Even more so than 2001, the coming year brings a bounty of sequels, spinoffs, updates and film franchises in the making, led by the latest in the "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Star Trek," James Bond and Austin Powers series.

As last year proved, serving up more of the same in franchises such as "Rush Hour," "The Mummy," "Jurassic Park," "American Pie" and "Dr. Dolittle" means almost certain box-office success. Most sequels did huge business in 2001, with many taking in more money than the originals.

Sequels once were largely cheap, inferior knockoffs meant to turn a quick buck. Hollywood has learned that putting more care into follow-ups -- in many cases keeping the original cast and crew intact -- amounts to a license to print money.

"Sequels used to get a bad name as just rehashes," said Jeff Blake, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony. "The reason sequels now in most cases are outperforming the originals is that no corners are being cut on the 'Rush Hours' or 'American Pies."'

Sony's sequels this summer include "Men in Black 2" and "Stuart Little 2," with the directors and main cast members returning from the first films.

Besides those films, the number "2" will be prominent in other big titles, including "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams," "Blade 2" and "The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause."

Anthony Hopkins serves up another Hannibal Lecter feast in "The Silence of the Lambs" prequel "Red Dragon." "The Friday After Next" will be No. 3 in Ice Cube's series of urban comedies. CIA character Jack Ryan, previously played by Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford, this time is personified by Ben Affleck in Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears."

Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal are back as a mobster-therapist pair in "Analyze That." "Shanghai Noon" partners Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson leave behind the Wild West and head to England for "Shanghai Knights." Antonio Banderas returns as the El Mariachi gunslinger from "Desperado" in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico."

"Rollerball" is reborn, with John McTiernan directing the sci-fi update about a blood sport on skates. H.G. Wells' great-grandson Simon directs a new version of "The Time Machine," starring Guy Pearce ("Memento"). The "Friday the 13th" slasher series goes sci-fi with "Jason X," as 25th century archaeologists dig up the crazy killer.

Disney revisits classic tales with the prequel "The Young Black Stallion"; "Return to Never Land," an animated sequel to "Peter Pan"; and "Treasure Planet," a sci-fi animated adaptation of "Treasure Island." Disney-owned Miramax has a go at "Pinocchio," a live-action version starring Roberto Benigni, who also directs.

Pro wrestler The Rock reprises his bit from "The Mummy Returns" in "The Scorpion King," a spinoff about an ancient Egyptian warrior busting heads in a battle with the city of Gomorrah.

"It's not a 'Mummy' sequel," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, the studio behind "The Mummy" flicks and "The Scorpion King." "It's starting the next generation in a different mode and hopefully creating a new franchise."

Line up now for your Scorpion King lunchboxes.

Director M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable") continues cornering the market on the Rod Serlingesque creepiness franchise with "Signs," starring Mel Gibson as a farmer trying to solve the mystery of crop circles that appear in his fields.

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," a franchise unto itself, also makes a return engagement this spring with a 20th anniversary release containing previously unreleased footage and digital embellishments.

Comics, cartoons and TV shows are spawning a range of films, including the live-action "Spider-Man" starring Tobey Maguire. There's also a live-action "Scooby-Doo," a big-screen take on "I Spy," and the animated flicks "Powerpuff Girls: The Movie," from the Cartoon Network show, and "Hey Arnold! The Movie" and "The Wild Thornberrys," both based on Nickelodeon series.

An original computer-animated film that could have franchise potential is "Ice Age," with the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Jack Black in the tale of a woolly mammoth, saber-toothed tiger, sloth and ratlike squirrel that battle the elements.

And teen-pop music franchise Britney Spears makes her film debut with "Crossroads," about three childhood friends reuniting for a cross-country road trip.

Mike Myers and director Jay Roach collaborate a third time on their spy-spoof franchise with "Austin Powers in Goldmember," due out in July.

Pierce Brosnan is back around Thanksgiving for his fourth outing as 007 in the 20th official James Bond film, as yet untitled. Halle Berry plays the spy's latest villainess.

Also over the holidays, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise crew embark on a peace mission with those nasty Romulans in "Star Trek: Nemesis," the 10th big-screen episode in Hollywood's most prolific science-fiction franchise.

The big three for the year are wizards, hobbits and clones. Coming in mid-May is "Star Wars: Episode II -- The Attack of the Clones," a B-movie title for the most A-list of franchises. Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman return as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala, with Hayden Christensen joining as the new Anakin Skywalker, who begins his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader.

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas directs again and co-wrote the screenplay. The story takes place 10 years after "The Phantom Menace," with Jedi knights Obi-Wan and Anakin assigned to guard Padme when her life is threatened by political rebels.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" materializes around Thanksgiving, with the franchise poised for a huge follow-up after the first film conjured up $300 million and counting in ticket sales. Part two of the boy wizard's adventures went into production in London three days after "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" opened by shattering box-office records.

The gang from "Sorcerer's Stone" is back: Director Chris Columbus, child actors Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and the key adult cast, including Richard Harris, Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane.

Hot on Harry's heels will come the second installment of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy about a hobbit on a quest to destroy a magical ring that threatens all creation. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" opens a week before Christmas, following the pattern of "The Fellowship of the Ring," which has soared past $200 million and is catching major awards attention as the Oscars approach.

All three "Lord of the Rings" films were shot simultaneously. Director Peter Jackson will spend the next two years overseeing post-production on parts two and three.

With part one done and scoring well with audiences and critics, working on the sequels is "like coming back to some old friend and carrying on the journey with the same old friends we had the first time around," Jackson said. "Now that the first one's a success, the weight of this huge risk has lifted. The next two literally can be made for fun and the joy of making films."