Hollywood is banking that good things really do come in threes as it prepares to unleash an unprecedented series of blockbuster sequels on the summer box-office.
In a rare alignment of the tinseltown stars, three of the most profitable franchises in history release their long-awaited third instalments next month: Pirates of the Caribbean, Spider-Man and Shrek.
The trio of blockbuster follow-ups are part of a broader trend of summer sequels as Hollywood studios opt for tried and tested formulas on the basis that "if ain't broke, don't fix it."
"Somebody counted it and said there were 14 sequels this summer," Lew Harris, the editor of the respected movies.com Web site. "This is absolutely the summer of the sequels."
As well as Pirates, Spider-Man and Shrek, a number of other successful films of recent years were readying sequels, with a fifth instalment of the money-spinning Harry Potter based on J.K. Rowling's books heading the field.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt will return for crime-caper Ocean's 13, while Matt Damon is reprising his role as assassin Jason Bourne for a third time in The Bourne Ultimatum.
Other sequels include Bruce Willis action movie Die Hard 4 (Live Free and Die Hard), Fantastic Four, Evan Almighty and Hostel 2.
RSS