Franchise hell

Summer 2009 is loaded to the gills with franchises entries, sequels and a handful of movies that studios hope will turn into franchises. They’re stacked up one after another because everyone at the studio level is only concerned about the opening weekend, the focal point of the entire marketing push and the moment at which they take the biggest slice of the box-office.

That focus is being seen farther and farther out, as studios announce opening dates two or three years out for movies that aren’t even in pre-production yet.