Summer of sequels sets records

Thanks in large measure to a successful series of sequels, the movie industry set a new record for the summer, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. The $2.95-billion total was 6 percent higher than 1999’s, the previous record-holder, although actual admissions lagged behind that year. “You’d still have to call this a very successful summer, given the number of tremendous opening grosses and the number of films that exceeded $100 million,” Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the New York Daily News. Five of the top 10 movies were sequels: The Mummy Returns, Rush Hour 2, Jurassic Park III, American Pie 2, and Dr. Dolittle 2. In addition, Planet of the Apes was a “reimagining” of the original film. The biggest hit of the summer was DreamWorks Shrek, which has now earned more than $260 million.