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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sequels succeeded so well in 2002 that film studios have decided to do an encore.

So 2003 shapes up as Year of the Sequel, Part 2. About two dozen followup movies, along with a few prequels, are on the lineup, some craved by audiences for a decade or more, others hitting theaters less than a year after their predecessors.

The four-year wait for a followup to the sci-fi smash "The Matrix" ends in a big way. In mid-May, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss continue their battle against Earth's machine conquerers in "The Matrix Reloaded," to be followed just six months later by "The Matrix Revolutions," the trilogy's end.

The "Matrix" sequels were shot simultaneously, like the three installments of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings," whose current chapter, "The Two Towers," is on track to surpass the box-office results of 2001's "The Fellowship of the Ring."

There's only about 330 days of impatient pacing left till the final chapter of Jackson's treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic arrives. "The Return of the King" opens just before Christmas, concluding the whirlwind release of all three films in a two-year span.

In contrast, it's been 12 years since Arnold Schwarzenegger's cyborg-from-the-future promised he'd be back. He finally returns over the Fourth of July in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," battling a female cyborg babe sent back by evil machines to snuff the now-adult savior of humanity, John Connor.

Other big sequels: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and the rest of the superhuman mutants in the new "X-Men" chapter, "X2"; "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," reuniting chic heroes Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu; "American Wedding," in which some of the "American Pie" gang attend the nuptials of gross-gag victim Jason Biggs and band geek Alyson Hannigan; "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life," with Angelina Jolie back in action as the roaming hero of the video game; and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as narcotics cops in "Bad Boys II."

Also, "The Fast and the Furious 2," minus Vin Diesel but with Paul Walker and loads more souped-up cars; Antonio Banderas back with his espionage family for "Spy Kids 3," and reprising his gunslinging "Desperado" role in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"; Reese Witherspoon's new day in court with "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde"; and Ice Cube with another bad hair day in "Barbershop 2."

Then there's "The Jungle Book 2," Disney's followup to its animated classic; "Scary Movie 3," the latest in the horror-spoof franchise; "Shanghai Knights," Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson's followup to "Shanghai Noon"; and "The Whole Ten Yards," a new hitman comedy with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry of "The Whole Nine Yards."

Given the success of 2002 franchises such as "The Lord of the Rings," "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," "Austin Powers" and "Men in Black," it's hard to knock the business sense in giving audiences more of the same.

"Studios want to make movies people want to see. It's all about getting butts in the seats," said John Singleton, director of "The Fast and the Furious 2." "People respond to characters they admire and love. If you've had a successful film with characters like that, why not make a followup?"

This year also brings some cross-breeding among movie series: There's the animated "The Rugrats Meet the Wild Thornberrys," and the slasher duel "Freddy Vs. Jason," matching the killers of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th."

On the prequel front are "Gods and Generals," with Robert Duvall in a forerunner to "Gettysburg"; "Exorcist: The Beginning," with Stellan Skarsgard as the priest of the horror smash in his first satanic encounter, in Africa; and "When Harold Met Lloyd: Dumb & Dumberer," set in the teen years of the idiot brothers of "Dumb and Dumber."

Highlights for winter and spring, generally Hollywood's slowest period, include:

Ben Affleck as the superhero of the comic-book adaptation "Daredevil"; "National Security," pairing Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn as ex-cops relegated to guard jobs; and "The Hunted," with Tommy Lee Jones as a tracker chasing an assassin (Benicio Del Toro).

Also, "Veronica Guerin," starring Cate Blanchett as the slain Irish reporter who crusaded against crime; Al Pacino in the CIA thriller "The Recruit"; "The Life of David Gale," featuring Kevin Spacey as an opponent of capital punishment who lands on Death Row; and "Tears of the Sun," with Bruce Willis as a Navy SEAL on a rescue mission.

Adam Sandler offers a spring prelude to the busy summer season with "Anger Management," playing a peaceable man whose outburst on an airplane puts him under the care of a rage adviser (Jack Nicholson).

For Nicholson, "Anger Management" offered a slapstick respite from the dark humor of his current film, "About Schmidt," which is expected to earn him his latest Academy Awards nomination.

"I just went in the opposite direction, and I often do that. I just like to blow it out the other side," Nicholson said of the transition. "This one is antic comedy. That's everything I always get bad reviews for, but hopefully it's also what the public loves."

Along with the rush of sequels, which generally start arriving just before Memorial Day, summer flicks include:

The animated under-the-sea tale "Finding Nemo," from the creators of "Toy Story" and "Monsters, Inc.", and the animated above-the-water adventure "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas"; Jim Carrey's comedy "Bruce Almighty," about a man given God's omnipotent powers; the comic-book adaptation "The Hulk"; and Russell Crowe in the high-seas adventure "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Also, Ridley Scott's con-man caper "Matchstick Men," starring Nicolas Cage; Eddie Murphy's comedy among the kiddies, "Daddy Day Care"; Kevin Costner's return to directing with "Open Range," co-starring Robert Duvall; and the unusual hybrid "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," starring Sean Connery in a meeting of Victorian literary figures from the works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker and others.

Among big fall and holiday releases:

Mike Myers in "Dr. Seuss' the Cat in the Hat"; Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai," about a U.S. soldier teaching modern warfare in 1870s Japan; "Cold Mountain," starring Nicole Kidman in an adaptation of the best-seller set during the Civil War; the Coen brothers' battle-of-the-sexes story "Intolerable Cruelty," with George Clooney; Julia Roberts as a freethinking art professor in "Mona Lisa Smile"; "Out of Time," starring Denzel Washington as a cop troubled by a double homicide; Uma Thurman as a vengeful former assassin in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill"; and "The Alamo," with Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid in a new dramatization of the infamous last stand.

Highlights of Hollywood film lineup for 2003

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Highlights of Hollywood's 2003 film slate. Many films do not yet have specific release dates, and dates are subject to change. For films with specific dates, the month of release is noted in parentheses.

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Winter and Spring

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AGAINST THE ROPES: Meg Ryan as a female boxing manager, ushering her new recruit (Omar Epps) to contender status. (March)

AGENT CODY BANKS: Shyness undermines a teen spy (Frankie Muniz) assigned to date a high school babe. (March)

ANGER MANAGEMENT: A public outburst lands Adam Sandler in the care of rage counselor Jack Nicholson. (April)

ASSASSINATION TANGO: Robert Duvall writes, directs and stars in the story of a hit man in South America. (March)

BASIC: "Pulp Fiction's" John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson reunite in a thriller about the disappearance of elite commandos. (April)

BIKER BOYZ: A motorcycle champ (Laurence Fishburne) is challenged by a young racer (Derek Luke). (January)

BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE: A divorced attorney (Steve Martin) learns that his online sweetheart is a prison escapee (Queen Latifah). (March)

BUFFALO SOLDIERS: An Army wheeler-dealer (Joaquin Phoenix) battles the brass. (March)

BULLETPROOF MONK: A monk with no name (Chow Yun-Fat) seeks a new protector for a powerful ancient scroll. (April)

CONFIDENCE: A grifter (Edward Burns) stages his biggest con to repay debts to a crime boss (Dustin Hoffman).

THE CORE: Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank journey to the center of the earth to save the world. (March)

CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE: A Taiwanese agent (Jet Li) helps a gang leader (DMX) rescue his kidnapped daughter. (February)

DAREDEVIL: Ben Affleck as the blind comic-book hero whose other senses are superhuman. (February)

DARK BLUE: An L.A. police drama set days before the 1992 riots. With Kurt Russell and Ving Rhames. (February)

DELIVER US FROM EVA: Three men plot to free themselves from their mates' imperious older sister. With LL Cool J. (February)

DOWN WITH LOVE: Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor in a throwback to hip '60s sex comedies. (April)

DREAMCATCHER: Stephen King's tale of friends battling supernatural evil. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan and co-starring Morgan Freeman.

DUPLEX: Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore as a couple plotting to get rid of a pesky tenant.

FINAL DESTINATION 2: Death stalks friends saved from a car wreck by a premonition. (January)

FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY: It had to happen — "American Idol" stars Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini team for a spring-break romance. (April)

GODS AND GENERALS: Robert Duvall in an epic set in the early years of the Civil War, a prequel to "Gettysburg." (February)

THE GOOD THIEF: Nick Nolte plans a casino heist on the French Riviera. Neil Jordan directs. (April)

THE GURU: An immigrant Indian waiter is mistaken for a spiritual healer. With Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei. (January)

A GUY THING: A groom (Jason Lee) scrambles to cover up an embarrassing encounter with his fiancee's cousin (Julia Stiles). (January)

HEAD OF STATE: Chris Rock directs and stars in a comedy about an obscure politician nominated for president. (March)

HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS: For a column, a writer (Kate Hudson) sets out to mess things up with a new beau (Matthew McConaughey). (February)

THE HUNTED: A tracker (Tommy Lee Jones) chases an assassin (Benicio Del Toro). William Friedkin directs. (March)

IDENTITY: Travelers discover there's a killer among them at a deserted motel. With John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. (March)

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY: Kirk Douglas and son Michael join other family members for a multi-generational comic drama. (April)

THE JUNGLE BOOK 2: Disney's animated sequel about wild child Mowgli features the voices of John Goodman and Haley Joel Osment. (February)

KANGAROO JACK: Two pals (Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson) pursue a kangaroo that hopped off with mob cash. (January)

THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE: A death-penalty opponent (Kevin Spacey) faces execution for murder. Kate Winslet co-stars. (February)

MALIBU'S MOST WANTED: A rapper's lifestyle infringes on his dad's political career. With Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs and Blair Underwood.

A MIGHTY WIND: Christopher Guest's mock documentary about '60s folkies reuniting for a memorial concert. (April)

NATIONAL SECURITY: Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn are mismatched security guards chasing smugglers. (January)

OLD SCHOOL: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn revisit college days by starting a frat house. (February)

PROZAC NATION: A Harvard freshman (Christina Ricci) copes with depression. (March)

THE RECRUIT: CIA honcho Al Pacino taps a brilliant trainee (Colin Farrell) to find a mole in the agency. (January)

SHANGHAI KNIGHTS: "Shanghai Noon" buddies Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson on a killer's trail in London. (February)

SPIDER: An ex-mental patient (Ralph Fiennes) copes with painful memories. (February)

TEARS OF THE SUN: Bruce Willis as a Navy SEAL torn between duty and justice on a rescue mission. (March)

VERONICA GUERIN: Cate Blanchett in the true story of a Dublin reporter slain during an investigation of Irish drug lords.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Gwyneth Paltrow hits turbulence in her goal of becoming a top stewardess.

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Summer Season

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AMERICAN WEDDING: Love, "American Pie"-style. Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan walk down the aisle with "Pie" pals in tow. (August)

BAD BOYS II: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return as narcotics cops on the trail of a Miami drug lord. (July)

BRUCE ALMIGHTY: Malcontent Jim Carrey is granted divine powers after venting against God (Morgan Freeman). (May)

CASA DE LOS BABYS: John Sayles' tale of American women stuck at a South American hotel waiting to adopt babies. (June)

CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu hunt a killer snuffing people in witness protection. (June)

CURSED: Horror-meister Wes Craven reunites with "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson for a fresh take on werewolves. (August)

DADDY DAY CARE: Eddie Murphy as an unemployed dad whose offbeat new day-care center irks a snooty rival (Anjelica Huston). (May)

ELLA ENCHANTED: Anne Hathaway as a fairy-tale doormat — a girl in a magical land who's cursed by absolute obedience. (August)

EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING: Prequel time for "The Exorcist" priest, who meets Satan in Africa. Stellan Skarsgard stars. (July)

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 2: More fast cars and street racing with Paul Walker. John Singleton directs. (June)

THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS: An ad exec (Cuba Gooding Jr.) must create a successful gospel choir to gain an inheritance. (August)

FINDING NEMO: A father fish sets out to rescue his son in an animated adventure from the "Toy Story" creators. (May)

FREAKY FRIDAY: A feuding mother and daughter swap bodies in a remake of the 1970s fantasy. Jamie Lee Curtis stars.

GIGLI: Real-life sweeties Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in a mob romance. (August)

HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE: Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett are cops trying to crack the slayings of a rap group. (June)

THE HULK: Ang Lee directs the comic-book adaptation. With Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly and Nick Nolte. (June)

THE ITALIAN JOB: Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron in a remake of the 1969 gold-heist caper. (May)

J.M. BARRIE's NEVERLAND: Johnny Depp as the creator of "Peter Pan." Dustin Hoffman and Kate Winslet co-star.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: Literary characters including Capt. Nemo and Dr. Jekyll battle a global plot. With Sean Connery. (July)

LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER — THE CRADLE OF LIFE: Angelina Jolie returns as the video-game hero. (July)

LE DIVORCE: A James Ivory-Ismail Merchant comedy of romantic misadventures in France. With Glenn Close, Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts. (June)

LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE: Reese Witherspoon goes to Washington to spread her stylish legal finesse. (July)

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD: Russell Crowe leads a British ship against privateers. Adapted from Patrick O'Brian's books. (June)

MATCHSTICK MEN: A con man (Nicolas Cage) has a big score disrupted by his teen-age daughter's arrival. Ridley Scott directs.

THE MATRIX RELOADED: Keanu Reeves resumes the fight against evil machines in part two of the Wachowski brothers' sci-fi trilogy. (May)

MOLLY GUNN: A rock star's daughter (Brittany Murphy) loses her fortune but finds her way as nanny to a precocious girl. (August)

OPEN RANGE: Kevin Costner directs a Western about cattlemen facing a corrupt lawman. Costner co-stars with Robert Duvall and Annette Bening.

THE RUGRATS MEET THE WILD THORNBERRYS: The cartoon toddlers encounter the animated family of adventurers. (June)

THE RUNAWAY JURY: A John Grisham adaptation about shady jury dealings. Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and John Cusack star.

SEABISCUIT: A jockey (Tobey Maguire), a trainer (Chris Cooper), a businessman (Jeff Bridges) and a legendary Depression-era racehorse. (July)

THE SHAPE OF THINGS: Neil LaBute ("Nurse Betty") adapts his stage play of campus romance. With Rachel Weisz and Gretchen Mol. (May)

SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS: Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer lend voices to the sailor's animated adventures. (June)

SPY KIDS 3: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara return as the family that spies together. (July)

S.W.A.T.: Two tactical officers (Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell) try to thwart a drug lord's escape from police custody. (August)

TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES: Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, fighting a female cyborg to save the future. (July)

THE WEDDING PARTY: A spy (Michael Douglas) and a foot doctor (Albert Brooks) are fathers of the bride and groom. (May)

WHEN HAROLD MET LLOYD: DUMB & DUMBERER: "Dumb & Dumber" prequel traces the dopey brothers' high school days. (June)

X2: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman and other "X-Men" mutants suit up again. (May)

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Fall and Holidays

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THE ALAMO: Texans try to fend off Mexicans in one of history's greatest last stands. Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid star.

ANYTHING ELSE: Woody Allen's latest features himself, Danny DeVito, Stockard Channing, Christina Ricci and Jason Biggs. (September)

BAD SANTA: A tyke teaches Christmas spirit to mall thieves posing as Santa and his elf. With Billy Bob Thornton.

BARBERSHOP 2: Ice Cube returns for a second day of mayhem among offbeat associates at a hair joint. (November)

THE BIG BOUNCE: A remake of the '60s crime thriller about wealthy rivals in Hawaii. With Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman. (September)

BIG FISH: Tim Burton's fantasy about a teller of tall tales and his alienated son. With Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor and Jessica Lange.

THE CLEARING: An old married couple (Robert Redford and Helen Mirren) are victimized by a kidnapper (Willem Dafoe).

COLD MOUNTAIN: Nicole Kidman and Jude Law in a Civil War tale based on Charles Frazier's novel. Anthony Minghella directs. (December)

DIRTY DANCING 2: HAVANA NIGHTS: An update of the 1987 hit, following a Cuban ballroom dancer's fling with a pool boy. (November)

DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT: Mike Myers as the feline trickster in the Abe Lincoln hat. (November)

THE HAUNTED MANSION: Eddie Murphy finds ghosts galore at an estate he wants to convert to condos. Based on the Disneyland attraction.

HIDALGO: A cowboy (Viggo Mortensen) is invited by an Arab sheik (Omar Sharif) to compete in a desert horse race in 1890.

THE HUMAN STAIN: Anthony Hopkins as a ruined academic who finds solace in a writer (Gary Sinise) and a fling with a janitor (Nicole Kidman). From Philip Roth's novel.

INTOLERABLE CRUELTY: George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Coen brothers' story of a marital attorney and a serial divorcee. (October)

KILL BILL: Quentin Tarantino directs Uma Thurman as an ex-assassin seeking vengeance on a mentor and his hit squad. (October)

THE LAST SAMURAI: Tom Cruise is a U.S. officer training Japanese soldiers on modern warfare in the 1870s. (December)

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION: Cartoon favorites team with human characters in adventures. (November)

LOOSELY BASED ON A TRUE LOVE STORY: Rob Reiner's romance about a novelist (Luke Wilson) and his cheeky stenographer (Kate Hudson). (September)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING: Once more unto the breach with hobbits, wizards, dwarfs and elves. (December)

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS: Keanu Reeves' final battle against machines in the sci-fi trilogy. (November)

MONA LISA SMILE: Julia Roberts as an art-history prof with modern ideas. With Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles. (November)

MYSTIC RIVER: Clint Eastwood directs Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon as three men connected to a murder.

NANCY MEYERS UNTITLED: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves in a bizarre love triangle.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: Antonio Banderas returns as gunslinger El Mariachi. Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe and Johnny Depp co-star.

OUT OF TIME: Denzel Washington as a Florida police chief struggling to solve a double homicide. (October)

PETER PAN: P.J. Hogan ("My Best Friend's Wedding") directs a live-action version about the boy who won't grow up. (December)

RADIO: A mentally handicapped man (Cuba Gooding Jr.) finds a mentor in a high school football coach (Ed Harris). (October)

SCARY MOVIE 3: Spoof master David Zucker ("Airplane!") takes over the horror-gag franchise.

UNTITLED PETER BERG PROJECT: The Rock as a master crime thug out to rescue his boss' son along the Amazon. (September)

UNTITLED SYLVIA PLATH PROJECT: Gwyneth Paltrow as the suicidal poet. Paltrow's mom, Blythe Danner, co-stars.

THE WHOLE TEN YARDS: Dentist Matthew Perry and ex-hitman Bruce Willis are back in a sequel to "The Whole Nine Yards." (October)

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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