Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones, ...
Image credit: Spider-Man: Zade Rosenthal; Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones: © & TM Lucasfilms, Ltd.

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The question of which movie will end up making the most money overall is a bit more uncertain. Advance ticket sales for ''Attack'' are already topping ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'''s numbers. Plus, ''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' opened with just $64.8 million in 1999, but it became a summer-into-fall box office staple, going on to gross $431 million in the U.S. alone.

The drawbacks? ''Attack'''s reviews have been decidedly mixed (EW's Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film a C+). Although tepid write-ups won't scare off ''Star Wars'' groupies, they aren't likely to lure in the broad audience ''Spider-Man'' has snared. And the much discussed romance between Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), which could help attract female viewers, may not be enough to overcome their preconceptions about the franchise. ''Fox [''Attack'''s producer] has to deal with twenty years of history indicating 'Star Wars' movies are non-stop sci-fi blockbusters, period,'' says Farasati.

Add all this to ''Spider-Man'''s $250 million head start in a summer crowded with blockbusters (''Men in Black 2'' and ''Austin Powers 3: Goldmember'' to name just two) and ReelSource says the favorite has to be the clingy guy in the red leotard. ''We expect ''Attack'' to make just over $300 million,'' says Farasati. ''But we expect 'Spider-Man' to blow well past that, pushing the high $300 million mark.'' Pandya is less certain, though. He expects ''Attack'' to gross more than $400 million. ''You can't underestimate the power of the 'Star Wars' fan force,'' he says. Just ask Jar Jar Binks.

Originally posted May 16, 2002
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