You can just imagine the titles: Batman MCXVII: Murder in the Hip-Replacement Clinic. Octogenarians Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star in...Lethal Bedpan. How about Bruce Willis in Sigh Hard? Movie franchises, in other words, haven't exactly been aging gracefully. The last Batman and Star Trek installments had about as much energy as a shuffleboard team, while big-budget tent-pole prospects, notably Godzilla and Lost in Space, got toasted on the launching pad. With the exception of Austin Powers, lunch-box-ready blockbusters that once could have propped up a major studio with sequels, spin-offs, log-flume rides, and Happy Meals have become surprisingly scarce.
But suddenly, thanks to Star Wars mania — or else just a lack of fresh ideas — every studio in town is looking to jump-start new franchise ventures. Sony is preparing Stuart Little, a Men in Black sequel, and even a revival of Ghostbusters. Speaking of moldy oldies, MGM wants to resurrect the Pink Panther series; a studio source says Kevin Kline will take over for the late Peter Sellers. And Universal, still reeling from a disastrous 1998, has more franchises cooking than McDonald's. In the works: big-screen productions featuring Curious George, Dudley Do-Right, and even Rocky and Bullwinkle in a live-action/animation mix starring Jason Alexander and Robert De Niro (''You talkin' to me, Natasha?''). All will be backed by toy lines, fast-food tie-ins, and zippy rides and huggable costumed characters at Universal's Orlando theme park.
So why is Hollywood getting dizzy spinning off? Duh! ''When a film sparks a franchise and it works,'' says Universal Studios president Ron Meyer, ''it can be worth tremendous sums of money.'' Here are three upcoming projects that look to be the most bankable:
Spider-Man
After years of legal wrangling, Sony finally won the Spider-Man sweepstakes this month, beating out MGM for the movie rights to the classic Marvel comic. Sony is currently working from a treatment by James Cameron (though it has yet to sign the director), and according to Marvel insiders, the studio has targeted summer 2001 for release. ''Spider-Man is the last untapped wonderful character in the business,'' says Sony chairman John Calley, who thinks a Spidey franchise can be Superman- or Batman-big, if not bigger. ''He's much more accessible,'' says Calley. ''He's not from another planet. He's not wealthy. Any kid who's been bitten by a radio-active spider can be Spider-Man.'' The web crawler's already building a high profile: In May Universal will open a Spider-Man ride in Florida; Fox Kids Network just ordered new episodes of its popular animated series; and Sony is already developing a live-action TV show.
The Grinch
Meanwhile, over in Whoville, all eyes are on Universal's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Word is, Jim Carrey's live-action take will stay true to Seuss. ''He'll definitely be green and hairy with long, knuckly fingers,'' says Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer, who's producing the film, with Ron Howard directing. Although Grazer expects the movie to ''skew a little older,'' he adds: ''There will be rhyming.'' Shooting is expected to start Aug. 1 for a Thanksgiving 2000 release. Grinch could be the gift that keeps on giving, with natural links to toys, TV, and theme parks. The $300 million Seuss Landing opens at Universal's Orlando park this summer. Music's coming too: James Horner (of Titanic fame) will produce an album featuring top acts covering the classic ''Mean Man Mr. Grinch.'' As for follow-ups, one studio exec predicts, ''You'll have The Grinch Who Stole Halloween, The Grinch Who Stole Thanksgiving...''
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