You'd be forgiven if, at some point this summer, you looked up at the marquee of your local multiplex and thought you had suddenly been warped back in time. An Iron Man movie? A Hangover? A Star Trek? Haven't you seen those already?
Absolutely. And don't be surprised to see some more, either.
Hollywood's major studios have largely become franchise factories, with business plans based on finding hot properties and then re-creating them as many times as the public will allow. The approach has paid off financially; in 2012, seven of the top 10 box office earners were sequels, led by Marvel's The Avengers.
This summer alone, 17 sequels are set to hit the box office, led by last weekend's Iron Man 3 .Here is your guide to all of Hollywood's active big franchises, including how much they cost and how much they made. All financial data courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com. The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.
Disney/Marvel/Pixar
Avengers
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston
Worldwide Box Office: $1.51 billion
Production Budget: $220 million
Next Movie: 2015
Iron Man
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau
Worldwide Box Office: $585 million; $623 million; $680 million (in one week!)
Production Budget: $140 million; $200 million; $200 million
Next Movie: TBD
Captain America
Stars: Chris Evans, Dominic Cooper, Haley Atwell
Worldwide Box Office: $368 million
Production Budget: $140 million
Next Movie: April 2014
Thor
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Worldwide Box Office: $449 million
Production Budget: $150 million
Next Movie: November 2013
Cars
Stars: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy
Worldwide Box Office: $461 million; $559 million
Production Budget: $120 million; $200 million
Next Movie: TBD
Monsters Inc./University
Stars: John Goodman, Billy Crystal
Worldwide Box Office: $562 million
Production Budget: $115 million
Next Movie: June 2013
Finding Nemo
Stars: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks
Worldwide Box Office: $921 million
Production Budget: $94 million
Next Movie: 2015
The Muppets
Stars: Jason Segel, Amy Adams (first film), Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey
Worldwide Box Office: $158 million
Production Budget: $45 million
Next Movie: March 2014
Note: The Star Wars franchise was bought by Disney late last year, and will be continued afresh.
Paramount
Star Trek
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Benedict Cumberbatch
Worldwide Box Office: $385 million
Production Budget: $150 million
Next Movie: May 2013
Transformers
Stars: Shia Labeouf in the first three; now, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Reynor
Worldwide Box Office: $709 million; $836 million; $1.12 billion
Production Budget: $150 million; $200 million; $195 million
Next Movie: June 2014
Kung Fu Panda
Stars: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen
Worldwide Box Office: $631 million; $665 million
Production Budget: $130 million; $150 million
Next Movie: June 2013
Mission: Impossible
Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner
Worldwide Box Office: $457 million; $546 million; $397 million; $694 million
Production Budget: $80 million; $125 million; $150 million; $145 million
Next Movie: TBD
G.I. Joe
Stars: Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson
Worldwide Box Office: $302 million; $355 million
Production Budget: $175 million; $130 million
Next Movie: TBD
Paranormal Activity
Stars: N/A
Worldwide Box Office: $193 million; $177 million; $207 million; $140 million
Production Budget: $15,000; $3 million; $5 million; $5 million
Next Movie: October 2013
Universal Pictures
Bourne
Stars: Matt Damon in the first three; now Jeremy Renner
Worldwide Box Office: $214 million; $288 million; $442 million; $276 million
Production Budget: $60 million; $75 million; $110 million; $125 million
Next Movie: TBD
Fast and Furious
Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Ludacris
Worldwide Box Office: $207 million; $236 million; $158 million; $363 million; $626 million
Production Budget: $38 million; $76 million; N/A; $85 million; $125 million;
Next Movie: May 2013
Despicable Me
Stars: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig
Worldwide Box Office: $543 million
Production Budget: $69 million
Next Movie: July 2013
Jurassic Park
Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neill
Worldwide Box Office: $967 million; $618 million; $368 million
Production Budget: $63 million; $73 million; $93 million
Next Movie: June 2014
Warner Bros.
Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit
Stars: Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Vigo Mortensen, Martin Freeman
Worldwide Box Office: $871 million; $926 million; $1.2 billion; $1 billion
Production Budget: $93 million; $94 million; $94 million; $250 million
Next Movie: December 2013
The Hangover
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha
Worldwide Box Office: $467 million; $586 million
Production Budget: $35 million; $80 million
Next Movie: May 2013
Sherlock Holmes
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Worldwide Box Office: $524 million; $545 million
Production Budget: $90 million; $125 million
Next Movie: TBD
300
Stars: Gerard Butler, Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Lena Headey (first one), Lena Headey, Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro
Worldwide Box Office: $456 million
Production Budget: $65 million
Next Movie: August 2013
Man of Steel (Superman reboot)
Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe
Worldwide Box Office: TBD
Production Budget: TBD
Next Movie: June 2013
Sony/Columbia
James Bond (most current incarnation)
Stars: Daniel Craig
Worldwide Box Office: $599 million; $586 million; $1.1 billion
Production Budget: $150 million; $200 million; $200 million
Next Movie: TBD
Spider-Man
Stars: Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe (first trilogy); Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Shailene Woodley (second trilogy)
Worldwide Box Office: $821 million; $783 million; $890 million; $752 million
Production Budget: $139 million; $200 million; $258 million; $230 million
Next Movie: May 2014
Men in Black
Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin
Worldwide Box Office: $589 million; $441 million; $624 million
Production Budget: $90 million; $140 million; $225 million
Next Movie: TBD
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Stars: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris
Worldwide Box Office: $243 million
Production Budget: $100 million
Next Movie: September 2013
Grown Ups
Stars: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek
Worldwide Box Office: $271 million
Production Budget: $80 million
Next Movie: July 2013
Resident Evil
Stars: Mila Jovovich
Worldwide Box Office: $102 million; $129 million; $296 million; $240 million
Production Budget: $33 million; $45 million; $60 million; $65 million
Next Movie: September 2014
20th Century Fox
X-Men
Stars: Patrick Stewart; Ian McKellan; James Marsden; Hugh Jackman; Halle Berry (First three); Hugh Jackman; Michael Fassbender; James McAvoy; Jennifer Lawrence
Worldwide Box Office: $296 million; $407 million; $459 million; $373 million; $353 million
Production Budget: $75 million; $110 million; $210 million; $150 million; $160 million
Next Movie: July 2013
Die Hard
Stars: Bruce Willis
Worldwide Box Office: $140 million; $366 million; $383 million; $392 million
Production Budget: $28 million; $90 million; $110 million; $92 million
Next Movie: TBD
Ice Age
Stars: Cedric the Entertainer, Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Jon Leguizamo
Worldwide Box Office: $383 million; $655 million; $886 million; $877 million
Production Budget: $59 million; $80 million; $90 million; $90 million
Next Movie: TBD
Rio
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Jamie Foxx
Worldwide Box Office: $484 million
Production Budget: $90 million
Next Movie: April 2014
The Smurfs
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez
Worldwide Box Office: $563 million
Production Budget: $110 million
Next Movie: July 2013
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Stars: James Franco, Freida Pinto (first film), Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke
Worldwide Box Office: $481 million
Production Budget: $93 million
Next Movie: May 2014
Lionsgate
The Hunger Games
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz
Worldwide Box Office: $691 million
Production Budget: $78 million
Next Movie: November 2013
The Expendables
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Worldwide Box Office: $247 million; $300 million
Production Budget: $80 million; $100 million
Next Movie: May 2013
Kick-Ass (Sequel is Universal)
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey
Worldwide Box Office: $96 million
Production Budget: $30 million
Next Movie: August 2013
Texas Chainsaw: 3D
Stars: Trey Songz, Alexandra Daddario
Worldwide Box Office: $34 million
Production Budget: N/A
Next Movie: 2014
Tyler Perry's Madea
Stars: Tyler Perry
Worldwide Box Office: $63 million; $90 million; $53 million; $65 million
Production Budget: $6 million; N/A; N/A; $20 million
Next Movie: December 2013
Summit
Red
Stars: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Mary Louise-Parker
Worldwide Box Office: $185 million
Production Budget: $58 million
Next Movie: July 2013
Dreamworks
Madagascar
Stars: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Andy Richter, Alec Baldwin, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer
Worldwide Box Office: $532 million; $603 million; $742 million
Production Budget: N/A; $150 million; $145 million
Next Movie: 2015
Other
V/H/S
Stars: Joe Swanberg, Kate Lyn Sheil, Kentucker Audley, Adam Wingard, Frank Stack, Lane Hughes
Worldwide Box Office: $100,000
Production Budget: N/A
Next Movie: July 2013