DreamWorks Animation (DWA)
The last time that the loveable big green ogre went mano-a-mano with Spidey, Shrek won out. "Shrek 2" grossed $441.2 million at the box office in 2004.Analysts expect "Shrek the Third" to be another big hit, but they aren't certain it will be able to top the runaway success of the second film.
"I'm not sure that `Shrek' is the kind of movie that people really anticipate. In all likelihood, it will gross less than its predecessor since it's difficult to maintain a franchise for a family movie. Kids may outgrow it," said Brandon Gray, president and publisher of Box Office Mojo.
But Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations, another movie industry research firm, thinks "Shrek" has a good chance of topping the charts like it did in 2004.
"`Shrek' has the broadest demographic appeal," Bock said. Plus, the movie does have several new characters, including pop star Justin Timberlake as the voice of Artie, who eventually grows up to become King Arthur. And what's this we hear about a little ogre baby in Shrek's future? Awww. Or maybe we should say 'Ewww.'
