"Spider-Man 3" is being is being billed as the opening salvo for what promises to be a record summer of blockbusters. But whether the season will be a bust or a booming success is yet to be seen.

The film industry will get an idea of just how big this summer will be when "Spider Man 3" opens the blockbuster blitz this weekend.

The summer season generally slacks off once the main behemoths rear their heads, yet the lineup barely lets up this year with guaranteed money-makers such as "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," "Shrek the Third" "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" "Ocean's Thirteen," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Rush Hour 3."

"There is no better way to start a summer than with a 'Spider-Man' film," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers, told The Associated Press. "If you had to create a template for the perfect summer movie season, this is pretty much it."

If "Spider-Man 3" indeed lives up to its lofty expectations, it could mean that Hollywood will have its first US$4 billion summer, beating 2004's record of $3.95 billion from the first weekend in May through to Labour Day holiday in 2004.

The omens for those forecasts are good. Hollywood always starts its lineup with big leadoff batters, but never before has the month of May seen as many heavy-hitters waiting on deck.

But adrenaline-pumping sequels and "three-quels" don't guarantee profit.

A USA Today analysis of sequels and "three-quels" found that since 1990 -- after adjusting for inflation -- 81 per cent of "three-quels" made less than the initial movies. As for the sequels, 76 per cent made less than the originals.

Only one film, "The Lord of the Rings," made more with each new episode.

While the season is tipped to be a blockbuster summer, the lineup is heavy with swashbuckling, adrenaline-pumping, battle-hardened heroes who are sure to be big hits with the younger demographic. As for older audiences? The rest of us may need to wait it out for the fall release of weighty Oscar contenders.

CTV.ca shines the spotlight on the summer season's biggest films"

"Shrek the Third": Mike Myers is back as the voice of the crusty ogre. Chances are good it will follow in the footsteps of the second instalment in this franchise, which was among the top-10 highest grossing pictures ever. Intended audience: Ugly ducklings, Cartoon Network fans, and parents of small kids.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End": Heartthrob Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow in the third and final instalment of the franchise. He has big boots to fill after "Dead Man's Chest" became last year's biggest hit. Intended audience: Swooning teenagers and their premenopausal mothers.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": The boy wizard will be back with the fifth and darkest-yet instalment of the series, one week before the book "The Deathly Hallows" is released. Intended audience: The kids who grew up with Daniel Radcliffe, and their parents who borrowed the books.

"Ocean's Thirteen": This reunites George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and director Steven Soderbergh for another high-class heist. Intended audience: Men undergoing mid-life crises, and their unusually keen partners.

"The Bourne Ultimatum": Matt Damon returns as the amnesiac assassin as a government agent tries to track him down after a shootout in Moscow. Intended audience: Armchair travellers and adrenaline junkies.

"Rush Hour 3": Buddy cops Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker take on a Chinese crime family in Paris. Intended audience: Movie buffs who get their kicks out of martial arts and car chases.

"Evan Almighty": Steve Carell plays a congressman commanded by God to build an Ark. Intended audience: Fans of "The Office" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" who are looking for the next Will Ferrell.

"The Simpsons Movie": The big-screen take on animated television series. Intended audience: Children trapped in adults' bodies. Doh.

"Live Free or Die Hard": Action sequel starring Bruce Willis, who takes on an Internet-based terrorist organization launching an attack on the United States on the Fourth of July. Intended audience: Patriotic Americans and "Die Hard" fans.

"The Transformers": Shia LaBeouf and Tyrese Gibson are among the cast of humans caught up in the devastation after duelling alien races bring their battle to Earth. Intended audience: Adults who grew up in the 1980s, and their children.

"Hairspray": John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and newcomer Nikki Blonsky star in the film adaptation of the hit musical and earlier cult movie about a 1960s television dance show. Intended audience: "Dancing with the Stars" fans who can't get enough shaking, rattling, and rolling.