By HUGH HART
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

LOS ANGELES - Following a record-breaking $9 billion year at the box office, Hollywood in 2003 can only hope to equal the mix of sequels, superhero adventures, small dramatic gems and out-of-nowhere surprise hits that made 2002 the most profitable 12 months in moviemaking history.

Studios again will pack the roster with familiar properties, including two "Matrix" sequels and "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." How that $150 million picture does at the box office may help Arnold Schwarzenegger decide whether he should switch to California politics full time.

Well-known source material means that "you already have buzz building before you get into your marketing campaign," says Dan Marks, executive vice president for box-office tracking service Nielsen EDI.

Prerelease hype cannot, however, match the goodwill of moviegoers, says Geoff Ammer, president of Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. "They're the ones who are going to tell people, 'Don't see this movie' or 'You should see this movie.'"

Here's a look at some of the movies most likely to draw crowds and charm critics in 2003 (dates could change).

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"Lemony Snicket" (Dec. 19) - A fantastical tale about three young orphans in search of a home. Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black") directs.

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Originally published on January 1, 2003