
Just four weeks into the crucial summer movie season, Hollywood is bracing for what could be its third consecutive big budget disappointment.
Walt Disney Studios' big-screen video game adaptation "
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, probably won't open in first or even second place over the lucrative four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to people who have seen pre-release audience surveys.
The three films are expected to divide up the moviegoing audience, with women most interested in "
Sex and the City 2," men in "Prince of Persia" and families in "Shrek."
Last weekend the film brought in an unimpressive $18 million in 19 foreign countries where it opened early.
Hoping to get a jump on this holiday weekend, distributor Warner Bros. opened the sequel Thursday.
Like the first movie, "Sex and the City 2" has generated significant interest among females, making it a so-called fanboy movie for women.
Through Wednesday it had sold out more than 600 shows via ticketing
websites.