Toby Maguire stars in the highly anticipated "Spider-Man."

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" will return to theaters in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

The Rock stars in "The Scorpion King," a prequel to the "Mummy" movies.

Spring is a film lover's fantasy

See sci-fi, special effects and an old friend -- 'E.T.' -- at the movies

JACK GARNER GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

From "The Time Machine" to "Spider-Man," from "Ice Age" to "The Scorpion King," fantasy reigns supreme in spring movies.

Comic book adventures and sci-fi romps are traditionally the stuff of summer, but Hollywood is getting a jump on the escapist season with a bevy of other-worldly adventures and special-effects extravaganzas.

Perhaps it's the fallout from 2001's big hits, "Harry Potter," "Shrek" and "Lord of the Rings."

And joining the box office stampede is a reissue version of an earlier generation's favorite fantasy flick -- "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

Meanwhile, a variety of dramas, thrillers and comedies also are in the mix. Listed by opening dates (subject to change), here is a roundup.

March 8

- "All About the Benjamins," with Ice Cube as a bounty hunter and Mike Epps as his target. Both become entangled in a major diamond heist in Miami.

- "The Time Machine." The classic H.G. Wells tale of time travel, starring Guy Pearce (of "Memento") and featuring a mass of special effects.

March 15

- "Ice Age," a computer- animated tale of a prehistoric human infant cared for by a group of animals, including a woolly mammoth and a saber-toothed tiger. Think "Jungle Book" on the rocks. Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo do voices.

- "Resident Evil," a horror thriller about the battle against a powerful super-computer that is out of control, and scientists who have transformed into the flesh-eating undead. Based on a video game (never a good sign).

- "Showtime," a comedy- actioner with Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy as cops, followed by cameras in a police reality-TV program. Rene Russo and William Shatner co-star.

- "Harrison's Flowers," a powerful drama about a photojournalist (David Strathairn) who is reported missing covering the Bosnian conflict, and the loving wife (Andie MacDowell) who dives into the war to try to find him.

March 22

- "Blade 2," the second dark adventure of the comic-book hero (Wesley Snipes) who hunts down vampires. Kris Kristofferson co-stars.

- "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," the great and much-beloved Steven Spielberg fable is back on screen, reportedly with additional footage and enhanced effects. Can you believe M&Ms declined the chance for a product tie-in with the movie, opening the door to movie immortality for Reeses Pieces?

- "Sorority Boys," an attempt to adapt "Some Like It Hot" to the college-comedy format. Three expelled frat boys find new life in drag, as members of Delta Omicron Gamma, a sorority of not-especially attractive girls. (Think about it, the sorority is D.O.G.)

March 29

- "Clockstoppers," a comedy/special-effects adventure about a scientist who invents a device that makes time stand still. Characters can move quickly through a landscape of seemingly frozen figures. Expect visual effects galore in a film designed to appeal to the substantial "Matrix" crowd.

- "Death to Smoochy," a dark comedy for all those folks who can't stand Barney. Robin Williams stars as a deposed king of children's comedy who seeks revenge against the day's hot new character, a big purple rhino named Smoochy (Edward Norton stars as the guy in the suit). Danny DeVito directs.

- "Panic Room," a thriller with Jodie Foster as a single mom who hides with her kid in a "panic room" when burglars breaks into her apartment. David Fincher (of "Seven" and "The Fight Club") directs.

- "The Rookie." The true story of high school teacher and baseball coach Jim Morris, who tries out for professional baseball at 35, thereby becoming the oldest major league rookie in nearly 30 years. Dennis Quaid stars.

April 5

- "The Accidental Spy," a new Jackie Chan martial-arts flick, reportedly containing Chan's first nude scene. (He's caught in a Turkish bath and can't find his clothes.)

- "Big Trouble," the first film based on the work of humorist-columnist Dave Barry. Adapted from his novel, it details the misadventures of several folks who cross paths with a bomb in a suitcase. Tim Allen stars for director Barry Sonnenfeld.

- "High Crimes," a courtroom thriller reuniting Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman (of "Kiss the Girls"). They play attorneys who team up to defend Judd's husband in a military court martial. Carl Franklin directs.

- "National Lampoon's Van Wilder," a college comedy about a guy in his seventh year at the university. He'll do anything he can to stay in the comfortable collegiate lifestyle, even though dad will no longer pay the bills. Ryan Reynolds (of TV's "Two Guys and a Girl") has the lead.

April 12

- "Changing Lanes," a thriller about road rage, taken to extremes. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson co-star as two guys whose little fender-bender on Manhattan's FDR Drive escalates to an insane level.

- "Frailty," a thriller about a psychotic killer and his troubled past, as detailed by actor-turned-director Bill Paxton. Matthew McConaughey stars.

April 19

- "Murder by Numbers," a thriller about the mind games between a smart detective (Sandra Bullock) and two teens she believes are responsible for a series of "perfect murders." Ben Chaplin co-stars for noted director Barbet Schroeder ("Reversal of Fortune" and "Single White Female").

- "The Scorpion King." Here is the prequel to the "Mummy" movies, allowing wrestler-turned-actor The Rock a chance to strut once again, but this time he spends more time in the movie.

April 26

- "Deuces Wild," a throw-back to the teen-age gang movie, this is a story of teen turf wars in the Brooklyn of 1958. The ensemble includes Fairuza Balk, Matt Dillon, Stephen Dorff, James Franco, Balthazar Getty, Deborah Harry and Frankie Muniz. Direction is by Scott Kalvert (of the notorious "Basketball Diaries").

- "Frank McClusky, C.I.," a comedy about a bungling insurance fraud investigator, starring Dave Sheridan.

- "Jason X," believe it or not, the 10th film in the mindless slice-and-dice "Friday the 13th" film series.

- "Life or Something Like It," a Capraesque metaphysical comedy with Angelina Jolie as a reporter who interviews a homeless man for a fluff piece, only to have him predict her forthcoming demise. Jolie responds by trying to make her life more meaningful. Edward Burns and Tony Shalhoub co-star.

May 3

- "Hollywood Ending," the new Woody Allen comedy. Typically, little word has snuck out about its premise. Erica Leerhsen, Tea Leoni, Debra Messing and Treat Williams co-star.

- "Spider-Man," one of the season's most eagerly awaited adventures, with a release timed to get a jump on the summer movie product. Tobey Maguire plays the Great Webbed One. Co-stars include Willem Dafoe (as the Green Goblin), Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. Sam Raimi directs. Early trailers showed the comic-book hero swinging from the World Trade Center towers; that has since been changed.

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The Olympian Copyright 2002

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