LOS ANGELES — They may be the bane of critics and a common complaint of moviegoers, but sequels have kept the film industry afloat for years.

So what happens when studios give people something original?

Hollywood is about to find out. This year, only 16 sequels are slated for the big screen, according to Nielsen EDI. Since 2003, the average has been 25.

"It's surprising to see how few are coming," says Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane. "It will be interesting to see how creativity sells."

Five of the six biggest movies of last year were sequels, helping propel 2007 to about $9.6 billion at the box office, a record — though attendance remained flat from last year, according to Media By Numbers.

Still, it was a weak year for movies not based on toys or cartoons. Among the best-performing small-studio films, the acclaimed "Juno" has earned more than $70 million and "No Country for Old Men" more than $46 million.

Not that Hollywood has lost its love for series and spinoffs. This year still has plenty of high-profile franchise wannabes and sequels, from Jan. 25's "Rambo" to May 2's "Iron Man" to May 22's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

"You're trying to think a year and a half or two years ahead when you start a movie," says Rob Moore, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for Paramount Pictures. "And I don't know what fewer sequels will do. But there are some things you can do to get people into a moviegoing rhythm."

Here are a few: