Cinematical

If they're going to make any money off of Evan Almighty (next summer's sequel to Bruce Almighty) Universal will need to pray for a miracle to occur ... and fast. Due to a slew of visual effects and the need to shoot hundreds of live animals, Evan Almighty's original budget of $140 million has turned into $160 million and could top out at $175 million. Throw in your marketing costs, and some folks think the film could wind up with a budget of $250 million, making it the most expensive comedy ever.

If that turns out to be the case, pic's budget could top Bruce Almighty's total domestic gross of $242 million before it even hits theaters. While the original went on to collect $484 million worldwide, something tells me this sequel starring Steve Carell in the lead role will not even come close to those numbers, especially if the film receives some early bad buzz (which, I should point out, has not happened yet). In the sequel, Carell (reprising his role as Evan Baxter) is contacted by God (who will once again be played by Morgan Freeman) and told to help build an ark in preparation for a great flood. Carell is a hot actor these days, but does he have what it takes to make Evan Almighty one of the most successful comedies in the history of film? Quite a gamble if you ask me, and I'm just dying to see if it pays off ...