January 2010


Friday Morning Update (7:21 a.m. PT): Tobey Maguire is cheerful and upbeat about the fourth installment of Spider-Man, and still promises a 2011 release despite reports of a delay and a superhero duel with the adaptation of Thor, that was slated for the same release date.

"Like anything, it's a process," Maguire told the AP. "We're just in the midst of the process. We have a lot of great stuff in terms of story and script. We're just trying to dial it in and get it ready as quickly as possible. Of course, these movies are a very big undertaking and take a lot more time than a drama or something more straightforward."

Maguire did not go into detail about specifics of the release and Marvel Studios has not commented on the recent reports, but has assured us that Spidey holds a bright future as more ideas come pouring in.

Tuesday Afternoon: Amidst reports that Sony Pictures and Sam Raimi have been fighting over the villain, Spider-Man 4 has ultimately been delayed, and it's likely the film will not be finished in time to make its May 5th, 2011 release date as previously planned.





A memo to the visual effects department working on the movie confirms the delay, suggesting that the extent of the hold will be known in mid January. Several sources confirm that the studio is still hoping to make a Summer 2011 release, but the first week in May has historically been a date on which the franchise has been hugely successful. Currently, screenwriter Alvin Sargent is working on a new draft of the script, which was previously drafted by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), David Lindsay-Abaire (Inkheart) and Gary Ross (Pleasantville). Sargent, who is married to series producer Laura Ziskin, previously wrote the screenplay for Spider-Man 2 and co-wrote 3 with Sam and Ivan Raimi. It is suggested that the new screenplay will include the Vulture character, which John Malkovich has been rumored to play, but the Vulturess character, a role meant for Anne Hathaway, will be left out.

The Spider-Man franchise has grossed more than 1 billion in the United States to date, so there's no doubt that Sony will bend over backwards to make a fourth film happen. Currently, stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are set to return, although their involvement might be thrown into question if the release date drifts too much.


http://boxoffice.com/then...a-halt.php
[Edited 1/19/10 19:21pm]

I'm not too worried about this one. I have a feeling this will all get sorted out with the quickness, much like Tobey Maguire's "back problems" got better before the shooting of the second one began.

I hope things get sorted out.

listen up sony: have faith. let raimi do what he wants to do~!

I was hoping to see Mysterio in the next one...

Identity said:

This is kind of funny. I'd like to see Anne Hathaway as "Vulturess." But she was supposed to be playing the Black Cat. I think a movie with the Vulture and the Black Cat sounds pretty cool.

roodboi said:

I know right!! That would be sick!

ScarletScandal said:

that character would translate well on the big screen in my opinion...

roodboi said:

I absolutely love the spider-man movies. Except the third. I only thought it was o.k., which was disappointing because I thought it was the last spider-man.

It's nice to know there will be a fourth, but I'm hoping they do it right. The third was just not all that great.

PunkMistress said:

thats Mysterioso....

roodboi said:

I know.

That's why it's FUNNY.

PunkMistress said:

oh yeah..sometimes your wit flabbergasts me...

roodboi said:

Your flatulence flaccidates me.

roodboi said:

That was my first choice as well. I'd also prefer Electro or the Shocker over the Vulture or Black Cat. Either way, I sincerely hope they follow the most important rule:

ONLY 1 MAIN VILLAIN PER MOVIE!

AlexdeParis said:

I would agree with that. But I like the Black Cat option, since she's not really a villain. She could be an interesting subplot.

Efan said:

Maybe, but I'm not sure they're ready for that yet considering they just used Gwen to threaten the Peter/MJ relationship.

Efan said:

black cat would be hot...atleast she better be...

Columbia Scraps Plans for “Spider-Man 4” , Will Reboot Franchise Without Tobey Maguire & Sam Raimi
January 11, 2010

Sony Corp.’s Columbia Pictures said in a statement that it has scrapped plans to release “Spider-Man 4” next year, opting instead to “reboot” the popular franchise in 2012, with a film that does not represent a continuation of the storyline kicked off in 2002’s “Spider-Man.”

Also out, along with the old narratives, are star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi, both of whom have been central to each of the three installments. Together, “Spider-Man,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Spider-Man 3” have taken in nearly $2.5 billion at the box office world wide.

Neither the new film’s title, star nor director were not named.

Production had not yet begun on “Spider-Man 4,” the statement said. But rumors of creative problems with “Spider-Man 4” have surfaced in recent days. One area of concern was said to be the film’s script, by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, who was behind many of the original “Spider-Man” comic books. The new film was written by James Vanderbilt, who also wrote 2007’s “Zodiac.”

Though they have generated massive receipts at the box office, the “Spider-Man” films have also been incredibly expensive to produce, thanks to high costs for talent and special effects. People close to the studio said “Spider-Man 3” cost between $250 million and $300 million to produce, making any new installment a costly gamble, despite the franchise’s strong track record.

The company offered few details about the film it is now planning to make, except to say that it would focus on the high school years of Peter Parker, the New Yorker who becomes Spider Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider. That same period in the character’s life was also the focus of the 2002 “Spider-Man.” The studio said it plans to release the new film in summer 2012, with preparations for production commencing “in the coming weeks.”

Sony licenses the rights to make movies about the Spider Man character from Marvel Entertainment, the comic book publisher and movie studio that earlier this month was acquired for $4.3 billion by Walt Disney Co. As Marvel has on the previous “Spider-Man” films, Disney is to receive a royalty on the forthcoming installment.

http://blogs.wsj.com/spea...sam-raimi/

We'll see...

I just don't understand how you reboot a franchise so early on in the game.
There were a few years between the batman franchises, and the former batman franchise fizzled tremendously with badly conceived, acted, and directed movies.

For the most part Spider-man was well done. It just seems quite risky to even bother to reboot the franchise so early on, especially with the ample competition of super-hero franchises that are currently active.

Am I missing something? What's Sony's reasoning here.

TheVoid said:

Yeah, you missed the part where it basically said they're to cheap to pay people.

Is it just me or is everyone involved being weirdly vague about the cancellation?


Some shit went down.

meow85 said:

not really when this stuff goes down everyone plays nice cause you never know when you may be someone how involved with this studio again. Its a business no reason to anger someone you may work with again.

except to say that it would focus on the high school years of Peter Parker, the New Yorker who becomes Spider Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider


Marvel Entertainment, the comic book publisher and movie studio that earlier this month was acquired for $4.3 billion by Walt Disney Co.
-----

Here comes Zac Effron.




.
[Edited 1/12/10 11:01am]

Sony Announces New Director

January19, 2010


Marc Webb has caught the job of Spider-Man director.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios announced Tuesday that the (500) Days of Summer director will helm the next Spider-Man film following the departure of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire, the director and star who worked on the previous three Spidey films.

The fourth installment is set for a 2012 release and will focus on a younger version of the superhero.

Webb said in a statement he was not taking over the series from Raimi but instead wanted the "opportunity for ideas, stories and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas and creative voice to Spider-Man." Webb previously directed music videos, including Green Day's 21 Guns and The All-American Rejects' Move Along.



http://www.iesb.net/index...&Itemid=71