Spiderman 4, 5 & 6

[can't get enough gore]

Source: Entertainment weekly

Date: Apr.27th/May 4th

Headline: "world wide web"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Right now, in a suite of production offices on the sony lot in L.A., Spider-man 3 is more Sam Raimi's film than anyone else's. It's Saturday,March 31, and he's been working since early morning. At this very late date, he and a postproduction team are racing to finalize the music score, the sound mix, and more than two dozen CG effects shots. He has only four days left to finish in time for sony to churn out the thousands of copies that must unspool worldwide in early May(the 4th in north america). Oh, and a few more boulders to toss onto Raimi's back: This installment gets a mere two weeks in theaters before Shrek the third shows up, then one week more until Pirates of the caribbean: At world's end sails in."

Production president Matt Tolmach says "listen, we're making spider-man 4. Our hope is to do it with sam...But I don't have a crystal ball."

"Audiences aren't stupid," says Dunst of a potential Spider man 4." It'd be a big flop without me, tobey, or sam."
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This seems exciting...With SM3 coming and a possible 4 coming,this is great news....

I heard rumors that some said("some" as in the big guys working on the spidey films) that they would like to make at lest 2-3 more films:) :)

[Sick_As_Fuck]

Without Raimi, Maguire, or Dunst I couldn't give 2 shits.

[bloody_ribcut]

i just saw a preview for sm3 and it looked awesome,venom is going to be famous. i cant wait till casting makes me carnage...........

[PhilnEdee]

Be nice to keep the same people around if the series continues...don't want it to go the way of the Crow(dif. stories I know but you get the jist)...but I do agree with a change for the HULK...Edward Norton or Dominick Purcell either would be better choice than Eric "I'm really too talented an actor..." Bana
Hard for the Green Goblin to kill Gwen Stacey(who shows up in SM3) since the Green Goblin has already met his fate.

[Mictlantechutli]

it'll be shit without Raimi...and the series will go out with a whimper instead of a bang

[walesboy]

i'm liking the spiderman films at the min but would be great to see electro an lord of illusion in the next film an please dont kill venom off def 1 of the best

[Prelude95Si]

Source: Entertainment weekly

Date: Apr.27th/May 4th

Headline: "world wide web"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Right now, in a suite of production offices on the sony lot in L.A., Spider-man 3 is more Sam Raimi's film than anyone else's. It's Saturday,March 31, and he's been working since early morning. At this very late date, he and a postproduction team are racing to finalize the music score, the sound mix, and more than two dozen CG effects shots. He has only four days left to finish in time for sony to churn out the thousands of copies that must unspool worldwide in early May(the 4th in north america). Oh, and a few more boulders to toss onto Raimi's back: This installment gets a mere two weeks in theaters before Shrek the third shows up, then one week more until Pirates of the caribbean: At world's end sails in."

Production president Matt Tolmach says "listen, we're making spider-man 4. Our hope is to do it with sam...But I don't have a crystal ball."

"Audiences aren't stupid," says Dunst of a potential Spider man 4." It'd be a big flop without me, tobey, or sam."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This seems exciting...With SM3 coming and a possible 4 coming,this is great news....

I heard rumors that some said("some" as in the big guys working on the spidey films) that they would like to make at lest 2-3 more films:) :)

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20220&page=26
Sam Raimi Confirms Spidey 4, 5 and 6!
Source: Heather Newgen April 20, 2007


At the Los Angeles press junket today, Spider-Man 3 director Sam Raimi confirmed that Sony Pictures is doing a 4th, 5th and 6th installment of the popular franchise.

We'll have his exact words shortly, but Raimi said that he hasn't had time to think of any involvement and he doesn't want to presume Sony would want him to direct.

He said there has to be a good story to tell and that "it'd be very hard to say goodbye to 'Spider Man.'"

[can't get enough gore]

Spiderman 4: The lizard,cameo by either venom or 2nd green goblin, and mysterio

spiderman 5: Scorpion,rhino(it will go well sice that one scientist created both of them) and then a carnage appearance right before the creds

spiderman 6: carnage,venom vs. carnage...(wouldn't it be awesome if they did shocker???)

nuff said

[Geddy]

I think it would be cool to see the Kingpin, or maybe a x-men, fantastic four, or something like that tie in.

[can't get enough gore]

I think it would be cool to see the Kingpin, or maybe a x-men, fantastic four, or something like that tie in.

That would be cool

I just don't see it being that great to see kingpin in a film

[Prelude95Si]

That would be cool

I just don't see it being that great to see kingpin in a film


Daredevil

And Ghost Rider tried to do a tie-in, in the novelization at the end Johnny Blaze meets with Matt Murdock, big surprise considering the same director did both movies. But obviously it never made the final cut, it might be in the special extended version coming to DVD.

[can't get enough gore]

It's not like i'm shooting the idea down its just, one of the reasons I am going to go see the films is too see how raimi will make the villians look....Whats so amazing about a bald fat guy???:D

[Prelude95Si]

It's not like i'm shooting the idea down its just, one of the reasons I am going to go see the films is too see how raimi will make the villians look....Whats so amazing about a bald fat guy???:D

All I was saying is that Kingpin has already been in a film and I am shooting the idea down for him to be in a Spider-Man film.

[walesboy]

seen sm3 last nite have to say wasn't impressed really the ending was good with venom sandman goblin an spiderman but venom died so easy an i thought goblin an sandman were baddies ? nevermind guess thats wot happens when you hyoe a movie to much bring on pirates of the carribian 3 gonna blow spiderman out of the water with sales yay

[Prelude95Si]

seen sm3 last nite have to say wasn't impressed really the ending was good with venom sandman goblin an spiderman but venom died so easy an i thought goblin an sandman were baddies ? nevermind guess thats wot happens when you hyoe a movie to much bring on pirates of the carribian 3 gonna blow spiderman out of the water with sales yay

SPOILER!*************

[_____V_____]

Buzz on the Net is that Sony has been working Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt like a proverbial dog on Spider-Man 4, with the scripter now having completed a working draft of the superhero sequel.

Cinnematical.com have reported the news, and, so their source claims: "The story arc has encompassed two films, making Spider-Man 5 shootable at the same time. The studio saw dollar signs and is in the process of reworking his deal to snatch up the story arc."

Interesting news indeed. At present it seems none of this is confirmed, and the studio certainly has a job gathering up the likes of Toby Maguire, Kirstin Dunst and Sam Raimi (if he chooses to don the directorial megaphone once again) together for a back-to-back shooting schedule.

How's this for an incentive though: 2007's Spider-Man 3, despite a mauling from many critics and fans, still made an estimated $800 million at the worldwide box office.

Although the casting would be interesting in itself, there is rife speculation that the new storyline includes Black Cat, Electro and Hammerhead.

[GorePhobia]

Ewww awful villain choices. If this ends up being the case then I will have to sit these ones out.

[The_Return]

Ewww awful villain choices. If this ends up being the case then I will have to sit these ones out.

Black Cat and Electro are decent enough choices...Hammerhead is pretty lame though.

But seriously, what the hell is wrong here: they've been setting up the Lizard for 3. Fucking. Movies. They have a perfect setup for both him and Carnage...why bother bringing in new baddies?

That said, I would love to see Electro on screen.

[Doc Faustus]

Electro really can't hold up a movie. That would, however make three Sinister Six members...four if you count the Green Goblin's existence which presents the possibility of the Hobgoblin.

[Despare]

they've been setting up the Lizard for 3. Fucking. Movies.

Same thing I was thinking.

[GorePhobia]

Black Cat and Electro are decent enough choices...Hammerhead is pretty lame though.

But seriously, what the hell is wrong here: they've been setting up the Lizard for 3. Fucking. Movies. They have a perfect setup for both him and Carnage...why bother bringing in new baddies?

That said, I would love to see Electro on screen.


That's what I mean though it's like they have been setting up the Lizard so use him! And you can always bring back Venom and Add Carnage or whatever for 4 and 5. Why have Black Cat, Electro, and Hammerhead it's just stupid.

[Despare]

I had read something about an alien influence and Parker losing his memory... a real odd sci-fi plot. I'm glad that seems to be off the shelf at least.

[GorePhobia]

I would actually rather see Rhino then Black Cat and fucking Hammerhead.....

[The_Return]

The earliest rumors I heard were that they were going to bring in Morlun, of all people.

I mean, he seems like a fairly cool character as far as I can tell...but why use somebody so new and unrecognizable when there are still so many classic baddies to play with?

[Freak]

I didn't really like Spiderman 3.I thought Venom was good but Topher Grace just couldn't pull it off.I would like to see Rhino or The Lizard on the big screen.

[slasherman]

Hobgoblin or Mysterio

[Vodstok]

they had gold with venom and did kind of a lame job. If they bothered, and i dont really think they should, maybe some lamer villains will jump start some creativity and turn out cool.

I mean, toad was a gimp in the xmen comic series, but they got darth maul to play him in the movie.

[ferretchucker]

I think Black Cat and Morbius should have their own movie or it would take away too much from Spidey. Carnage would be a great set up, as the symbioute could come from the piece of the venom symbiote Dr. Konnors has. And yes, obviously Lizard.

I say Lizard and Carnage, as they already have them both set up. But I suppose, as it's two movies, there's room for one more in Scorpion, as they could then maybe have at the end of S4, him discovering the bit of venom left, then use that to become venom scorpion.

[_____V_____]

Spidey could be back shooting white stuff from his palms within the next couple of years, reports IESB.

Marvel Vice Chairman Peter Cuneo said in a symposium that “Spider-Man 4” could notionally be ready for 2010 or 2011.

"As far as Spider-man 4, it's really up to Sony and the most likely scenario is 2010 or 2011 but we can't speak for them and I think that we don't know. They have given us their re-up payment for that film so you know they're going to make it within a reasonable timeframe. Sony may be looking at some issues with the cast and so on, I think they have to make some decisions."

Sounds like there might be some re-casting going on. With long-time Maguire-replacement fave Jake Gyllenhaal now attached to play ‘Prince of Persia’, it’s doubtful he’ll get his shot at playing Spider-man.

In other news, James Vanderbilt has been asked to 'tweak' the script, for the die-hard fans and the critics alike. The latest buzz circulating around is that Spider-man 4 might eventually turn out to be a one-villain movie (either Kingpin or Carnage) with a cameo by The Sinister Six, who will fully take over in Spider-man 5.

[Kane_Hodder]

Encouraging news.
I wonder which Sinister Six will they go with. Doc Ock was already in part 2, unless they are thinking of bringing back Alfred Molina in some way.

[Abominus]

Since they destroyed Juggernaut in the X-men franchise, I'd really like to see Rhino do some damage plus the whole Lizard thing has to pay off.

[Doc Faustus]

Crispin Glover would make a good Carnage.

[MisterSadistro]

They also set up The Werewolf or whatever his name is in one of the early movies. J. Jonah Jameson's astronaut son became a werewolf after bringing some strange rock back from a moon landing or something like that. I only remember it because I had the old comic book with the 45 rpm record.
Anyone ever notice that Billy Dee Williams was Harvey Dent in the first 'Batman' movie, but it was Tommy Lee Jones that eventually played Two Face ? :rolleyes:
CK

[Doc Faustus]

Yeah. I think Billy Dee Williams would have made kind of an awkward Two-Face, although a completely undeveloped Tommy Lee Jones did worse.

[Dark_soul]

http://smileydatabase.com/s/317.gif
Spiderman is boring
http://smileydatabase.com/s/1057.gif

[urgeok2]

http://smileydatabase.com/s/317.gif
Spiderman is boring
http://smileydatabase.com/s/1057.gif



damn, your soul is sooooooo dark !

[_____V_____]

The official line at Sony is that they're not looking to replace star Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man for the planned Spider-Man 4, and subsequent films in the Web-Slinger series. It's been long-rumored, however, that the original cast members might depart after the initial trilogy of films.

What's the latest on who might step in if a replacement is needed?

Latino Review says Patrick Fugit (Wristcutters, Almost Famous) is on the list, as is his Almost Famous co-star Michael Angarano, last seen opposite Jackie Chan and Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom.

IGN was on the set of Cirque du Freak yesterday, which co-stars Patrick Fugit. The producer of that film was prodded by the journalists there to ask Fugit about the Spidey 4 rumors, and the actor messaged the producer back saying it's the first he's heard of the rumor but that he'd love to play the part.

Zodiac writer James Vanderbilt is writing the script, and it's possible that director Sam Raimi may step aside. Vanderbilt was hand-picked by producers because of his character-driven approach, rather than a focus on special effects.

Production is still a long way off, but rumor has it that the fourth and fifth movies in the series may be filmed in tandem.

Spider-Man 4 is expected to be in theaters by 2010 or 2011.

[_____V_____]

September 5, 2008


Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire have reportedly reached deals to reprise their respective duties for not only Spider-Man 4 but a fifth installment in Sony's web-slinger franchise as well.

Furthermore, the studio is mulling filming the sequels back-to-back a la Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings in an effort to minimize the problems in reassembling the cast.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, Maguire's deal was only very recently made as a source for the site claims that Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal had been spending the last few weeks looking for possible replacements.

No deal has been made yet for Kirsten Dunst, but DHD insists the studio won't recast the role of Mary Jane Watson. However, there will be a second female role included this time .

As for the villains, DHD columnist Nikki Finke reports "Sony is taking its time officially hiring the movie's villain since principal photography doesn't start on Spider-Man 4 until next fall because of the recently postponed May 2011 release. I am told, however, that 'once you find out who the villain is, you'll know who's playing it.'

That should lead to speculation that Dylan Baker's character of Dr. Curt Connors will ultimately turn into The Lizard as he did in the comic books."

DHD adds that Daniel Gillies, who portrayed John (the future Man-Wolf) Jameson in Spider-Man 2, might also be a contender.

The site adds that the next Spidey sequels won't be as dark as Spider-Man 3 or The Dark Knight. "Peter Parker has no dark side himself. In Spider-Man 3 it was the black costume. Peter Parker's struggle is about sacrifice," DHD's source said.

[The_Return]

September 5, 2008



That should lead to speculation that Dylan Baker's character of Dr. Curt Connors will ultimately turn into The Lizard as he did in the comic books."


He had damn well better - they've been setting him up for three damn movies now.

[Dante'sInferno]

I would like to see Carnage done.If they didn't totally fuck it up like they did Venom.I'll probably see it,but i doubt it will be even half as good as The Dark Knight.

[massacre man]

The site adds that the next Spidey sequels won't be as dark as Spider-Man 3

It wasn't dark...

[can't get enough gore]

I would like to see Carnage done.If they didn't totally fuck it up like they did Venom.I'll probably see it,but i doubt it will be even half as good as The Dark Knight.

Well the character of venom in number 3 was completely what it wasn't supposed to be.....So cletus cassady will be a friendly person who helps out the homeless?

[Dante'sInferno]

Yes Venom looked right,acted right.But he was killed way to soon and in the most stupid way.I'm not a Venom fanboy,yes i enjoy the character,but i wanted the character done with some dignity.Not killed off 4 seconds later.And No Cletus shouldnt be like that.Haha that would be funny though"Mam,want me to help you with your groceries?"The movie would need to be really dark to pull of Carnage.A hell of alot darker then $piderman 3.


But i didn't hate Spiderman 3,dont get me wrong,im jus pissed off with what they did to a beloved character and one of my personal favorite villians.

[Doc Faustus]

I said this years ago and still stand by it: Cilian Murphy would make a really kickass Carnage.

[can't get enough gore]

Yes Venom looked right,acted right.But he was killed way to soon and in the most stupid way.I'm not a Venom fanboy,yes i enjoy the character,but i wanted the character done with some dignity.Not killed off 4 seconds later.And No Cletus shouldnt be like that.Haha that would be funny though"Mam,want me to help you with your groceries?"The movie would need to be really dark to pull of Carnage.A hell of alot darker then $piderman 3.


But i didn't hate Spiderman 3,dont get me wrong,im jus pissed off with what they did to a beloved character and one of my personal favorite villians.

The idiotic dancing scene and venom really brought the movie down...I don't want to sound like an angry geek but...

1. Eddie brock should have been buff, not a weakling "that 70's show" guy.

2. Venom is a big fucking man monster, not a small screaming licker like thing from resident evil.

3. Those who say "the movie had some classic raimi with the street dancing scene" should shoot themselves. I mean, I have a really dumb sense of humor but even that made me go "huh?".

[Dante'sInferno]

The idiotic dancing scene and venom really brought the movie down...I don't want to sound like an angry geek but...

1. Eddie brock should have been buff, not a weakling "that 70's show" guy.

2. Venom is a big fucking man monster, not a small screaming licker like thing from resident evil.

3. Those who say "the movie had some classic raimi with the street dancing scene" should shoot themselves. I mean, I have a really dumb sense of humor but even that made me go "huh?".I TOTALLY agree!Thank you!

[_____V_____]

September 16, 2008


Tobey Maguire is now reportedly set to reprise his role as the title character in Spider-Man 4 and 5.

The star is expected to film the back-to-back sequels over a six-month period next year.

And according to The Sunday Times, Maguire's deal also allows him to take early mornings and evenings off so that he can spend time with his toddler daughter.

The paper, which claims Maguire will earn "a record $50 million" for the sequels, claims that "Sony, which declined to comment, is thought to have been wary of allowing 'family time' because it could set a precedent. Finally its chairman, Amy Pascal, herself a mother, stepped in, saying six months without family time would not be fair on any parent."

The Times adds that it will be known "in the next few days" whether Kirsten Dunst will be back as Mary Jane Watson.

And as regards the movie's villains, Sam Raimi is reportedly said to be toying with the idea of choosing at least two main ones, between The Lizard, Man-Wolf and Carnage.

[Vodstok]

Cool on almost all counts, but drop the mary jane thing... its old and tired now, and Dunst looks more haggard and underfed every time through.

Do we need a romantic lead? Not really, its not like every spiderman comic had him trying to make MJ happy. Plus, with the amount of times she has been dropped from a tall structure, she should move out to indiana and live on a farm. Without a well.

[Doc Faustus]

Alicia Witt or Laura Prepon (Donna on that 70's Show) fit more with the spirit of the character. Mary Jane is much more proactive and intense than Kirsten Dunst played her.

[massacre man]

Do we need a romantic lead? Not really, its not like every spiderman comic had him trying to make MJ happy. Plus, with the amount of times she has been dropped from a tall structure, she should move out to indiana and live on a farm. Without a well.

Just on the farm, bare ground, right? Roofs are pretty high up.

[_____V_____]

September 30, 2008


Now that director Sam Raimi and series star Tobey Maguire have signed on for Spider-Man 4 and 5, fans have wondered whether Kirsten Dunst will also return for the sequels.

MTV recently interviewed Dunst and asked the actress whether she would reprise her role as Mary Jane Watson now that her director and co-star have agreed to return. Here's what they report she had to say about the matter:

"'I'm in,' said the actress matter of factly. However, when pressed to make the announcement official, Dunst quickly changed her tone, and rather cryptically added, 'I'm not saying anything, I know there's rumors…'"

So there you have it. A confirmation of the "Ooops, did I speak without consulting my agent and publicist?" variety, which likely means that Dunst has agreed in principle to return but hasn't sealed a deal just yet.

[_____V_____]

October 31, 2008


Columbia is set to hire a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer to pen Spider-Man 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

David Lindsay-Abaire, who won the prestigious award for his play Rabbit Hole, has secured to gig to write the third franchise sequel that is set to unite stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and director Sam Raimi.

The choice of a high-brow screenwriter shows a determination by the studio to focus on character this time around, something many thought got lost in the messy Spider-Man 3.

Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of the script. As yet plot details are still being kept tightly under-wraps.


Although she recently expressed interest in reprising her role as Mary Jane Watson, it sounds like Kirsten Dunst isn't such a sure thing for the next two Spider-Man sequels, at least given the language of director Sam Raimi's most recent statements on the matter.

Raimi told MTV that he'd "love to work with (Dunst) again" but added "I hope she'll be written into it. I couldn't imagine making one without her, and I think she's an important part of the movies."

"I don't have a script yet, but production would start probably by March of 2010, I'm guessing," the director explained. "It sounds like a long time away, but we need a script first, and a lot of pre-production has to take place." He added that no decision has been made yet about shooting Spider-Man 4 and 5 back-to-back, and stressed that studio boss Amy Pascal would make the final decision regarding the shooting schedule.

Raimi was coy about whether Dylan Baker, who has appeared in the last three installments as Dr. Curt Connors, would finally appear as the villainous Lizard. Raimi said that they "just don't know who the villain is yet," but suggested that the storylines for the fourth and fifth films would most likely be intertwined.

[pinkfloyd45769]

I am the biggest spidey nerd!!I love all 3 of them,i'm really excited to see more:)

[_____V_____]

January 13, 2009


Sam Raimi told Empire magazine that he already has an idea for the villain in Spider-Man 4.

He said: "I like it in the Marvel comics when Spider-Man fights Morbius... He's really cool. A vampire! I like that combination of superhero plus supernatural."

In the comics, Morbius wasn't actually a vampire in the supernatural sense; instead he was a Nobel-prize winning biochemist who (unwisely) attempted to cure his rare blood disease with a combination of vampire bats and electroshock therapy - giving him 'vampiric' characteristics. The character became an important part of the Marvel universe, doing battle with Spidey, the Human Torch and the X-Men.

The film is currently at the script-writing stage, with the last news on the project being that Pulitzer-prize winning author David Lindsey-Abaire had been signed on to co-write the sequel.

Raimi said way back in October that filming would possibly get under way in 2010, with the director currently putting the finishing touches to his horror venture Drag me to Hell.

[Doc Faustus]

I always wondered why Morbius never bit the Green Goblin and turned him into the vampirogoblin. A cool complement to Morbius would be the Jason Macendale Hobgoblin, Mc Farlane style.

[The_Return]

Morbius isn't a bad idea...but why in Gods name would they NOT use the Lizard?

He's not even one of my favorites, but they've been setting him up from the start...

[Doc Faustus]

The Lizard isn't that great for driving a plot that people who read the comic haven't seen ten thousand times.

[hacelikewhoa]

ahhh I would love it if they do keep Tobey Maguire, it just wouldn't be the same anymore without him. Plus, I can't stand sequels with different actors playing the main character. Always hated that. I can't wait for the new spiderman movies!

[_____V_____]

Spider-Man 4 producer Todd Black says the villain of the sequel will "be a big part of New York."

Black shot down rumors that Morbius the Vampire would be the villain, telling The New York Post, "We're just coming up with who the villain's going to be now. We'll be shooting in New York again. Trust me, people will appreciate who we pick, because it'll be a big part of New York."

The producer also dismissed the rumor that the film would see Peter Parker finally marry his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson.

Speaking of MJ, Black confirmed that Kirsten Dunst is now set to reprise the role for the film, ending months of rumors that she might not be back.

[_____V_____]

The man who didn't really shoot Uncle Ben Parker says he will be back for Spider-Man 4.

According to Superhero Hype, actor Michael Papajohn, who played ill-fated carjacker Dennis Carradine in the first and third Spider-Man films, appeared at a panel at this past weekend's Wizard World Philadelphia where he said he will reprise his role for Spidey 4 but gave no further details.

Dennis Carradine was the carjacker that Peter Parker thought had killed his Uncle Ben when, in fact, it was really his partner Flint Marko (the future Sandman). Peter chased down Carradine to a warehouse where the thief fell to his death.

How and why Carradine will be brought back for the fourth film remains to be seen, but we presume it will be a flashback. The question is why revisit Uncle Ben's death again? Is there something else we didn't know about it? And does that mean Sandman will also be back?

Questions to which no answers are given at the moment.

[Zero]

he might be mobius - or he might be another villain (electro maybe?)

i think the 'big part of ny' has got to be king pin!

[VampiricClown]

So many villains...so little time.

[Zero]

maybe it will be king kong???

[The_Return]

maybe it will be king kong???

You going out for the casting call?

[Zero]

damn straight - and i'm gonna slap that disco-dancing wall crawler back to the roach motel

[massacre man]

The villain is going to be PART of New York. A BIG PART OF NEW YORK.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Statue_of_Liberty%2C_NY.jpg/800px-Statue_of_Liberty%2C_NY.jpg

[Zero]

she's got a torch, and she's pissed

[_____V_____]

As Sony Pictures Entertainment preps a fourth installment of "Spider-Man" to begin production early next year, the studio has quietly engaged screenwriter James Vanderbilt to pen "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6."

Vanderbilt was the first writer on "Spider-Man 4."

Director Sam Raimi brought on "Rabbit Hole" playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to rewrite him, and Gary Ross is now rewriting that script.

The studio is enthusiastic about where it stands as the picture begins prepping for an early 2010 production start for a May 2011 release.

Raimi didn't embrace all of Vanderbilt's ideas, but execs at Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have. Vanderbilt has been hired to pen the fifth and sixth movies, which have an interconnected storyline. That's what was originally discussed when Vanderbilt signed on to write "Spider-Man 4," but the idea of shooting a fourth and fifth film back to back with the original cast was scrapped.

Sources said it was unclear whether Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will be back.

If they aren't, Vanderbilt's script would be the blueprint for a franchise reboot.

After committing to his fourth "Spider-Man" film, Raimi signed on to direct a new franchise based on the massively multiplayer role-playing online computer game "World of Warcraft" for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Maguire and Dunst were locked into the first three pictures and made a new deal for "Spider-Man 4." It's unclear how long they want to continue with the series.

Then again, Raimi was initially doubtful for "Spider-Man 4" because he expected to direct "The Hobbit," but returned after Guillermo del Toro got the job.

Why is Vanderbilt writing when so many variables are undecided?

The most important thing is for Sony to prime the "Spider-Man" pump more frequently. The lapse between films has grown with each blockbuster. The second film came only two years after the first, but it took three years for a third installment, and four years will have passed when "Spider-Man 4" opens in summer 2011.

"Spider-Man" remains the studio's most important film franchise, and Sony doesn't want to wait half a decade for the next outing.

[_____V_____]

Bruce Campbell made memorable cameos in the first three Spider-Man films, but could the actor be set for a larger role in part four of the franchise?

Looks like its happening!

The Evil Dead star told Access Hollywood (at yesterday's Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs premiere) that director Sam Raimi has revealed to Campbell that he may have a "major role" in the sequel. However, he did go on to say that he didn't yet know anything about his character.

Campbell also revealed the flick will start shooting in January next year, in time for a summer 2011 release.

[massacre man]

If Bruce has a big part I'll stop not caring about Spider-Man movies.

[The_Return]

Heh...pretty sure that's just Bruce's joke. At Festival of Fear he talked about how he's been the most important part of all three movies: 1st one, he gave Spidey his name. 2nd, he became the only person to defeat the Webhead (:D), and the 3rd had Peter coming to him for advice. He's convinced all his roles have been "major" :p

Still, the prospect of him actually having a substantial part is very exciting. Keeping my fingers crossed for Mysterio, 'cause lets face it: can you possibly think of better casting?

[Doc Faustus]

He could be a good Ned Leeds.

[massacre man]

He could play Mary Jane for all I care, more screen time for Bruce!

[The_Return]

He could be a good Ned Leeds.

Don't think he's a bit old?

Besides, the only way they could really make Leeds a major character would be if they went down the Hobgoblin road...and honestly, I'd rather not see another damn Goblin.

[_____V_____]

Dylan Baker has played Dr. Curt Connors in the first three Spider-Man films, which has left fans wondering when they might finally see him transform into his reptilian alter ego on the big screen.

Now director Sam Raimi, who aims to start filming Spider-Man 4 in the spring, has gone on record saying that he likes The Lizard, but did not go so far as to say that he'd use him as the villain in the next sequel.

MTV spoke with Raimi, who explained the process he and the screenwriters are employing to choose a villain. "What we're trying to do right now is really understand the journey Peter [Parker] is going to go on this time and have the villain maybe be a counter to that growth, something that he has to overcome," Raimi said.

He continued, "Or maybe he has to grow in a way to overcome the villain, because there always seem to be stories of coming of age, of a young man growing up and learning things about life, so once we are identifying the exact movement that Peter has to grow to, I think the villain—and we're trying this right now; we're trying to choose a villain based on who would be the proper counter to that growth, so we really have dramatic conflict."

[_____V_____]

Sam Raimi has been out talking about his plans for Spider-Man 4 yet again, and perhaps not surprisingly -- judging from past comments he's made -- the director is also addressing what he thinks went wrong with the third film in the Wallcrawler's series.

Coventry Telegraph's Geek Files is reporting that DVD & Blu-ray Review asked the director about fan complaints that there were too many bad guys in Spidey 3.

"I think having so many villains detracted from the experience," Raimi responded. "I would agree with the criticism."

The director added that making the smaller-scale Drag Me to Hell recently reminded him of some important filmmaking lessons.

"I think I've learned about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations, and I'm hoping to take that into a production where I'm actually allowed to explore with more of the tools to pull it off with a little more splendor," he said. "I hope I don't lose that edge that I've just found. That would be my approach to Spider-Man 4: to get back to the basics."

Meanwhile, MTV continues to trickle out info from their recent Raimi interview, with the latest tidbit addressing the topic of the planned fifth and sixth Spider-Man films.

"Every time I make one of the Spider-Man movies, I have to ask myself, is the character still intriguing to me?" Raimi said. "Do I love the character? Am I dying to tell the next story of Peter Parker and Spider-Man? … And so far the answer has been yes."

So does that mean he'll be back past part four?

"You have to ask me in two-and-a-half years," he laughed.

[_____V_____]

Another day, another Spider-Man 4 story, although this time it's pretty cool news, with Dylan Baker apparently confirming that he'll appear in the further adventures of the web-slinger.

According to UGO, the actor was taking part in a Q&A for Trick 'r Treat at New York's Walter Reade Theatre, and when asked about his participation in the film, said that he'd received his first call inviting him to appear that very morning.

Baker played university professor Dr. Curt Connors in parts two and three, although he wouldn't be drawn on whether or not his character would transform into super-villain The Lizard in part four.

[_____V_____]

This is the latest juicy - albeit unconfirmed - rumour about Spider-Man 4.

MarketSaw is reporting that there will only be one villain in the superhero sequel, with The Lizard alone facing off against Peter Parker.

It was recently disclosed that Dylan Baker will be reprising his role as Dr. Curt Connors (who transforms into the reptilian super-villain in Spidey-lore).

This rumour hasn't been confirmed by the studio, but if true would rule out the gossip linking the likes of Carnage and Morbius to the project.

[ferretchucker]

From what I can gather they're saving Carnage for the Venom spinoff.

I think it wouldn't kill them to have a few cameos or even mentions of other heroes. Where were the Fantastic Four when Spidey received his award? Just a little mention would be nice. I enjoyed seeing Tony Stark meet General Ross.

As for a villain, I think Mysterio would be a very good one. Hard to make a few of his tricks realistic but after Sandman, I don't think realism is an issue...

[mechu95]

One villain? Thank bejesus. Also, please kill off Mary Jane?

[_____V_____]

The Internet loves casting rumors, but the gears of speculation are always at their highest when the topic is a superhero. Or, more accurately, who a superhero is going to be fighting in his/her's next trip to the big screen; and with Spider-Man 4 snowballing into production, the rumors have once again begun swirling around who Spidey is going to be web-punching this time around.

First reports that Dylan Baker would finally be transforming into The Lizard seemed to confirm Sam Raimi's return to making a single-villain picture, but now a new name has been tossed into the ring.

Mania.com is reporting that their sources have cited Rachel McAdams as in talks with the film's producers to take on the role of Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat. Not only that, but Romola Garai has even auditioned for the role. Garai is a 27-year-old British actress who starred in Amazing Grace, The Other Man and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

If you're unfamiliar with the character, she is a sometimes good, sometimes bad cat burglar who, in addition to being a possible love interest of the web-crawler's, tries to use her less-than-legal prowess to break her father out of jail.

In the latest issue of The Observer, Garai shared the details about what she was up to last week, which included a video audition for the latest Spidey:

"Love is at the root of everything good that has ever happened and will happen.” This phrase swam into focus as I moved up the escalator at Oxford Circus tube on Tuesday morning on my way to put myself “on tape” for a part in Spider-Man 4. This is the acting equivalent of the London Marathon in that it’s important to try your best as long as you understand that you aren’t going to win.

Garai is only a few years younger than McAdams, and certainly has the same look, which makes one believe there might actually be something to this Black Cat rumor after all.

It would be an interesting spin to have villainess for part four, but it's unclear at this point as to whether or not the film's Black Cat will ultimately be friend or foe.

Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, Black Cat first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194, published in July 1979. While the character is sometimes confused as a copy of DC Comics’ Catwoman, the character actually predates the look of the Batman villain by almost a decade. The daughter of a world-renowned cat burglar, Black Cat first met Spider-Man while trying to break her father out of prison. Felicia quickly fell in love with Spidey and looked for a way to earn his trust while continuing with the Black Cat persona as “a misguided attempt to attract his affection.”

A bigger shake-up to the film's line-up could come by way of the second bit of Mania's news, which stakes that the producers are also currently out casting a male villain. Assuming Raimi hasn't already broken with his desire to keep the baddies solo, this would mean that Dr. Curt Connors is not fulfilling his destiny as The Lizard after all, despite Dylan Baker confirming he'd be returning in the role.

It's all very fluid and salty at this point, but if Mania's sources are indeed correct, Spider-Man 4 has either multiplied its villains once again or kept The Lizard caged until a later date.

[_____V_____]

With Spider-Man 4 set to go before cameras in early 2010, the rumor mill is working overtime churning out names of characters who might be in the sequel and the actors purported to be playing them.

Last week's buzz that Rachel McAdams was up for the role of the villainous Black Cat has been shot down by the actress herself. "That's a total rumor, I have to say," McAdams told Entertainment Weekly. "I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, 'I just heard you're doing Spider-Man 4.' And I said, 'Really? No one told me!' It's not true."

EW adds that a Sony rep also dismissed the report as being a mere "Internet rumor," which is not the same as calling it untrue. Sony also denied that there was a new Karate Kid movie in the works with Will Smith's son ... until there was a new Karate Kid movie in the works with Will Smith's son.

Replacing McAdams as the rumored Black Cat contender du jour is Julia Stiles. UGO claims that the Bourne Ultimatum and 10 Things I Hate About You actress "has met with a casting company in New York to discuss (the project)." If true, that doesn't mean Stiles has landed the role just that she's being considered for it.

Last but not least, Spoiler TV claims to have received an official casting call notice for Spidey 4. It says the producers are looking for a 2 or 3-year-old male Caucasian toddler with red hair. The red hair description has led to much speculation that Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson might have a kid in the next movie. Or maybe director Sam Raimi just needs a red-headed tyke for a few scenes and it's not an indication that Spidey 4 is going the Superman Returns route and giving its superhero a son. However, Raimi has always made Peter's journey into adulthood the overriding arc of his Spider-Man movies and so making Peter a dad would seem to be a natural step in his evolution.

[_____V_____]

If there’s one thing John Malkovich does well – does really well – it’s give good villain.

This, after all, is the man who was Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom in Con Air, and the chameleonic assassin Booth in In The Line Of Fire. And who can forget his spine-chilling turn as Pascal Sauvage, the Greedy Frenchman in the epoch-making comedy, Johnny English?

Yep, nobody does a nice line in on-screen evil quite like Malcatraz, and that’s something Sam Raimi knows all too well. After all, Raimi offered Malkovich the role of the Green Goblin in Spider-Man waaaaaaay back in 2001. For whatever reason – he was booked up, he didn’t like the script, he didn’t like the costume – Malkovich passed on the role, leaving it to Willem Dafoe to snap it up and try desperately to act while stranded in a completely expressionless helmet roughly the size of a small fridge.

But Raimi, it seems, is a determined man and, almost nine years on, it looks like he’s going to get his wish at last, and see Malkovich as a Spider-Man villain after all.

That is, if you believe the rumours currently springing forth from Movieline, which is claiming that, with just a couple of months until Raimi starts filming on Spider-Man 4, Malkovich has been offered the part of the movie’s villain, the bald-as-a-coot winged menace, The Vulture.

But wait – there’s more. Davis is also saying that The Vulture – aka aged robber, Adrian Toomes, who takes to the skies wearing a hi-tech flying harness – won’t be alone. In fact, he’ll be joined by the beautiful and ravishing Anne Hathaway as… The Vulturess?

Spider-fans, of course, may now be scratching their heads in bemusement at a character that Raimi and his writer, Gary Ross, have apparently conjured up out of thin air. Although it wouldn’t be the first time – technically speaking, the New Goblin, as played by James Franco in Spider-Man 3, was a new character.

But it would seem that The Vulturess – who, presumably, will be able to fly but who won’t be sporting a shiny Matt Lucas-style bald bonce – will, like Franco’s Harry Osborn, be a pre-existing Spider-Man character given a brand-spanking new makeover. For The Vulturess may be the new nom de plume for Felicia Hardy, the white-haired vixen who enters Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s tangled life as the villainous Black Cat.

It’s no secret that Felicia Hardy will show up in Spider-Man 4. Over the last couple of months, virtually every hot young actress in Hollywood, from Romola Garai to Rachel McAdams, has either auditioned for the part, or held talks about it. But it would seem that Hathaway has clinched a role that will be markedly different from its comic book origins.

Cinematical is saying that, if the change does go ahead, it’s because Raimi, Sony and Marvel are nervous about accusations that The Black Cat is a rip-off of Batman’s own sexy feline nemesis, Catwoman (heaven forbid…). But, as much as we’re ok with the idea of giving Hardy a new moniker, something has to be done about that name. The Vulturess? Really?

Of course, the name would indicate that Hathaway and Malkovich, should they sign on the line that is dotted, will be teaming up to menace Tobey Maguire’s webslinger from above. But, given that Raimi is unlikely to repeat the two villains mistake that blighted Spider-Man 3 so, we’d reckon that, sooner rather than later, The Vulturess – if that is her real name – will end up flying on the side of the angels.

Of course, it’s all rumour at the moment, but if this is confirmed, it’s a bold move. Is The Vulture the villain to revitalise the Spider-Man franchise? Will hardcore fans be up in arms over the changes to Hardy’s character, or will the prospect of seeing Anne Hathaway in a white wig and skin-tight costume alleviate their suffering? What do you think?

Spider-Man 4 starts filming in March and is scheduled for release on May 6, 2011.

[Doc Faustus]

Two to three year old boy with red hair sounds like Normie Osborn.

[_____V_____]

And things seemed to be going so well on the Spidey 4 front.

It was just over a week ago that we heard that John Malkovich was being considered to play the Vulture in Spider-Man 4. But now a rumor has surfaced that the film has been placed on "indefinite hold."

That's what IESB is hearing from "an inside source." So we'll take this report for what it is right now -- rumor -- while quietly nurturing a feeling of dread in our gut that Sam Raimi's attempts to get his webcrawler franchise back on track after the disappointing third film may be falling apart.

"Apparently, several department heads working on the Spider-M4n production were notified of the halt last Thursday," says the site (and yes, they also report that the film is now rather awkwardly being called Spider-M4n internally at Sony. "Spidey and friends have some issues that need to be dealt with before production can move forward once again."

Those issues reportedly involve "an incomplete script" as well as a tussle between Raimi and Sony over who the villain should be in the film. That's a pretty big issue, we'd say.

"Raimi is pushing hard for the Vulture to be the big baddie," says the site. "Our source says [the studio] seem[s] to only be interested in featuring which ever character is selling books right now but basically they have no idea [who they want], just not the Vulture."

Again, we hope this report is inaccurate. But if it is correct, then at least it indicates that Raimi is sticking to his guns after the whole Venom mess that the studio got him in last time around.

Stay tuned for more on this as it comes in.

[_____V_____]

Hollywood actress Kirsten Dunst's red-headed character Mary Jane from the Spider-Man franchise is reportedly going to be written off after the fourth instalment.

Insiders claim Dunst's character will be written off in the next movie and replaced by Anne Hathaway as Spider-Man's new love interest, reports hollywood.com.

"The plan is for her character to be written out, probably by dying. Anne will take over as Peter Parker's new love interest for this project and for Spider-Man 5 and 6 which are being written now," said a source.

"Anne's in Los Angeles doing a lot of meetings on the movie, because filming is right around the corner," the source added.

[_____V_____]

Even as Spider-Man 4 continues to flail in production limbo (it's been officially delayed), word arrives that one of the more likely rumours - John Malkovich playing villain The Vulture has been confirmed by the man himself.

Talking on, of all places, Italian sports show Quelli Che il Calcio, Malkovich was asked directly about the news he'd be showing up in the new Spidey outing.

Time to fire up the Translato5000 to reveal what he said: "When conductor Simona Ventura asked him about his role of Vulture in the movie, he not only didn't deny his involvement, but confirmed that he's waiting for the final script to be sent to him, and that the movie has been delayed. He also hopes that shooting will begin as soon as possible."

He might be in for a bit of a wait, since Sony and Sam Raimi seem to be wrangling about the final form of the script, and the choice of the villain is a definite sticking point.

And there's no word yet on whether this means Anne Hathaway will definitely also be appearing as the Vulturess. Malkovich is a fine idea, but if Hathaway does get a role, surely she'd be better off as Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy?

[cheebacheeba]

Raimi and Maguire out of future Spider-Man installments.
Potential "redo" sequels may involve a high-school aged Parker, again.

...Someone else can fill in the details...

[The_Return]

Read your post Cheeb and had to look into it...here's the Sony press release :

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) -- Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade.This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

"Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. "We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen."

The studio will have more news about Spider-Man in 2012 in the coming weeks as it prepares for production of the film.

Found a more enlightening article over at Deadline.com though - link is below. Sounds far less amicable than Sony wants us to think:

Source: http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/urgent-spider-man-4-scrapped-as-is-raimi-and-cast-out-franchise-reboot-planned/

[_____V_____]

The complete story...

Spider-Man 3 left a very bitter taste in the collective mouths of geeks. Raimi deserved a mulligan on that, but word 'round the campfire was that his fee (and those of his principal actors) were going to be cost prohibitive. Then, the movie gods smiled down on Sony's Culver City lot and forced the suits to reach into some deep pockets, striking a deal with the original Spidey crew to return for a fourth film.

Hoping not to have another mess of a story on his hands, Raimi made it a mandate to make sure he had a great script this time around. Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt was the first writer on the project, and apparently his draft did not meet the greenlight demands of Team Raimi. (Interestingly, Sony is now fast tracking Vanderbilt's draft for 2012's reboot.)

David Lindsay-Abaire was the next writer Raimi commissioned to re-draft the script. And after that little experiment, Raimi tried on writer-director Gary "Pleasantville" Ross for a draft. Ross, hot off the script he turned in for a Venom spin-off, delivered a take rumored to have The Vulture as the lead villain , a villain confirmed by the actor the production wanted for the role – John Malkovich.

With Raimi at creative odds with the studio as to who the villain should be (Raimi wanted Vulture, the studio wanted whomever was selling the hottest in comics currently) and what direction Spidey's fourth movie should go in, the first major sign of trouble hit: Spider-Man 4 was most likely going to miss its release date of May 11, 2011, a reported move that didn't sit well with Sony execs.

The reason for the move: Raimi was unable to find a satisfactory story he – and the fans – would be proud to get behind. (The fan-favorite director should be applauded for sticking to his creative guns.) Reports said Raimi was quite vocal about his, ahem, hatred for the scripts coming in, and was now waiting on a draft from Spider-Man 2 and 3 writer Alvin Sargent , who is married to Spidey producer Laura Ziskin.

Gone in this new draft was a part for the Vulturess and/or Black Cat, with both roles rumored to be for Anne Hathaway. Creative Direction #147 prompted lead actor Maguire to speak up about the movie's delay and story status: "Like anything, it's a process," he told the Associated Press. "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."

Maguire continued: "I think the evolution of the character is really exciting, to be rooted in the history of what we've done already and to have a continuity, yet have a progression or evolution."

Sadly, that is an evolution the actor won't be around to see.

On Monday, January 11, 2010, Sony announced via Twitter that Peter Parker was going back to high school for a reboot releasing Summer 2012 – moments after DeadlineHollywood.com reported that Raimi and Co. were out. According to Deadline, Raimi told execs that he couldn't creatively move forward and satisfy their targeted release date of summer 2011.

Rather than replace the director, the studio decided to wipe the slate clean and reboot. (So yes, the studio that didn't want to miss their 2011 release date due to Raimi's creative sticking points decided to, er, miss the date anyway and go in an entirely new, and divisive, direction for 2012.)

After Deadline's story broke and Sony took to Twitter, an official press release further confirmed what made everyone's Spidey sense go, "What the eff?!" The entire cast has been scrapped (whether or not that means actors in certain supporting roles will stick around, a la Judi Dench as "M" in the new Bond reboots, remains to be seen) and Parker is going backward, not forward, in his evolution as Marvel's biggest big-screen hero.

One can only hope for the rumors that Sony is looking at taking Spider-Man into a grittier direction are just rumors. Gritty ain't what the character is. You'd think after three films, the studio would get that. And that is the first thing a new director for the franchise would have to realize, and moreover, respect.

[cheebacheeba]

the studio wanted whomever was selling the hottest in comics currentl
That probably wouldn't work...not since the whole "brand new day" thing, a lot has changed that wouldn't go well without explanation.

One can only hope for the rumors that Sony is looking at taking Spider-Man into a grittier direction are just rumors. Gritty ain't what the character is.
Torment, the whole 90's Kaine thing, and The Other.
Gritty can work in the Spider-Man world, and remarkably so...it's not that the character is gritty, it's that he's not, that made those situations work...I'd love to see it, speaking as a fan of the comics.
Spider-Man back at High School? I already read the Ultimate titles, I'm sure they do it better'n this supposed re-spin will.

[_____V_____]

Spider-Man is set to get a new lease of life after Marc Webb signed on as the new director of the successful franchise.

Webb replaces director Sam Raimi, who along with actor Tobey Maguire walked out of Spider-Man 4 over script issues. Webb's previous work includes the critically acclaimed hit romance (500) Days of Summer.

According to Daily Variety, after the film's star and director have departed the project, Columbia executives are planning to make a prequel about Spider-Man's alter-ego, Peter Parker, as a teenager instead, reports Contactmusic.

James Vanderbilt has already written a script for the alternative, which will be produced by Marvel Comics boss Avi Arad and movie mogul Laura Ziskin.

And now with Webb on board, it's only a matter of picking an actor to play Spidey. Last we heard it was Robert Pattinson who is tipped to play nosey Parker.

[cheebacheeba]

I'm ok with Avi Arad stuff though generally...he did most of the spider-man series I liked most. Just thing stepping that far back is a mistake.

[_____V_____]

Once the word broke that 500 Days of Summer’s Marc Webb has been officially inked to direct at least the next Spider-Man movie, if not indeed a whole trilogy, the trades hit with their takes on the story.

Firstly, it seems we can discount all of the casting rumours so far pushed forth because “a project insider said the studio wanted to lock down a helmer before turning its attentions to casting the Marvel superhero”. Of course, every rumour from here on out can’t be discredited in the same way. The wave of gossip and hearsay is only going to come faster and harder from now on. Do bear in mind, though, that the plan is to go for “a cast of relative unknowns”.

There’s also some indication of the first film’s projected budget. Sony have set aside just $80 million for what is bound to be a huge tentpole event. The reduced price tag is probably as good a clue to the studio’s intent in canning Raimi and co. as any other.

An $80 million budget for a superhero film from a major studio. It’s definitely worth some discussion.

The major hurdle in getting Webb’s John Hancock was his existing commitment to Fox Searchlight. It was only after that contract was tidied up that Columbia have been able to get him locked for their franchise.

We’re also being told that the film “will look and feel very different from the big movies that went before it”. These new reports also make it explicit that the basis for the new stories will be “this past decade’s Ultimate Spider-Man comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley where the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst”.

It really is a fresh start, and fresh starts should always bring hope.

[_____V_____]

Actor Zac Efron is set for a 9-million-pound payday for his role as Spider Man. He is set take over the role of Peter Parker in the next Spider Man feature, a well-placed source at Universal Pictures blabbed to Britain’s Daily Star on Sunday.

The High School Musical star will step into Tobey Maguire’s shoes for the fourth blockbuster movie, slated to start shooting later this year and hit theatres in 2012.

Tobey, 34, shocked bosses at Universal Pictures last year when he announced he was quitting the megabucks franchise. “After dumping spidey, Tobey then came to the rescue by recommending that Zac should take over his role,” the Daily Star quoted a studio insider as saying.

Producers of the Spider-Man franchise believe 22-year-old Zac –who has a huge teen following thanks to work with Disney — will bring a new, younger fanbase to the Spider-Man series.

They are also believed to be considering reuniting Zac with his High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens, 21. She is hotly tipped to replace Kirsten Dunst, 27, as Spider Man’s love interest.

“It would be a great coup to land her as well,” a source said.

[Dante'sInferno]

For fucks sake. This is probably going to be horrible.

[ferretchucker]

I wonder if the kids at this high school will break into song. Perhaps Gwen Stacy can be played by Ashley Tisdale. And why not have Harry be played by the kid with the stupid hair?

[The_Return]

Efron I can stomach...as much as I loathe High School Musical, in some backward-ass way I can see him pulling off the smart-ass side of Spidey. I've yet to see him do anything worthwhile, but he gives off the air that he has more in him than we've seen just yet.

However - I see NO potential or talent in Hudgens whatsoever. Far as I can tell she's utterly useless and is just riding the fame wave from that God-forsaken High School Musical franchise. Efron makes me skeptical in the first place, but if Hudgens gets cast I'd be very tempted to skip this one altogether. Blechh.

[Doc Faustus]

17 Again was not quite retarded. Efron might make something of himself. What do you think people thought of half the stars we have today in their first roles? George Clooney was on THE FACTS OF LIFE. If not the worst sitcom in history, it had to be one of the dozen or so worst sitcoms. The Facts of Life tastes like cancer. Compared to High School Musical, which, while retarded, at least gets teenagers interested in participation in the uncool and neglected high school drama programs and has something of a message of acceptance, prepackaged and poorly conceived as it might be. I think he can be Peter Parker. Hudgens doesn't even look vaguely like anybody Peter Parker would be interested in. I recommend the head cheerleader girl from Glee as Gwen Stacey Ultimates style. Because that would be super hot.

[_____V_____]

We have a new friendly neighborhood Spider-Man — and he’s British.

Columbia Pictures confirms that Andrew Garfield, 26, has nabbed the highly sought-after role of Peter Parker after a worldwide search.

http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Lions+Lambs+Berlin+Premiere+1wGnBviFMM2l.jpg

Garfield, while largely unknown in the states, is one of the U.K.’s most highly regarded up-and-comers. He appeared in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus as well as John Crowley’s Boy A, for which he received a best actor BAFTA in 2008.

He’s been getting heat in the U.S., too. This year the young Brit will be starring opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake in the Facebook movie Social Network, directed by David Fincher, and will star in the Oscar-bait drama Never Let Me Go opposite Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Keira Knightley.

As recently as yesterday, web speculation was high that 17-year-old Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) would land the webslinger role, which was originated on the big screen by Tobey Maguire.

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If you don’t know who Emma Stone is, get thee to a showing of Will Gluck’s witty high school comedy Easy A, one of those easy-to-digest teen flicks that’s delectably smart and high concept enough to play across a wide demo.

The ingredient that makes it magic is Emma Stone, who popped opposite Jesse Eisenberg in Zombieland and now has landed the plum role as Gwen Stacy opposite Andrew Garfield as the new Peter Parker in Sony/Marvel’s reboot of Spider-Man.

Director Marc Webb stated:

“The chemistry between Andrew and Emma was stunning and made Emma the clear choice. At the heart of the story of Peter Parker is not only the amazing Spider-Man, but also an ordinary teenager who is wondering what he has to do to get the girl. Andrew and Emma will bring everything audiences expect to these roles, but also make them their own. Much to my surprise, it was fun to find out that our choice for Gwen (Emma) is also a natural blonde.”

Superhero Hype picked up the press release, which reveals that Gwen will be one of the two main female leads in the film (looks like Stone’s casting really does mean Stacy will be the focus of this first film instead of MJ), playing opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.

The new take on the Spidey story, of course, brings the character back to high school and reboots his earliest days with his powers.

Spider-Man, written by James Vanderbilt and produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, starts production in December for national 3-D release on July 3, 2012.

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Ever since Rhys Ifans was cast the mysterious villain in the upcoming Marc Webb-directed Spider-Man reboot, fans have been speculating up a storm.

Would Ifans be playing Venom? Or Vulture? Or Mysterio?

Well, we can all rest our brains a bit now because according to TheWrap.com, Ifans will be playing Dr. Curt Connors - aka The Lizard.

Dr. Connors, of course, is the scientist who experiments with the regenerative properties of reptile DNA to try to re-grow his missing arm and winds up turning into a grotesque, maniacal lizard-man. Connors was played by actor Dylan Baker in the Raimi/Maguire Spider-Man films, although he never wound up transforming into a monster during their span.

There had been rumors across the blogosphere that Sony was thinking of bringing back Venom for the franchise reboot, but that character will not be featured in the movie, two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Andrew Garfield stars as Peter Parker, while Emma Stone will play Gwen Stacy, who rivals Mary Jane Watson for Spidey's affection.

Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin are producing the movie, which begins production in December.

"Spider-Man" will hit theaters in 3D on July 3, 2012.

[benny02]

It will be cool if the movie comes up with all new fictional villain in it. Only than I will love to watch it otherwise like the last one I won't find my interest in it otherwise I like watching Spiderman superhero movie.

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Things are really coming together for Sony’s Spider-man reboot.

We have Marc Webb as director, Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-man, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben, Sally Field as Aunt May, Rhys Ifans as the unnamed villain...

But the film still feels like it’s missing someone important…

Mary Jane Watson, Spider-man’s main squeeze will NOT be appearing in the 2012 reboot of the series according to reports.

The character, central to Peter Parker’s life in the comicbooks was expected to be cast at some point in the next few weeks, but according to a source close to The Wrap the character does not appear in James Vanderbilt’s screenplay and never did come to that.

In the long running comicbook series, Mary Jane Watson (known more commonly as MJ) does not appear until later down the line, up until her appearance, which was a running joke of the series, was Peter dodging his Aunt May’s attempts to “set him up with that nice girl next door”. Peter was convinced she would not be his type seeing as his Aunt May was so keen on her. Eventually appearing in November 1966, the character was instantly popular after uttering the now famous line “face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot”.

MJ had to compete for Peter’s affections, most commonly against Gwen Stacey and The Black Cat.

So can we expect MJ to make an appearance in the sequel? Probably.

If this series is following the comics more closely than the original trilogy then Gwen Stacey may not be a permanent fixture, meaning that eventually a Mary Jane-sized gap will appear in proceedings.

Until then we all have Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey to look forward to!

[harrynia]

well its sounds great..... even i have not liked its previous series that much but still having a hope on this one as well.

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"Slumdog Millionaire" star Irrfan Khan is in talks to play a new villain named Van Atter in Columbia's "Spider-Man" reboot and director Marc Webb has cast Campbell Scott ("Damages") and Julianne Nicholson ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent") as Peter Parker's parents, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Additionally, Annie Parisse (AMC's "Rubicon") is in negotiations to play Khan's wife.

Parker's parents never appeared in Sam Raimi's original "Spider-Man" trilogy, and were only rarely seen in the various Marvel comic book series following the adventures of the teenage web-slinger.

While it's unclear whether the Parkers will appear in flashbacks, in a prologue or during the course of the movie, it is known that they abandoned their son as an orphan and left him to be raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who will be played by Sally Field and Martin Sheen, respectively.

Khan joins Rhys Ifans as the movie's villains, as the latter actor will play Dr. Curt Connors, aka The Lizard.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone star in the superhero reboot, while Denis Leary will play the latter's father.

With production beginning next week in Los Angeles, casting is being finalized, so stay tuned for more "Spider-Man" news as it breaks.

[benny02]

Yeah I have also read this recent hot news and it appears they are going to target global Indian appeal with it as well. It will be good business mind decision if Irfan succeeds in pulling the trick.

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Production began this week on director Marc Webb's still-untitled Spider-Man reboot, and the first set of production photos are already online.

With shooting underway, casting announcements continue to trickle out: Campbell Scott and Julianne Nicholson joined the cast last week as Peter Parker's parents and Irrfan Khan joined as a villainous character named Van Atter.

Two more casting announcements have popped up this week.

First, The Wrap reports that Chris Zylka (Kaboom) has been cast as Flash Thompson, the football player who ruins Parker's high school life with this public taunting of "Puny Parker." Later on in the comic book series, Parker and Thompson become friends, but as the reboot deals with Parker's high school days and origin as Spider-Man, Thompson will likely stay in bully mode.

The second casting announcement comes from SuperHeroHype, who have heard from "sources" that young actor Miles Elliot has been cast as Billy Connors, the young son of Dr. Curt Conners, a.k.a. the Lizard, which actor Rhys Ifans is supposedly playing, though Sony has yet to officially announce it.

Khan's role as "Van Atter" is also a mystery, though io9 found that a "Nels Van Adder" appears in a single comic book from the Spider-Man canon, 1997's Peter Parker, Spider-Man #1. Referred to as "Proto-Goblin" on the comic's cover but not in the comic's pages, the character is a former research assistant who becomes a test subject of a chemical developed by Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin.

The New York Times asked Khan about playing Van Adder, though Khan apparently knew little about the character.

Is that his name? These science-fiction names don’t mean a lot to me. He’s a character who, I think, was not in the comics or perhaps a minor character. I’ve read some pages, but the whole script hasn’t been made available to me.

However screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent have adapted Van Adder (or "Van Atter") for the script, we do know this: Annie Parisse will play Van Adder's wife.

The Spider-Man reboot opens July 3, 2012.

Andrew Garfield will assume the role of Peter Parker, while Martin Sheen will play Parker's Uncle Ben and Sally Field is rumored to be playing Parker's Aunt May. Emma Stone will play Parker's love interest Gwen Stacy, with Denis Leary playing Gwen's father, Capt. George Stacy.

[Sistinas666]

Its crazy reading this thread from the beginning. Details have changed a great deal!

[jamesx]

actually choice

[massacre man]

http://comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/14837/ZZ3BEE0C81-550x756.jpg

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Paul Giamatti to play Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s cast just gets starrier and starrier, with THR reporting that Paul Giamatti is in advanced talks to play secondary villain, Rhino.

As you might have guessed from his name, Rhino is one of the more physical villains in the Spidey universe. A Russian gangster, he underwent a lengthy process of genetic manipulation to give him his super strength, and also wears an armoured suit as a little extra boost.

While Giamatti's not short on snarling charisma, he's hardly got the most intimidating physical presence. Will we see an alternative take on the character? Or will the sequel's plot take inspiration from Flowers For Rhino, a comic-book story that explored his sensitive side by boosting his intelligence.

On top of Giamatti’s introduction, THR also reports that Felicity Jones is in talks to join the cast in an unspecified role, which has naturally set tongues wagging as to who she might be playing.

Fleeting love interests Liz Allan and Betty Brant have been mentioned, but the one fanboys really want to see is Felicia Hardy, otherwise known as the slinky Black Cat.

Directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will open in the UK on 18 April 2014.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/paul-giamatti-talks-play-rhino-415899

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Official Press Release of Synopsis and Full Cast :-

Columbia Pictures announced today that filming has begun on The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2 in New York. The film is the first in the history of the franchise that will be filmed entirely in New York City and New York State.

The sequel to last year’s critical and box office hit The Amazing Spider-Man, the film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, and Sally Field.

In The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner, with a previous draft by James Vanderbilt, and based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are the producers.

The film’s key behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Dan Mindel, production designer Mark Friedberg, editors Pietro Scalia and Elliot Graham, and costume designer Deborah L. Scott.

The latest chapter in the Spider-Man story is set for release in 3D on May 2, 2014.