Spider-man5 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The Spider-Man franchise might just be heading down the road for a divorce from Sam Raimi and all his players, if I'm interpreting Variety and its sources right. Sony has "quietly" hired screenwriter James Vanderbilt to pen the fifth and sixth installments of the web-slinger franchise. Nothing wrong with that at all, of course. Vanderbilt has good work to his name, and a superhero franchise could do a lot worse than hiring the Zodiac screenwriter. However, Raimi didn't care for Vanderbilt's take and replaced him with David Lindsay-Abaire. He's currently having Gary Ross rewrite that script. However, Sony / Columbia and Marvel Studios loved Vanderbilt's ideas, in part because they form a big, interconnected storyline. (I can see Marvel all over that, can't you?) In fact, that was the original plan for Spidey films 4 and 5 which were to be shot back to back, but the idea was scrapped.

But here's where things could get really ugly. Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and Kirsten Dunst are reportedly not signed to installments 5 and 6, and with Raimi boarding World of Warcraft, the studio is even more uncertain that he'll return. So Vanderbilt's scripts are being eyed not as sequels but as a blueprint for a franchise "reboot." Obviously, there's no further details on what that would mean beyond a new cast and crew.

But Sony is that anxious for more Spider-Man, and they feel the franchise is moving too slowly. Now, I'm sure a lot of fans feel the same way, but at what cost do we want more Spider-Man? I'm cool with them bringing another director on board, as it could breathe some fresh life into the series, but new actors? If Spidey was a character that had numerous incarnations, that'd be one thing, but he's only ever been Peter Parker, and Parker and Maguire are one and the same in my mind. This is going to be one web that'll be very interesting (and possibly very disappointing) to see Sony weave ...

With all the talk revolving around the hottest new superhero franchises, it seems Spider-Man is starting to feel like an aging star. I half expect Peter Parker to come out with a line like, "When I was young, my film only had one villain and it took a whole two hours to defeat him." Yeah, well now your superhero movie ain't cool unless it boasts at least three villains, and the darker the music, the characters and the storyline, the better. So where does Spider-Man fit in to all of this?

MTV caught up with Sam Raimi recently, who seems to know very little about a Spider-Man 4 or 5, except that he's chatted with people about the film(s) and hopes to direct (Raimi also confirmed that he's talked about shooting both films back-to-back, which was a rumor that started right here on Cinematical). He does admit to not having a script yet, and says that production wouldn't begin until March, 2010. As far as villains go, Raimi thinks "one day The Lizard's story will be told," which makes sense -- and added that he's "hoping to work with Dylan [Baker] in the picture."

But is this the solution? Continue with the same storyline, bringing 2010 versions of both Tobey Maguire (who'll be in his mid-thirties) and Kirsten Dunst back to the big screen in an attempt to revive this almost forgotten-about franchise? In this new age of darker, more realistic superheroes, what needs to happen for Spider-Man to succeed? And who needs to star? After all, May 2011 is a far, far away.

Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters. May 5769 kick a whole lot more ass than 5768. While over 98% of Hollywood takes the day off, here's what's happening:

Variety reports that Michael Bay has taken a page from Christopher Nolan and will shoot "at least three action set pieces" using IMAX cameras during Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Usually I'd reserve this spot for a Bay joke, but I truly think this is a great thing for a film like Transformers. The action scenes in the last one felt claustrophobic (especially toward the end), and so utilizing IMAX would allow Bay and Co. to open it up and really have fun with the thing. Visually, this could add a lot to the film. Hopefully they'll use it for some massive robot battle. Other films also mentioned in the article as possible contenders for a similar IMAX approach include Iron Man 2 and Y: The Last Man.

Looks like the old gang is making a play for Spider-Man 4 (and 5?), as Kirsten Dunst told MTV that she's "in" when asked whether she'd be returning to the mega-franchise as Peter Parker's old lady, Mary Jane. However, she did follow that up with "I'm not saying anything. I know there's rumors ..." -- which, in actor-speak, means "We're still negotiating and I'm not really allowed to open my big mouth." I'd expect a big announcement soon stating the return of Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst for a back-to-back shoot of Spider-Man 4 and 5.

Thomas Dekker (aka that dude who stars in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is in talks to snag a lead role in MGM's remake of Fame, so says The Hollywood Reporter. The original 1980 film, which was nominated for six Oscars, follows several aspiring young performers and teachers at the prestigious New York Academy of Performing Arts. Considering the times we live in, I envision this update to feel like a mix between Step Up, You Got Served and American Idol: The Movie.

Much more after the jump ...

The Geek Beat is taking a late-September vacation to Middle Earth -- but it will be back next month and those of you suffering withdrawels can always check the archives. In the meantime, you can relax with a daily round-up of nerdy news bites. (They taste like coconut!) This is relaxing for me, too -- I get to catch up on my reading, my Halloween shopping, and my yoga. I can stay up all night re-reading Preacher (you know I will) and not waiting for an X-Men Origins: Wolverine story. A good way to end summer!

Now, onto today's news ...

• According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeffery Erb and Robert Robinson Jr. have launched Framelight Productions with an eye to producing edgy comic and graphic novel adaptations. They already have options on Larry Hama's Dr. Death with Kip and Muffy, Gary Reed's Deadworld, Ralph Tedesco and Joe Tyler's Sins of the Fallen, as well as their 1001 Arabian Nights. (Clicking on any of those links will take you to previews of the books.) All of their productions aim to do one thing in particular -- involve the creator in all aspects of movie making. "We weren't the only producers wanting to make movies based on these creators' babies, but we were the only ones inviting them in as co-producers," says Erb.

• Edward Norton told MTV News that he's uncertain about the future of The Incredible Hulk and his role in it. There's been no word on whether they will be a solo sequel, or if Norton will be playing the Hulk in The Avengers. "The minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque. I won't say [they're] obtuse, but I don't have any idea what they want to do." Perhaps they're considering Matthew McConaughey, who had no idea he was rumored for Captain America -- but revealed to MTV that Hulk is really the only Marvel character he would like to play. (They could save on the budget -- all they have to do is dye that muscled dude green.)
  

Frankly I'm a little bit confused as to why Sam Raimi never allowed Dylan Baker to become The Lizard. The guy had three full movies in which to utilize the character, but then again -- I suppose "The Lizard" isn't nearly as high-profile (or as nifty) as Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, The Sandman, or Venom. But they let a one-armed Dylan Baker hang around for this long, so why not give the actor his shot at villainy already?

Having ranted that, I now turn my attentions towards some of the other (as yet unused) Spider-Man villains -- and this superhero has lots of 'em. (I'm fully convinced that Spidey's "rogue gallery" is one of the biggest reasons for the book's ongoing popularity.) I realize that some of these guys might work better on the page than on the big screen, but hey, you can't make two more Spidey sequels without two or three (or four) new villains. So even though the screenplays are probably already finished, I figure this is a fun topic to toss around...

Jason Statham as The Vulture -- I vaguely remember this green, winged character being a bit older than Mr. Statham, but Vulty was also bald and a real nasty character, so I'd still go with Statham.

Bill Paxton as Mysterio -- Dunno why I picked Paxton. Probably because he's one of my favorite actors, and I'd love to see him play a big-budget villain. Plus he wears a big fish-bowl on his head, so any good actor with a strong voice could pull this off.

Gerard Butler as Kraven the Hunter -- Like this guy couldn't play a homicidal game hunter. Plus he kinda looks like Kraven.

Though nothing has been made official yet, Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood says the deal is done to bring both Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi back for Spider-Man 4 and 5. Not only that, but Finke also claims the exclusive on a story we broke right here at Cinematical months ago (thanks for the credit Nikki) -- that Sony plans to shoot both films back to back, not just because it's cheaper, but also because we were informed that James Vanderbilt's (Zodiac) script included a story arc that encompassed two films, not one.

As far as Kirsten Dunst goes, she currently does not have a deal, but Finke claims her character will return and Sony is not interested in recasting her. Villains? While there's been no announcement yet, a source claims that "once you find out who the villain is, you'll know who's playing him." Naturally, that leads everyone to believe that Dylan Baker will reprise his role and ultimately become The Lizard. Should they continue along the same path Spider-Man 3 went down, one imagines another villain (or two) will show up, perhaps as a way to tease us into the fifth film. I'm sure more will arrive online soon, so until then ... are you happy about Maguire and Raimi returning to the franchise?

Spider-Man 4 is currently scheduled to arrive in May, 2011.

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter confirms the Spidey story today.

We've been waiting for some more official Spider-Man news for awhile now, ever since we told you there was a chance they might shoot both Spider-Man 4 and 5 at the same time. Good news is producer Laura Ziskin has chimed in, telling theater owners in California and Nevada that they expect Spider-Man 4 to hit theaters in May 2011. According to Ziskin (from an article in the Los Angeles Times), the script still isn't finished, yet they hope a fourth installment will be ready in three years.

However, when (and if) Spidey returns in May 2011, he'll have to square off against another Marvel flick in The First Avenger: Captain America (May 6), as well as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. All I'm sayin' is it should be an interesting month. Still no word on what (if any) involvement Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will have in the making of future Spider-Man films. Three years is a long time to wait, so whaddya think: Is the long break a good thing for the franchise or will people forget and not care by the time Pete Parker swings back into theaters?

As you're already aware, talk of a new Spider-Man film has heated up lately. First came the news that Spider-Man 4 and 5 might be filmed at the same time (based on a new story arc introduced by current screenwriter James Vanderbilt), which you heard first right here on Cinematical. Then came word that Sony re-upped their deal with Marvel to make Spider-Man 4. Now, Latino Review reports on who the studio might be looking at to replace Tobey Maguire as Spidey ... and it's definitely NOT who everyone thought it could've been (does that sentence make sense?).

They're saying Patrick Fugit, who first broke out as little William Miller in Almost Famous (and recently starred in the indie hit Wristcutters), is at the top of the "potential Spidey list," alongside Michael Angarano (who just starred in The Forbidden Kingdom). Coincidentally (or not), Angarano played the younger version of William Miller in Almost Famous before they leaped ahead a few years and Fugit took over.

Just the fact that such a wish-list exists means chances are not good that Maguire and crew will return for a fourth installment. For more, head on over to LR -- in the meantime, whaddya think about this one?

Cinematical just received a tasty little scoop from one of our trusty top secret super delegate Hollywood insiders, and it's purty interesting (all you Spidey fans might want to listen up): Apparently, in the last few weeks, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) has turned in a working draft of Spider-Man 4 to the studio. However, according to our source, "his 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." Don't expect anything immediately, though, since we've been told both sides are still trying to negotiate the deal.

Right now we have no word on what that arc is or where Vanderbilt is taking his script, but it's interesting to know that they're looking to spread the next Spidey storyline across two films, instead of shooting one more and taking it from there. Obviously Sony has wiped away the bad buzz from Spidey 3 and is interested in stretching this franchise as far as they can. After three flicks, I can't see Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst returning to shoot two Spider-Man films together (would be a lot to take on), but you never know. In the meantime, here's what we know: Looks like Vanderbilt is writing Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5, and the studio might look to shoot both flicks at the same time. As of right now, the studio has no comment. We'll update this post should we hear more ...

Whaddya think?