SPIDEY 4 Cancelled; New Cast/Director for 2012

[AndyDursin]

Nikki Finke's story provides an interesting read. It's not every day a big movie gets axed weeks before production.

This is particularly huge news since this new sequel was supposed to get going this month for a release May 2011. Now Sony has confirmed Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are out, and they're going with a new star, new director, and a shuffle back to Peter's high school days for SPIDEY 4.

Interesting that James Vanderbilt wrote one of the earlier scripts for SPIDEY 4 -- which Raimi didn't like -- and he's now working this new concept for the film too.

Wonder if John Malkovich will stick around as the Vulture...but I doubt it.

Personally while I enjoyed what Raimi and Maguire did, especially with the second film, I'm excited to see them use a new director and star and go back to Peter's teen years, which could've been exploited more than the first movie.

And I won't be missing Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane either...



BREAKING NEWS! 3RD UPDATE: Tobey Maguire just released this statement to me: “I am so proud of what we accomplished with the Spider-Man franchise over the last decade. Beyond the films themselves I have formed some deep and lasting friendships. I am excited to see the next chapter unfold in this incredible story.”

2ND UPDATE: Mike Fleming and Nikki Finke have just confirmed that Sony Pictures decided today to reboot the Spider-Man franchise after franchise director Sam Raimi pulled out of Spider-Man 4 because he felt he couldn't make its summer release date and keep the film's creative integrity. This means that Raimi and the cast including star Tobey Maguire are out. There will be no Spider-Man 4. Instead, Mike Fleming is told, the studio will focus on a Summer 2012 reboot from a script by Jamie Vanderbilt with a new director and a new cast. All this took place today at meeting on the lot today. An official Sony Pictures news release about it is expected out now (see below).

Immediately, the news brought celebration and consternation equally to webslinger fanboys who say the reboot plot puts Peter Parker back in high school. There's also much unconfirmed speculation that this new franchise will be in 3D. And the fans also recall that, in 1991, James Cameron wrote a treatment for Spider-Man and now they're wondering if he might helm the reboot. (Sony ended up acquiring his treatment in a legal settlement.)

Here's what went down: My sources tell me that Raimi told Sony Pictures: "I can't make your date. I can't go forward creatively." And, so, once he said "That's it", Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal and Columbia Pictures' Matt Tolmach decided they didn't want to replace him and instead chose to reboot the franchise. Insiders also tell me that Tobey Maguire heard the news in a phone call with Amy today. I'm told Tobey wasn't upset. "He's made 3 great Spider-Man movies. He's done really well. But he's the kind of guy who, if Sam wanted to go forward, would have been there for Sam and the studio. Absolutely."

Mike Fleming has heard that, from Spidey, Raimi could move to World Of Warcraft, or to The Given Day, that terrific novel by Dennis Lehane, author of Shutter Island and Mystic River. Both are worthy projects, but World Of Warcraft is a huge franchise.

Fortunately for the studio, Sony was not yet "pay or play" on some of the talent negotiations which were still only at the tail end. Raimi was insisting that John Malkovich play the villain, and the studio was looking to cast Anne Hathaway. "I'm not so sure we're going in that direction," an insider told me on January 5th. Sony had been hot for her until bigwigs realized she'd cost too much and they probably don't need "such a big star" for the pic, I was told. (See my previous, Anne Hathaway Wanted For 'Spider-Man 4'.)

As for those repeated rumors that Spider-Man 4 might shoot in 3D, I've learned it would have added at least 6 months to the production schedule and "no one on the pic has any idea how to do that," a source confided. You've got to figure 3D now is uppermost on Sony minds given the post-Avatar climate, and Summer 2012 is more than enough time to make the reboot with new technology. Back in April, Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton told Forbes magazine: "People are paying a premium to see movies in 3-D and that's a very big deal. It's never been done before that someone says you have to pay more to see Spider-Man than a romantic comedy."

The events that led to today's shocking decision to scrap Spider-Man 4 can be traced to mid-December when I saw a December 11th email alerting the pic's special effects crew that the fourquel would not be starting as planned "but Sam Raimi has story issues [that] need to be resolved before we are ready to shoot". At that point, it wasn't well known that the Spider-Man franchise director helming the 4th installment had huge problems with the script that has run through screenwriters Jamie Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire, and Gary Ross. I was told Sam Raimi had been very vocal inside Sony that he "hated" it. I broke this story on January 5th, and reported that Raimi and Sony were anxiously waiting for still another version from screenwriter Alvin Sargent, who wrote Spidey 2 & 3 and is married to Spidey franchise producer Laura Ziskin. "It is unlikely that May 11, 2011, date will be made," a Sony insider told me that day. "It depends on how quickly the script can get in." However, agents told clients in the movie to already expect the film to be pushed back.

My sources said Sony still intends to release that summer, even if the new date is July 2011. But Spider-Man has always owned that coveted early May date. Even as far back as September 2008 when I reported my exclusive that Sony Locks Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire For 'Spider-Man 4'.

What a giant opportunity for other studios planning their 2011 schedules to grab this big opening. And they did. Paramount and Marvel Entertainment pushed up the release of Thor by two weeks to May 6, 2011. Thor was set to have opened May 20, 2011, a slot which Disney grabbed for Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides.

Spider-Man 4 was supposed to start filming in February, which Tobey Maguire echoed repeatedly in publicity appearances for Brothers. Then it pushed to March. Then late March/early April. And by January 5th there was no date at all, according to my Sony insiders who emailed me: "Some decisions have been made over the holiday about Spider-Man 4. We will be extending the production hiatus on the film. The studio is firmly committed to this franchise but, for us, the script must come first. We intend to notify members of the crew immediately. As you know, Alvin Sargent is currently working on the screenplay. When we have more news, we will keep you posted."

Pascal and Tolmach, who have shepherded the Spider-Man franchise from Day One, have been wrestling with this script problem for months. "I'm going to do everything I can to make May," she has repeatedly told Hollywood types involved with the movie. "But I'm not going to start a movie where the script isn't right yet. Not unless I want my career to be over."

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/urgen ... more-21993

[AndyDursin]

Here is 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.[/b]

[Eric W.]

The best news out of that is no Kirsten Dunst.


I realize that Tobey commands a ton of money and probably too much at this point but past that I can't say I really care about what I see as another stopgap quasi prequel of sorts when I want to the story move forward.

I guess if they do it right they'll plant seeds from Peter's past some more that could always get fleshed out and built on for any future sequels after that.

[AndyDursin]

But it's not really a prequel. It's not any different than doing what they did with Bond on Casino Royale -- just change the timeframe, change the surroundings of the characters. Most of the comic book took place in high school for years and years.

Obviously it's not going to be another origin film, and there are plenty of good villains and stories they can access.

Who they get to make the movie is the whole issue.

[Eric Paddon]

I can't agree, Andy. Going back to do a reboot is a giant cop-out of the first order IMO and reveals an appalling lack of creativity on their part because this is a franchise that after less than a decade does not need any kind of prequel etc. Just because casts are changed doesn't mean the universe has to be changed as the Bond series for several decades revealed (I was not in favor of the rebooting there, especially when Judi Dench was retained, and still haven't seen either Craig film).

[AndyDursin]

I can't agree, Andy. Going back to do a reboot is a giant cop-out of the first order IMO and reveals an appalling lack of creativity on their part because this is a franchise that after less than a decade does not need any kind of prequel etc. Just because casts are changed doesn't mean the universe has to be changed as the Bond series for several decades revealed (I was not in favor of the rebooting there, especially when Judi Dench was retained, and still haven't seen either Craig film).

I know what you're saying but I just don't think it's that big of a deal with a comic book franchise -- particularly in that comic books "turn back the clock," do prequel books, alternate-universe story lines, and on and on. Every Spider-Man cartoon is different from another -- so why can't they do a series of movies set after he's become Spider-Man and is still in high school? These three films barely BEGAN to exploit what was a main concept of the character and his genesis. They basically skirted right over it because Tobey Maguire was too old in the first place.

I mean, what's happened dramatically in the three Spider-Man films that's going to be negated by this movie? He's still not married. He still hasn't met half of the characters from the comics that fans want to see. He hasn't gone through the whole Gwen Stacey storyline (remains to be seen if they ever put that on film). He's in the same lowly photographer job he's always had. Outside of him being in high school -- which is where the comic was set for YEARS -- what's the big deal? From the concept they're outlining, putting them back in high school is like changing the surroundings and just going forward with younger cast.

And it's not really even a "reboot." It would be if they go through the whole process of an origin movie -- which I can't imagine they'd want to do. Now, if they bring back the Green Goblin and all of that, then I'd wonder what the point is. For now, I will reserve judgment until I see what they come up with.

One other big reason I think they're doing this is because Spider-Man has perennially been a youngish super-hero. He doesn't go around in his 40s and 50s fighting crime. How do you expect them to carry the current story forward with a 30-something leading man and make a series of films out of it? Logistically it doesn't make a ton of sense to keep the "series" intact and "going forward" with a Spidey who's going to be too old for the role by the time they do a second or third movie in this next batch of films.

Just because casts are changed doesn't mean the universe has to be changed as the Bond series for several decades revealed

And yet they re-booted STAR TREK and that turned out incredibly well...for all but a minority of fans who refused to see it out of petty fan complaints, that film did a marvelous job mixing things up while remaining true to what Trek was all about. This won't even be anything like that -- but I'm just saying, there's no reason to being resistant to change if they do a good job with it. I don't think it smacks of being "desperate" at all, not given the history of the character and how much its original setting SHOULD have been explored by Raimi -- and wasn't.

[mkaroly]

My only concern is who the movie will be targeted to....I don't want to see a film that is targeted to Twilight audiences and any number of teen shows on television. I don't want it to be a "teen" movie, which would prevent me from seeing it at all. No guarantees with the "reboot" (I hate that word)- it could be good, but maybe not. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[AndyDursin]

My only concern is who the movie will be targeted to....I don't want to see a film that is targeted to Twilight audiences and any number of teen shows on television. I don't want it to be a "teen" movie, which would prevent me from seeing it at all. No guarantees with the "reboot" (I hate that word)- it could be good, but maybe not. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Considering that the last SPIDEY made a FORTUNE -- I guarantee it will be aimed at the exact same audiences, not a "teen" audience per se, but the same exact audiences. It'll have the same appeal as the first movie, so I wouldn't worry on that end.

Vanderbilt (ZODIAC) is writing the script again.

[Eric W.]

All they need to do is bring Venom and Carnage into this thing and will be well.

[AndyDursin]

Nikki Finke is reporting 500 DAYS OF SUMMER director Marc Webb is the one being courted right now for the new Spidey.

That would be a risk given his lack of experience -- but a gutsy one. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER was unquestionably one of the BEST movies of 2009 and was directed in an offbeat, satisfying manner with visual flair on top of it. Though its genre doesn't lead you to believe Webb is the right man for an action movie, if you watch the interaction between its characters, that would be ideal for the kind of thing you'd want to see in a Spidey film -- natural, insightful, but also not pretentious. His use of widescreen and how the film was directed in general would be another plus.

In short, I like it -- a lot -- and think Webb would bring something fresh to the table as opposed to some pre-established type going the Michael Bay route.

I also agree with her it's unfortunate Joseph Gordon-Levitt is too old for Peter Parker as I could see him being an even more effective Peter/Spidey than Tobey Maguire myself.

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/will- ... with-webb/

[Monterey Jack]

Nikki Finke is reporting 500 DAYS OF SUMMER director Marc Webb is the one being courted right now for the new Spidey.

Yeah, hiring an indie drama director with no action experience to helm a big-budget franchise entry worked wonders for Quantum Of Solace...

[AndyDursin]

Nikki Finke is reporting 500 DAYS OF SUMMER director Marc Webb is the one being courted right now for the new Spidey.

Yeah, hiring an indie drama director with no action experience to helm a big-budget franchise entry worked wonders for Quantum Of Solace...

There's a big difference here on a couple of levels.

Webb showed visual flair -- in particular an effective use of widescreen as well as various editorial elements -- that made 500 DAYS a heck of a lot more compelling cinematically than a mere "indie drama".

Doing CGI action of a comic book movie is also quite a bit different than the type of stunt work and action set pieces the Bond films traditionally have. Most of the big action scenes in a Spider-Man film are all computerized -- it's a whole different ball game and I dont think it requires the kind of "hands on" directorial technique a Bond film demands.

I don't know if he CAN handle it, but I think it's more than worth investigating and has some potential.

[AndyDursin]

Webb officially confirmed...Vanderbilt writing the script...2012 release still planned.

As I wrote, I like this choice...a lot really. Inspired, gutsy, but also promising.

Hopefully he can bat it out of the park (or sling it out, lol)...

Here's the press release.

CULVER CITY, Calif., January , 2010 – Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe nominated Best Picture (500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, “At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker’s life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter’s shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man’s adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.”

Arad and Ziskin added jointly, “Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.”

Webb said, “This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, “I’m excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can’t wait to see what Marc comes up with next.”

Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, “The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world’s most iconic superheros is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.”

Marc Webb has won acclaim with his film debut (500) Days of Summer. He has several MTV VMAs™ including 2009's Best Director award for Green Day's "21 Guns," 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI’s “Miss Murder,” and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects’ “Move Along.” The Music Video Production Association honored him in 2006 as the Director of the Year for his work with Weezer, AAR, and My Chemical Romance.

In addition to two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (musical or comedy), his first feature film, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature. Webb was also awarded the Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts, by the National Board of Review.

[AndyDursin]

Update on casting.

Also, James Vanderbilt's script being utilized is one he wrote for a Raimi-Maguire sequel -- I guess Raimi wasn't crazy about it but the studio was. So conceptually this movie is not going to be all that different, just with another Spider-Man.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/06/sony-vi ... more-49795