Amazing Spider-Man mega thread

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THR wrote:'Spider-Man 4' lands Pulitzer pen
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire swings to sequel

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire got out of a rabbit hole, only to be ensnared by a spider's web.

Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama "Rabbit Hole," is in final negotiations to write "Spider-Man 4" for Columbia.

Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character.

Plot details are under lock and key.

Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the "Spider-Man" movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's "Paper Moon" and 1980's "Ordinary People," served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on "Spider-Man 2."

James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of "Spider-Man 4."

Lindsay-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole," which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play "Fuddy Meers."

Lindsay-Abaire has said in interviews that his plays tend to be "peopled with outsiders in search of clarity," which would put his work on sympathetic terms with Peter Parker, who in his classic incarnation is the perpetual outsider.

The choice of scribe also signals that that filmmakers are intent to focus on character, something that critics said got lost in the third installment.

Gersh-repped Lindsay-Abaire, now writing the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical adaptation of "Shrek," has dipped his toe in Tinseltown before, with his adaptation of "Inkheart" due in January. He is also adapting "Rabbit" for 20th Century Fox and Nicole Kidman.

Columbia had no comment.
Last edited by TC on 05/12/13, 11:33:19, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: changed title. was "Spiderman 4"

Re: Spider-Man 4

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G4 wrote:'Spider-Man 4' To Begin Shooting Next Year?

In an interview with MTV at Sundance, actor J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson) has revealed that Spider-Man 4 will indeed begin shooting in 2010. Says Simmons:

"I saw Sam [Raimi] at his Christmas party. We've definitely brainstormed ideas for Triple-J, but I have no desire to make Triple-J more of the focus of those movies," he said. "The amount that I did in 1, 2 and 3, is just exactly right. Like be the wolf. Come in, blow in, do a week, blow out, be the comic relief, and hit the road. And let Tobey and everybody else do the heavy lifting."

This bit of news is consistent with the long-held speculation that this fourth installment of the Spider-Man film franchise is set for a May 2011 release date.

With strong rumors that the villains of the film are set to be Morbius and the Lizard, hopefully director Sam Raimi will be able to clean up the mess of a storyline that was left after Spider-Man 3. (A dead Harry Osborne, and after like 15 minutes of screen time, a dead Venom.) Considering the rumored villains, there will likely be a theme of genetic engineering and the "dangers of playing God." We have seen Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors in Spiderman 2 & 3. Now, he will likely get his moment in the spotlight as the character fulfills his destiny of becoming the victim of a failed genetic experiment to re-grow his lost arm, transforming him into the Lizard. Morbius on the other hand, is a "living vampire" who in the comics became that way due to a chemical experiment gone awry. However, his origin will likely be altered to have some connection to the Lizard's.

You know what, though? Nothing officially has been confirmed as of yet. However, in the interview, Simmons said of his role as J.J. Jameson, that he had to "be the wolf." Now, anyone familiar with the Spider-Man lore knows that J.J.'s son John (featured in Spider-Man 2 as Mary Jane's BF) is an astronaut who brings home a magical moon rock, transforming him into the deadly Spider-Man foe, Man-Wolf. Mmmmm. Coincidence? Subtle hint? Freudian slip? Rumor-mongering? Absolutely nothing? (And for the record, while making Man-Wolf the villain would allow Raimi to return to his horror roots, it would be extremely wrong.)

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Naw, the second one was pretty good. They actually took the best of the ideas from the original comics for once and ran with it instead of trying to pretend the comics don't exist like the films typically do. I mean, yeah, it didn't have the "darkness" of Batman. But that's not who Spider-man is.
The third movie though...ouch!
Last edited by darkness on 20/01/09, 14:31:34, edited 1 time in total.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Spider-Man 4

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darkness wrote:Naw, the second one was pretty good. They actually took the best of the ideas from the original comics for once and ran with it instead of trying to pretend the comics don't exist like the films typically do. I mean, yeah, it didn't have the "darkness" of Batman. But that's not who Spider-man is.
The third move though...ouch!
yeah, it's amazing how much the x-men franchise paralleled the spider-man franchise, film-wise. both #1's were set-ups, both #2's were great, both #3's were cringe-worthy.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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WENN wrote:Dunst A Doubt For Spider-man 4

Spider-man may have to swing into action without his leading lady - movie bosses are still battling to persuade Kirsten Dunst to sign up for the fourth installment of the superhero franchise.

The 26 year old has starred in all three Spider-Man films as Mary Jane Watson, opposite leading man Tobey Maguire.

But while Maguire has confirmed he will appear in the fourth and fifth films in the franchise, Dunst is still pondering whether to rejoin the cast.

Director Sam Raimi says, "I'm hoping that she is going to come on board and I've got a meeting coming up with her. I think she would like to but I don't want to speak on her behalf."

While a source tells Britain's Daily Express, "It had been presumed that Kristen would sign up for the fourth but she's still not agreed. She needs to be assured that the story is going to be a strong one, in terms of her character. The films clearly wouldn't be the same without her."
just because she hasn't been locked up yet doesn't mean it's "doubtful".

Re: Spider-Man 4

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I don't think it would matter much, story-wise or profit-wise, if they replaced her. But what else is Kirsten Dunst up to right now? If the money is there, she'd be stupid not to do it. The movie is probably going to suck regardless.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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/film wrote:Bruce Campbell: Next Spidey Shooting in January, Bigger Part For Him

The world’s most A-grade B-actor, Bruce Campbell, was stopped at the red carpet premiere of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and pressed for details on the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Seeing as he’s had a role in each of the three Sam Raimi Spidey pictures so far it wasn’t too much of a stretch to assume he’d be on the call sheet for the next go around too. Not only did he confirm that, he also claimed a January start date for the project. But what could he reveal about his appearance in the film?

According to the info garnered by Access Hollywood, Campbell is expecting his role in the next film to be “a major part.” Of course, they translated this in their headline to there being a “villainous role in the works” for the actor, despite the absolute lack of evidence to support this supposition.

It’s just about possible that Campbell has been playing the same character in each of the films so far, one guy who just doesn’t seem able to hold down a job. Explicitly revealing that could be a fun quirk. Or maybe they could hold that off until the fifth installment, already rumored to be at the basic planning stages.

Campbell’s little roles in the series have turned out to be rather important to the overall narrative - from giving Spider-Man his “mask name” to creating serious tension in the Peter-MJ romance or, last time around, facilitating Peter’s wedding proposal, if in a slightly embarrassing manner. Perhaps this kind of significance is all Campbell meant by major, and he knew he could pull a few legs and start a wave of speculation with his use of the term yet still justify it later? I wouldn’t be surprised. But then, I wouldn’t be surprised if his comment was based on nothing at all. What would surprise me, if pleasantly, would Bruce Campbell actually taking one of the lead roles in the film.

A whole host of talented writers have taken a pass at the Spider-Man 4 screenplay and Raimi swears that the lessons of part 3 have been learned (hopefully this means that Avi Arad has been chained up in the dungeon with Sean McNamara and their Robosapien) so I guess I’m back to full on optimism.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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I watched the first half of Spider Man with my daughter this past Sunday, she was delighted with it. It holds up fine for what it is, although Tobey looks stoned most of the time and definitely lacks a good superhero voice.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Bruce Campbell: Next Spidey Shooting in January, Bigger Part For Him
Surprise! It'll still disappoint.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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VH1 wrote:'Spider-Man 4' Director Sam Raimi Exclusively Reveals Plans For The Film
'I've been talking with Tobey about where his character might grow to in this installment,' Raimi says.

Tobey Maguire made his big-screen debut as Peter Parker — the nerdy high school student who moonlights as a web-throwing superhero — in 2002, at the age of 26. Seven years and three "Spider-Man" movies later, the now 34-year-old actor is gearing up to step back into his Spidey suit for a fourth film.

As the film gets closer to production, with an eye toward a spring 2011 release date, Maguire and franchise director Sam Raimi have been having in-depth discussions about how Parker and his heroic alter ego have developed over the years and in which direction they plan to head for the new film.

"I've been talking with Tobey about where his character might grow to in this installment," Raimi exclusively revealed to MTV News.

"[Parker] started as a little bit of a selfish, naive and insecure high school kid," the director continued. "He learned some lessons from his uncle and a little bit about the meaning of responsibility. In the second picture, [he] wrestled with his personal fulfillment versus that responsibility and, in the third film, I think it was a little bit about his growing hubris, his pride swallowed up and the darkness that came out of that and the grief that it caused for his best friend and his girlfriend and himself."

For "Spider-Man 4," Raimi and Maguire envision Parker stepping into a newfound maturity and learning to balance his crime-fighting capabilities with the demands of his personal life. "I think it's about putting his head down and moving forward with the knowledge that he has this responsibility," Raimi explained. "And it's about the growth of that understanding, that it encompasses more than just his sense of duty toward others but he also has a sense of responsibility as a human being toward the ones he loves."

Raimi revealed that he hopes to begin shooting in March of 2010. Pre-production, meanwhile, is currently pushing forward, with set design in the works and the visual-effects team coming together. In addition to Maguire, Kirsten Dunst is locked in to reprise her role as Mary Jane Watson. Further casting, Raimi told us, should happen soon. And screenwriter Gary Ross continues to work on the script.

"He's a great writer and a very fine writer," Raimi said. "It's working really well. He's working on a draft. I just gave him some notes and he's doing a rewrite right now."

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Marketsaw wrote:EXCLUSIVE: SPIDER-MAN 4 Will Have Only One Villain - The Lizard!!

EXCLUSIVE:

Jim here. In what must be exclusives week at MarketSaw, we get a quick update on SPIDER-MAN 4 which of course is getting lensed in stereoscopic 3D.

We all pretty much knew that either The Lizard and/or Carnage would be in this movie and now we have word that it will be The Lizard ONLY. No multiple villains. Again, strong source here. Of course, things could change - but it is highly doubtful.

I couldn't be happier! SPIDER-MAN 3 suffered from too many story lines in my mind and with only one villain, Sam Raimi can focus on the character development and really build Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard the way it should be. If there are too many bad guys you lose the connection - it is a good thing to almost feel bad for them when they lose (or win as the case may be). It is very hard to develop two villains within the same movie and establish that honest mind meld with them.
if true, this is good news.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Movieline wrote:EXCLUSIVE: Spider-Man 4 Circling John Malkovich, Anne Hathaway

No matter the superhero franchise, when it comes time to make a sequel, people mainly want to know one thing: Which villains will be in it? Currently, fans are trying to crack the mystery of Spider-Man 4’s bad guys; rumors and speculation had it that every actress in Hollywood was trying out for the sexy villainess Black Cat, or that Dylan Baker’s Curt Connors would finally get to transform into the Lizard in this installment. Now, though, Movieline has confirmed with sources close to the film that Raimi’s sequel is circling John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway to play Spider-Man’s adversaries, and neither evildoer is quite what you might have expected.

If negotiations proceed according to plan, Malkovich will be playing Spider-Man’s nemesis the Vulture, who packs a punch despite his advanced age. The Vulture is able to fly through the air and brandish his sharp wings to attack Spider-Man.

As for Hathaway, that’s where things get tricky.

The 27-year-old actress is currently the top choice for Felicia Hardy, who’d been long-rumored as one of the new characters in this installment. (Other names bandied about for the role included Julia Stiles, Rachel McAdams, and Romola Garai.) However, unlike in the comic books, this Felicia Hardy doesn’t transform into the Black Cat. Instead, Raimi’s Felicia will become a brand-new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.

What does this mean for poor Dylan Baker, who’s patiently played Curt Connors in the last two installments? As much as it would seem that the series is setting up his eventual transformation into supervillain the Lizard, we hear that the suits simply can’t bring themselves to sign off on such an odd-looking enemy — instead, they’d rather hew closer to villains with a human face. Perhaps, then, it’s the best-case scenario for Baker: He gets to remain the subject of fanboy interest, but he doesn’t have to cede his role to a motion-captured reptile in a lab coat.

Developing…
malkovich, good. vulturess, dumb.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Sounds like somebody found something in the script dumb too...project on hold.
Hey there--

We were just notified that our schedule is pushing. We will NOT be starting as planned. I’m terribly sorry for this news, and I hope this email reaches you in time to find other options. We do not know how long we are pushing, and we will not know until mid-January. By mid-January, we will be told how long the push is, whether it be 2 weeks, 2 months, or something else. The studio has every intention of making the movie, but we no longer have a confirmed start date.

Again, I’m terribly sorry, but Sam Raimi has story issues [that] need to be resolved before we are ready to shoot.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

VFX Team
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/exclu ... ease-date/
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Spider-Man 4

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Oh please don't make this movie. Please. I just can't understand what anyone sees in any of the Spidey-flicks. I just rewatched the first and second one during the holidays, trying to understand the charm. But I didn't find any. Cheesy, poorly written, poorly acted, boring... Did I mention cheesy? Nah, they can't cancel these films soon enough.

End rant :)

Re: Spider-Man 4

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of course they are cheesy. did no one read spider-man comics? i think the second one captured the spirit of the comics exactly. it was as close to a perfect spidey film as there could be really.

if you don't like spider-man, why would you like these films? why would you watch them?

Re: Spider-Man 4

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I read tons and tons of Spider-man back in the day (I was a Spidey-fanatic), and the old ones I can agree were cheesy as hell. But first off, there's a difference between beeing it on paper and being it on screen. The first option doesn't make you cringe (probably because you don't have to endure the horrendous acting).

Second, I think there is a huge misconception about Spider-man being a less "serious" comic book. There were many storylines that dealt with much heavier issues than the films, and carry a darker tone than them as well. My feeling has always been that the films are based on the first batch of Spidey comics, where aunty May makes an appearance every second frame and Spider-man/Peter Parker is more of a disillusioned high-school kid than an adult with real problems.

If Raimi chose to make a film of the more adult Spider-man comics (well, I guess he's sometimes trying to do that, but failing miserably) I think Spider-man could be almost as interesting as Nolans Batman-reboot. Like I said, I love(d) Spider-man and really wanted the films to be something they turned out not to be.

Re: Spider-Man 4

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I've still got my fingers crossed for a big-screen version of "Kraven's Last Hunt", one of my favorite spidey storylines of all time. Kraven and Vermin would, assumably, require less cgi, but Kraven's suicide might be a little heavy for the audience. Oh well, if wishes were horses, beggars would be jockeys.
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...