Source: Entertainment Weekly
As you could tell by the headline, I'm not too sad about this. In fact, I think this might be just what the franchise needs... [much more thoughts and Spider-Man news after the jump]
Spider-Man 4 has been in the news for a while now. I wrote a piece on the Venom potential spin-off movie a while ago (still in development, from what I've read), and, back then, Spider-Man 4 was just in the screenplay phase. Then it changed writers. And again. And, slowly but surely, I got the sense that franchise director Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures weren't seeing eye to eye on this. It's well-known that Raimi was strongarmed into including Venom in Spider-Man 3, and the results were pretty obvious--it was a useless compromise, one that shortchanged the entire film and further jumbled the story. Actually, all of Spider-Man 3 had an ideas-by-committee feel to it--it was a messy, overstuffed-with-villains narrative, and it was all the more disappointing following the triumph that was Spider-Man 2. So, in a way, kudos to Sam Raimi for getting out of what must have felt like Spider-Man 3 redux in the development phase.
So, what are we left with, now that Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are officially out? What sounds like a very good idea. Sony already has a script for a reboot by James Vanderbilt (who wrote the phenomenal Zodiac for David Fincher), which will start everything from scratch. Relaunch the character, send Peter Parker back to high school, and jump-start what should be a fresh take on the Spider-Man world. I like it. I honestly do. I applaud Raimi for not letting another mess happen, and I'm not at all opposed to a new direction for the series, if that's what must happen. I loved Raimi's first two films--they had a bright, infectious energy, and, in Maguire, a pitch-perfect nerdy Peter Parker. I'm sure they'll both do fine, going on to do better, probably more interesting things. Raimi is now free to tackle his in-development World of Warcraft project (which sounds amazing), while Maguire, free from the webslinger's demanding shooting schedule, could now do more smaller-scale films (like Brothers, which is currently in release) and passion projects.
As for Spider-Man the character, he'll live on just fine. It was inevitable that he'd continue without this current filmmaking team--he's too important for Sony, and much too beloved and universally recognized to stay out of multiplexes. And, now that there's a chance, the aspect of the character I'd most like to see again is the smartass Peter Parker. Remember him? That sarcastic bastard who came alive under the mask, the one so perfectly brought to life in the 1990's FOX Kids animated series (the series' title card is my picture on top). It always felt like a natural thing for Peter--he was dweeby on the outside, but the mask gave him the confidence to unleash a much more amusing and honest side of him. True, I never read the comic books, so I can't be sure how close that skews to the original incarnation, but I was crazy for the series (which still holds up), and that show gave Peter more edge, and the whole world of villains and arch-enemies much more danger. If a new series of films can recapture that spirit and tone, the results could be incredibly entertaining--maybe even more so than the films we already had. Sony's press release says it's aiming for a "grittier" tone--while that word is overused post-Bourne, greater stakes could just what the doctor ordered for the franchise. So, all in all, I think this is promising news. We're also in for lots of casting announcements, director appointments, and, of course, footage in the coming months, especially if Sony still hopes to make that 2011 release (a little bit doubtful, since lots of articles are tossing around 2012 guesses). Raimi and Maguire will be remembered for a great launch and one of the best sequels ever made. In time, people will probably forget all about the misfire of Spider-Man 3, particualrly if the new, rebooted film series is worthwhile. Well, best of luck, folks at Sony. Now all you gotta do is find the perfect lead (cough*Adam Brody!*cough) for Peter Parker...
What do you guys think of this news? Happy/disappointed that our original Spider-Man series is over? And who would you want to play Peter Parker when the new series takes off?
Images courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures and Marvel Comics.
really?! rebooted and starting over with him back in HS? that's crazyyyy news. i think it just may be good to see
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailyfill.com/Robert-Pattinson-To-Play-Spiderman-My-Spidey-Sense-Tells-Me-No-46633/
ReplyDeletei vote for michael cera
I love Raimi and thought Maguire was a good fit, so I am a little disappointed about this news. If they want to go 'grittier' maybe they'll try and get Christopher Nolan into it, he's got that gritty Batman thing going.
ReplyDeleteFor recasting, I think this is a good opportunity to plug a nobody in for the Peter Parker role (and maybe get a GOOD actress to play Mary Jane). It's also too bad that Sony still has the rights to Spiderman now that Marvel has its own studios.