Spider-Man 4 Out, Spider-Man 1 Back in 2012
We’ve finally hit that mark in cinematic history where reboots are getting reboots. An announcement from Sony Pictures not more than an hour ago surprisingly revealed that work on Spider-Man 4 will be dumped entirely. Franchise director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire will not be returning to the web-slinging business. Instead, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios will be looking for a new helmsman and new actors for a reboot, apparently putting Peter Parker back into high school, releasing sometime in 2012. Right, like we need ANOTHER version of the origin story.
Maybe the world will actually end before that and we’ll be spared.
Okay, so that’s a little harsh, but Spider-Man 3 was almost enough to make me denounce the fun that was the first two movies. According to sources at Deadline.com, constant script problems and deadline conflict between Raimi and the studio caused the halt in production and Sony decided to pull the plug in an effort to start again.
Truthfully, I’m on the fence. Spidey 3 was bad enough to have me emphatically thanking the studio for dumping what could have been even worse, but seriously, do we really need another so soon?
The official press release from Sony Pictures might as well have a giant fake smile printed on it, but I think we all know how Hollywood works by now. Here’s the whole candy coated announcement:
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.
