Sony to Reboot Spider-Man – Raimi Walks

Rodney 144 Comments

Holy crap. I just got home and found out the news that Sam Raimi had enough of the Sony BS and put his foot down over the whole Vulture thing. Unfortunately for Sam, that foot went down on the sidewalk outside the studio.

Raimi has quit Spider-man 4 and he took his Scategories with him.

So where does that leave Sony and Spider-Man? Do you think they will move forward without him. Nope. Instead of just picking up where Raimi left off they are going to let that stink hang. Sony is rebooting the franchise and starting over fresh with a whole new team.

Deadline Hollywood set us up the bomb

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.

Wow, I just don’t see the benefit of doing this aside from Sony having a massive pressed ham at Raimi, cleaning the slate and moving forward.

As much as Spidey3 gets torched, I have to say as a whole, the series has been great. Sure, they could have done better than Kristen Dunst as the supermodel to be, and while I didn’t hate her – they could have done better. Still, one blip hardly justifies starting over. Not this soon. It just doesn’t feel right.

But one thing I am noticing in the midst of the nerdrage and cries against Sony for this unexpected move…

They can do Venom the right way now.

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144 thoughts on “Sony to Reboot Spider-Man – Raimi Walks”

  2. This is a GOOD thing. Tobey Maguire was awful, flat, and joyless as Peter Parker. He’s morose when Spidey is supposed to be wisecracking. Kirsten Dunst is stoned through the series and she looks like Billy Corgan when MJ is supposed to be some teenage bombshell.

  5. I think Marvel just put the nail in Spider-man’s coffin.As a loyal comic book collector for over 20 years I have seen it all.I have watched writers come and go.I have seen the comic book get so screwed up that tons of fans walked away.Isn’t it enough that Marvel makes Spider-man make a deal with the devil and save Aunt may’s life while throwing out 22 years of continuty? Now You have a great director and cast making one more go for spider-man 4 with Spider-man 5 being a reboot,and egos prevail with everyone being fired while a reboot is planned of 4.The Spider-man book is screwed,The only thing they had going for them is Spider-man 4 and now they killed that too.If Some consider Spider-Man 3 a failure it’s because Marvel stepped in and messed with rami’s plans.If you consider it a success it’s rami because everyone was still pissed that venom was rushed and thrown in there.I am a loyal Spider-man fan as well as a marvel fan but i am fed up with Corporate egos screwing up companies and characters.All the years of continuty must remain and writers coming into the book must know who they are writing about.These past few years everyone screams reboot.If it fails reboot.If you don’t know what to do?Reboot!The Spider-man movies are not ready for a reboot and doing one this soon will make it fail.

    1. Eh, it’s all a matter of opinion. I have been reading comics for almost as long and am probably just as big a spidey fan and find that this is the best possible thing for the franchise.

      I agree about the deal with mephisto- bad move, since then the comics have been pretty much garbage. For that’s exactly why it needs a reboot. I don’t think rebooting a franchise is always the best solution, but I think in this case it is.

      I think a lot of people, myself included think this is probably about the worst time for spider-man in a long time. A good reboot of the movies could very well renew my faith in the franchise. There are a lot better directors that Sam Raimi, and a lot better actors than McGuire (and DEFINITELY better than Dunst). I for one am looking forward to a switch-up.

      1. a switch up is fine, but do we really need to go back? Why can’t we keep trudging forward? In this case rebooting feels too much like a cop out. The franchise didn’t grow stale like James Bond or Star Trek to warrant a reboot. Simply bring in a new creative team who can pick up the ball and run with it. I have a sneaky suspicion we’ll be treated to a CW/Twilight feel to the reboot. Hopefully my paranoia is getting the better of me, but you never know. :-/

      2. I agree with you there. The last thing Spidey needs is the teen drama makeover.

        I don’t really want another origin story either, but it might be hard to do it any other way. I kind of feel like if we just went forward we would be carrying the 3 movies around like old luggage and not really letting the team truly own the new film.

    2. It’s been awhile since I posted about the Spider-Man Reboot. Looking back I see I had a lot of anger for what went on in the comic at the time.I mean for someone that has great power and responsibility to become irresponsible and make a deal with a villain or devil like character is not the spider-man I remember.That being said looking back I was closed minded to the Spider-Man reboot.Now after so much time has passed it is safe to say that I can’t wait for it.Once a Spidey Fan always a Spidey fan.There have been Amazing stories coming from the comics despite that horrible deal with Mephisto.Andrew Garfield will be brilliant.I am a big Doctor Who fan and loved him in it.Emma will make a great Gwen Stacy! Finally We get to see the Lizard! They are even working on the script for Amazing Spider-man 2. I like what I’ve seen so far in the trailer.2012 Should be a great summer.

  7. THANK FUCKIN GOD!! Now the movies can be done RIGHT! I liked the first one a lot. I mean it was the first big super hero film. There was Blade but Spider-Man is much more popular and I had a love for that character. I liked him the first film and then i liked the action in the 2nd but man oh man was the 3rd a piece stinking putrid garbage that should be banned from all movie racks around the world. Holy shit that movie sucked!

    So now, with the evolution of super hero movies moving quick and in the right direction, a REAL Spidey FILM has a chance to be made.

    I was so pissed when I found out that they were going to use the same cast and crew. UGH! After the smelly piece of crap the 3rd movie was, you think the studio would have thought of a reboot earlier….like right after watching that last piece of shit.

    Holy SHIT! There is a God!

    1. @”UGH! After the smelly piece of crap the 3rd movie was, you think the studio would have thought of a reboot earlier”

      Yeah, its not like the third film was the most profitable of the three(please note sarcasm). Maybe thats why they didn’t reboot the series then?

      1. yea I realize that. BUT with how people reacted to it, anybody could tell you that a 4th wouldn’t be as profitable. There’s no way. It could make some change but never be that high again. I mean even now when I watch the 1rst and 2nd I STILL can’t get the taste of that 3rd one outa my mouth. Even if Raimi stayed on, Dunst and Mcguire would HAVE to go in my opinion. I’m not the only one who was tired of them. And yea, maybe it was just the writing that made Mcguire look bad but Dust was NEVER MJ. Never ever never.

    2. So you admit to liking the first two movies.

      Yes Spider-man 3 was bad, but the studio got involved. Who knows how it would have been if Raimi got to make the movie he wanted to make. Who knows how Spider-man 4 would have been if Raimi got to make the movie he wanted.

  9. Venom is cool in print and all but I think I’ve had enough of that w/#3

    Still hoping to see the Classic Villans.

    Electro
    Mysterio
    Scorpion
    Lizard
    Green Goblin w/out the Power Rangers mask
    or just go with the Sinister Six!

    Gimme this and the world will be in balance again.

  10. High School makes sense cause pretty much all the comics storyline from the silver age comics are with him in high school and what not. so that’s not a big deal IMO. will they bring back Green Goblin? will they make it like Ultimate Spiderman comics? will they use some of the “New Villans”?
    will they totally Rape any or all of the old school stories?(probally) or will they do a Venom-Carnage film?

    Origin Re-told?

    WTF???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    answers!!!! I need answers!!!!!!

    (breathing heavy)

  11. LOL, It’s Justice League all over again, they are going to try to cast Zach Effron or some equally crappy kid as Peter Parker, just watch…

    As far as printed Spiderman goes, story wise the the comic has been good, but there was no reason that the stories couldn’t have been set in the world without Mephisto changing Peter’s life into a big what if he never married MJ.

  12. That is good – then newer more cool villians can be incorprated – without the song and dance number because the director didnt want to use that villian. Also in order for the franchise to continue – you will have to reboot the character sooner or later and Tobi is NOT getting any younger. Find a better looking more to the comic MJ as well.

  13. the only thing i dont like about this, is that were going to have to wait 2 1/2 years to see this in theater…

    i hope that at least, for the first villain, they use either venom or someone they haven’t used yet, like mysterio or lizard

    1. Yea maybe they should use Venom because Topher Grace was far too skinny to play Eddie Brock. They need to get someone built like a body builder and make him beatup a high school kid.

  14. Here are 3 reason as to why I don’t think this reboot will work:

    1) All of Spidey’s best villains have been used up, and would have to go with a lame villain. You can’t begin the reboot with The Lizard or Venom. One of the reasons the Batman reboot worked is because we got to see villains we haven’t seen before, like The Scarecrow and Ra’s Al Ghul.

    2) Raimi’s films worked(at least the first two) because he had a huge passion for the character.

    3) Sony were the ones who ruined “Spider-Man 3″, and now they are in complete control.

      1. Agreed. Spidey 3 may have knocked the wind out of the franchise but there was still some fight left. Given another chance Raimi, or some other gifted filmmaker, could have steered the franchise back on track.

    3. as for your #1 the best villains are far from used. Spider-Man has such a diverse catalog of baddies to pull from that you are hard pressed to find one that 90% of the fanboys out there would not be stoked to see on the big screen. Vulture and Lizzard are only two options. Mysterio, Kraven, Hobgoblin, Black Cat, Electro, Scorpion, Rhino, Carnage, and crossover villains like King Pin, Mephisto, Morbius, and a handfull of others could all be possibilities for future villains. Your other two point I agree with completely.

      1. Black cat is one of the sexyist comicbook characters of all time.

        If they use her I imagine she will be the same age as Spider-man. I wonder what hot 16 year old they would get to play her.

    4. I would not worry about Venom. Venom’s over at the mouse house right now, with no connection to Spider-Man 3/Spidey.

      But who says they can’t reboot with Lizard as the adversary? Who is to say the villains won’t be characters that haven’t been done yet? All the best have been used?

      Hardly.
      Besides, the characters are as good as the filmmakers can make them.

  17. Damn! What a bummer! Kudos to Raimi for sticking to his guns, but I can’t help but feel a bit saddened. Probably because the first 2 Spidey movies came out when I was in high school and he is my favorite Marvel superhero. I wonder if they’re going (which the probably are) with making the character more dark, like with Batman. I enjoyed the Hulk remake or reboot, or whatever it’s called, so I’ll try and give this a chance, but damn! I can’t picture an other live action Spider-Man than Tobey. Though since Cameron is a fan also, I would really like to see the technology he used with Avatar be used by the filmmakers for this new movie.

      1. according to an article from the Hollywood Insider, the studio is “interested in a more gritty, contemporary redo of the series.”

        Grittier Spidey movie? BAH!

    1. I’m not against a new creative team, only the fact we’re not moving forward with the story and instead going back to the beginning of Spidey’s career.

    1. “teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises”

      Sounds like Smallville, or at least the first few seasons of Smallville. Although I do believe people are taking that statement and reading too much into it. We don’t know anything more than that.

      2. You most certainly can take that approach. However if someone read that line and thought Smallville, I wouldn’t consider it “unfoundedly random.” It does Sound like a pitch for Smallville, that’s all.

    1. How does it sound like “Smallville of Spiderman”??

      The first film was set in Highschool too…

      That is the only detail we know about so far, so how can it sound like Smallville?

      That was so unfoundedly random.

      1. Half of the movie was set in high school, not all of it. Sony is probably planning to make all the rebooted Spider-Man movies set in high school. I fucking hope not.

  21. I think rebooting Spidey and going back to high school is an awful idea. I don’t want to see an origin story again that’s boring. Toby not playing Spidey again isn’t a huge deal to me, but going back to have a younger actor take over the role – well, I have a bad feeling about it. At this moment I have no interest in the next movie.

    What I do have interest in is what will Sam Raimi do now? Apart of me is little happy he’s now free to do who knows what…

    1. I agree that the high school thing is not great; I would simply continue on with Peter in college. There’s still time to work those things out. We shall see.

      As for Raimi, there’s World f Warcraft or that long standing offer of the next Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan film, if that’s still around.

      1. They should do what they did in the rebooted Hulk. Assume we already know the origin story and just start the movie out maybe a little early on in his Spider-Man career. And just show us quick flashbacks of how he became Spider-Man like at the opening credits. That way, we get that origin story stuff out of the way and it’s on with the REAL story and the ACTION. Besides, Raimi did a fuckin fanTASTIC job with the origin of Spider-Man. That’s what I LOVED about the first film. I could literally just watch the beginning up until he starts using his new suit and then turn it off.

      2. I pray to whatever God there is that we don’t have to sit through another flippin’ origin story. The first Spider-Man movie is still fresh in my mind.

        Actually I want to see Raimi do another Evil Dead! He has been claiming that after Spidey he’d do another one. ;-) I gave up on a third sequel a while back, but deep down there’s still a spark of hope. IF it ever happens though, they better get crackin’ before Campbell gets too old…or simply keels over dead.

  22. I’m actually a little refreshed at the thought. As was mentioned above, the character of Peter Parker is pretty much mutilated, along with MJ. I was excited about seeing the Lizard, but I’d rather see a new series. You have to admit, the cast, writing, and studio relations were pretty much falling apart by this point. I don’t think #4 would have been very good. To me, Tobey Maguire never really captured Peter Parker. Maybe it just wasn’t written in well enough. I don’t know.
    While I do think it is a few years too early, this is still the best move they could have made.

      2. Tobey was an excellent Peter! He exuded that nerdy awkwardness perfectly. What worries me with the reboot is that they’ll hire some young hunk, slap glasses on him, tussle his hair a little, and expect everyone to buy that he’s a geek. At least with Tobey he looked like a geek! lol

  23. I think one thing people should consider before completely shitting on the idea of a reboot is this. Batman was completely rebooted eight years after the steaming pile of shit that was Batman & Robin, and it was amazing. By the time this movie gets released it will have been five years since the last Spider-Man. In my opinion, five years is pleanty of time for us to accept a rebooted franchise. And now that Marvel Studios is a much larger entity, rather that just a name, that can lend a little creative control to its character, I can’t see this as being a terrible decission. I think we all need to sit back and remember the original trilogy for what it was, two great movies and a shitty one, and let the new era usher itself in.

  24. Sony is ran by a bunch of morons and I can not wait for their rights to the Spiderman name to run out. It is obvious that all they are looking at are the numbers and not the reviews. They see “Best opening ever” so they must of done it right. If they read fan posts, they would know how disappointing the third film was and would see that it was them forcing Raimi to do what they wanted that made so. Instead, its “We’re right, he’s wrong. We know what the audience wants.” The new films are most likely going to be as good as straight to dvd Disney films and Land Before Time sequels.
    *storms off*

    1. Yes, he has written some good ones but it is all up to the directors and producers how the story is presented. And we all seen what the producers of this franchise is like

  27. You hear that sound? It’s the sound of the ball dropping. No director will want to reboot a movie franchise that’s still fresh in everyone’s mind. It’s not the same as remaking Hulk (where just about everyone hated it). It’s about trying to erase three movies that span a decade, and that’s going to be VERY hard to get out of people’s minds.

    1. They aren’t trying to erase the previous films, just as the Bond reboot wasn’t trying to hide the old franchise either; a reboot is just a fresh start. I think it is a smart move, though my concern is less on who will direct it and more on what will the story be like.

      1. A reboot isn’t “erasing” the orinal films, but at the same time it is completely forgetting about them and not taking anything from them to move forward.

        Its starting over. Without the previous run.

        So while it isn’t erasing it, it isn’t continuing or having anything to do with them either.

        And Bond is not a reboot… its a prequel.

      2. @”And Bond is not a reboot… its a prequel”

        LOL, still lying to yourself about that. Look Dench played “M” in “Casino Royal”. Dench didn’t become that character until “Goldeneye”. So REBOOT.

      3. @ “A reboot isn’t “erasing” the original films, but at the same time it is completely forgetting about them and not taking anything from them to move forward.” This is why Superman Returns was a terrible reboot … well this a a million other little issues, but whose counting. While a reboot is a new start untainted by any previous endeavors, it doesn’t try to rewrite mythology in order to escape/separate itself from the film entirely. I agree that this is coming a bit to early for a franchise as established as Spider-Man, but with the condition they left it in after #3, there is little else they could do to redeem the property so long as Sony wanted to keep creative control and tie Raimi’s hands.

      4. Superman Returns was not a reboot.

        It ignores part 3 and 4 but then so did the fans.

        It was mostly a retcon of Superman 2 (almost the same plot – with details changed) but requires that while Superman had no powers (in S2) and slept with Lois, that they produced a child.

      5. Reboot or retcon (semantics), it still did nothing to peak interest in a title that has the ability to draw huge attention. Which is/was the purpose behind the film and behind every “reboot”.

      6. @Rodney

        Casino Royale is a reboot.

        If you won’t accept the Judi Dench as “M” example then consider Felix Leiter. Casino Royale does disregard previous continuity established in Bond films. Bond and Felix’s first encounter is in Dr. No, but Casino Royale says, “Nope, they met here for the first time!” So if Royale is meant to be a prequel then we have two first time meetings between Bond and Leiter. Intriguing.

  30. not hate dude but it’s hard to see another actor come in after weve been buffed to see part 4, you know?

    anger talkin’ that’s all..

    I guess now the question is WHO?

    Jake Gillen-guy?

    just hope they dont go with the flavor of the month..

    could you imagine a Micheal Cera or something…

    Sky is falling in my head that’s all.

    1. I agree, its hard to see an actor change when he has been the only live action face of spidey we are used to.

      They can’t use Jake Gyllenhaal, the guy is just too old. They are going back to a Peter Parker in highschool story.

      The actor will be young.

      1. My money’s on Cameron writing and directing Battle Angel Alita next. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he ditched that manga character for Spidey. Though the likelihood of odds that happening is 100000000 to 1.

      2. Obviously Sony wants control of this Spider-man film. Raimi left because they wouldn’t give him the time he needed or the creative control. If Sony doesn’t want to do that for Raimi they probably wouldn’t want to do that for anyone.

        I cant imagine James Cameron doing any film without having complete creative control. Also Sony has a deadline and I don’t think he would sign up for a release date without giving the project some thought first. he did take 10 years to make Avatar after all.

        So yes, as it stands, I do think this project is below him.

      3. @Rodney

        It’s beneath him because he just created an ENTIRE story and universe FULL of completely made up characters, so for him to just go backwards and do a reboot of a movie that already has a trilogy would be taking a step back. But don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to see a Cameron adaptation of Spidey. Even a Nolan take. But….these guys are SO fuckin good at what they do that i would MUCH rather see them do all the other stories they have in mind. i mean if we had all the time in the world on this planet, I would say, HELL YEA Cameron/Nolan!, do a Spidey adaptation! But we don’t so they should just get busy and get to work on as many other stories they have in mind. Hopefully more original stories.

      1. I agree that attitude is flawed… but I don’t know of any Twilight actors I see fitting into the role. No it’s not cause they are from Twilight (and to be honest, after seeing Lautner on SNL, he actually has a lot of talent) but simply because none of them seem like the spidey type.

      2. If there was a match between an actor and a Spidey character then fine.

        But I wouldnt write them off just for staring in a movie I didn’t like.

        Lautner was pretty awesome, and a big surprise. But if they cast him as Kraven, I could deal with it.

    1. I disagree. Spidey 3 isn’t as bad as many people have been making it out to be. Sure, it’s the weakest link, a misstep in the series, but not the final nail in the coffin as say “Batman and Robin” was to the Batman franchise. From the sounds of it, Raimi, who acknowledges the inferiority of Spidey 3, was taking the appropriate steps in forging a solid fourth entry, atonement for his previous effort. I say we should have given him the opportunity instead of condemning him. After all he did provide two damn fine Spidey flicks.

      1. yea Raimi was good BUT the cast… eh not so much. ESPECIALLY Keirsten Dunst. UGH! I was cool with him coming back but the actors had to fuckin GO! And we need some new writers. That writing was fuckin GAY GAY GAY. It only worked perfectly in the 1rst movie and then in the 2nd it was fine but not perfect but god oh GOD that third movie was SHIT! And it WAS just as bad as people say it is, dude. I’ve seen it at least 3 times now (can’t watch it anymore because it actually literally PISSES me off every time I see it. Like ROYALY pisses me off to high heaven) and it SUCKED ass EVERY single time. It actually got worse and more and more unbearable.

      2. We’re gonna have to agree to disagree. I feel Spidey 3 detractors are excessively rough and refuse to acknowledge any good. The bloated script and campy dialogue does sting but there are some exciting and beautiful direction at work.(i.e. birth of Sandman. Beautiful and very well done).

      3. Sorry Methos, I disagree- this is exactly like Batman and Robin.

        They took a franchise that had 2 excellent films and followed it up with one of the worst movies in the past decade.

        Do I have to remind you of the 2 minute dance scene in the street? Or the other 2 minute dance scene in the club? Parker was supposed to be effected by a symbiote that made him want to eat brains- instead he had emo hair and was dancing! Absolutely ridiculous.

        There’s no excuse, not even from Raimi. Anyone who looked at those scenes and decided they were fit to be in the final cut doesn’t even deserve to pass film school.

      4. “There’s no excuse, not even from Raimi. Anyone who looked at those scenes and decided they were fit to be in the final cut doesn’t even deserve to pass film school.”

        Couldn’t have said it better myself!

      5. @”Sorry Methos, I disagree- this is exactly like Batman and Robin”

        Batman and Robin- Tanked, killed the comic book movie genre, turned Batman gay, worst comic book film EVER, and imploded the Burton/Schumacher Batman films(not that they were any good to begin with).

        Spider-man 3- Box-office success, there were still comic book films made right after this one, the series still could have been salvaged, and I can think of far worse comic book films than this one. To name a few- Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Elektra, and Steel.

        People just exaggerate how bad SM3 was. Bad movie yes, but not as horrible as Batman and Robin, nowhere near.

  34. Fuck!! The original Spider-man was one masterpiece that made non nerds want to believe in Super-Heroes again… it was that movie that single handedly revived the genre and gave it life, not X-men, and now they want to do what everyone is doing: Reboot. I’m starting to hate this word, it’s a fucking gimmick to draw us nerds to buy the fucking tickets. am gonna boycott the the film if it ever comes out, and my most passionate curses are with the film.

    1. Masterpiece? You’re kidding right? There are so many things wrong with the original such as the miscasting of Dunst and Tobey, Organic webshooters (WORST IDEA EVER thanks to Cameron), a humourless Spider-man, and a idiotic villian that flew right out a Power Rangers episode.

      1. I prefer the plausibility that his superpowers were all granted by the radioactive super spider instead of having to deal with the unlikelihood that a teenager in high school could invent mechanical webshooters that he has to wear.

        I know its suspension of disbelief that allows for Spidey to exist in a film anyways. I get that. But its the dumbest thing ever that Peter Parker could already have been a superhero with his mad gadget inventing skills, and only ever made ONE THING.

  35. People don’t want a Zac Efron spiderman or a Twilight Spiderman and that is what is going to be done here…..

    Bad move sony…. only an excellent director can pull this out of the trash

      2. A Chris Nolan spider man would rule the world. Unfortunately I’m sure he has some deal worked out with DC not to do marvel films for a while.

        I picture a Chris Nolan Spider-Man with the Lizard and maybe Kraven… Picture the fun Nolan would have playing with the Jeckel/Hyde dichotomy and I see Kraven as the hunter trying to hunt down the Hyde persona with Spidey trying to rescue Jeckel.

    2. I would hope that Sony would not give us Efron or Cullen for Spider-Man (I’m not sure how you would even pull that off), and without an excellent script the best director in the world cannot save the film.

    3. Actually, Zac Efron is a good choice….and a good actor at that. Do I think he will take the part? No. But if this thing didn’t reboot, I’ll throw the gauntlet down: I would have liked him for 5 & 6. They were going to recast the roles anyway.

      Will “the fans” hate a possible casting of Zac Efron? Probably. But I lose count in how many times “fans” say what actor is right for what role. Also, see how funny Efron is in 17 Again, and, better yet, how good he is a dramatic actor in Me and Orson Welles.

      1. I agree that Efron has shown he has potential as an actor, I was merely refering (poorly at that) to the cliched role he played in the High School Musical films (a role that he basically reprized in 17 again). So long as he can start to break from that stigma (which I see happening from the clips of Me and Orson Wells that are online) I would be more than pleased to see him take on a role like this. I just want to avoid a campy Spider-Man film that ends up being less superhero and more bubblegum. That is my fear.

  36. I’m torn by this news. I probably enjoyed Spiderman 3 more than most, but it was the weakest of the trilogy. Personally, I think they should step away from the character for a few years. Although by 2012 it will have been 5 years since the last movie. I felt the same way with the Hulk reboot and ended up enjoying the second, so who knows. My real hope for the movie is that Marvel’s involvement may somehow lessen the specter of Sony hanging over the picture. It would be great if Marvel could get the rights back and integrate Spidey into the universe they’re building with their other characters. Having Spidey in the Avengers would be great and fit right in with the current run in the comics.

    I’m also willing to bet that the reboot follows closer to the Ultimate Spiderman series, than the original series. Even though they’re pretty close, the Ultimate series has already been updated.

  37. I look forward to a reboot… nothing against Tobey McGuire, but I never liked him as Spider Man. I’d like to see what Spider Man would be like with a new cast, which I think would require a reboot over a sequel just cause it would be awkward to have a sequel with a new cast.

    1. I though Toby was a good Peter, not a good Spider-Man. I never liked Kirsten Dunst as MJ, but I also hated the way that her character was written. In order for me to really buy into the reboot I think I would need to see a cast of unknowns or lesser well known brought in for the cast.

      1. Good call on the poor writing of MJ. She’s supposed to be a strong, fiery character that challenges Peter, all while being supportive as well. In the films she is the simple damsel in distress archetype.

        The entirety of her character was made to highlight what’s going on with Peter, instead of being her own character. She’s sad because HE didn’t show up to the play, she’s happy cause HE saved her, she’s worried about him cause HE’S fighting, she’s feel rejected because HE is dancing in the streets/turned emo.

        In the reboot I’d like to see an MJ who has her own motivations and agenda, one that actually serve a role in the story aside from the love interest/damsel in distress.

  39. My point is that, other than Sam Raimi, it’s James Cameron who wants a shot at helming Spidey . I still believe Cameron wants to do this gig. Now that Raimi walked out, Cameron’s the next best director to do this.

    1. Cameron has some other big projects to work on that I would prefer see him do that Spider Man. Such as Avatar sequels and Battle Angel Alita… I think I heard he had another project on top of that. With the amount of work that will be required just for those two projects, I’d personally hate to see him have to push back or drop either to do Spider Man.

      2. I’m right behind you, though if I remember reading right… Alita (Gally) is supposedly going to be a completely digital character. Which after seeing what he did with Avatar, I think is totally doable.

  40. I think James Cameron is the ONLY choice to helm the next Spiderman movie trilogy. I hope Columbia Pictures/Sony/Marvel Studios are thinking of handing over the reins to Cameron , since the King of the World has said he likes Spiderman in numerous interviews and even wrote a spec script long before Sam Raimi got hired. Coupled now with Avatar’s billion dollar success (and still counting), plus his “performance capture” 3D Fusion cameras, he’ll make Spidey a billion dollar grosser for sure. I wonder if Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios can afford his asking price and budget though. What do you think Rodney?

    1. He might be a good pick, but he isn’t the ONLY choice.

      They can go a lot of ways with this. I’d like to see Kevin Smith write.

      Cameron is the easy fan choice right now because of his past statements about Spiderman, and his success with Avatar. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Avatar animation techniques were used to bring us a digital spidey on screen, but I don’t know that they would just toss it to him.

      There must be a reason that they never went with his spec script to begin with.

      3. PLEASE give it to J. Michael Stracyznski, his run of Spidey was amazing. He took the characters places that it had been pushing at since the 80s. Then Joe Q. pulled his and the entire title went to crap. Now we are again left with crappy 80s Spider-Man.

      4. I also think that Jon Favreau may be a likely choice for directing. His success with Iron Man, and with Iron Man 2 coming out, he can handle big name properties successfully.

      5. @Lawrence
        I wouldn’t want Cameron. He takes too long to make movies. Josh Whedon would be good but I really don’t want Zach Snyder. Snyder is good at making graphic novels into movies but for spiderman we need someone who can adapt the characters into a film.

    2. It would not surprise me in the least if Sony made Cameron an offer. It would also not surprise me if he shot them down. By the way, it DOES surprise me how much “the fans” want to see Cameron- in spite of his contreversial story treatment which shocked those very same fans. Yes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, he’s riding a tidal wave right now with an epic sci-fi epic.

      But does that make Cameron ‘The only choice’?
      Hardly think so.

      Even David Fincher was considered to direct the first Spidey film at one point As was Roland Emmerich. I’m not saying it is their turn at bat (Fincher wanted a film based around the death of Gwen Stacy; Sony shot it down)

      It’s anyone’s ballgame.

      1. I agree.

        I personally don’t think Cameron is the right choice for this franchise though. I think his skills as a director are amazing. But, I think his storytelling is shit. The man couldn’t tell a bedtime story correctly lol.

        Also, it feels like he forces his opinion of something onto areas that a director shouldn’t.

      2. uuuuh what?? Story telling is shit? yea and you’re saying this about a man who made Terminator 2 WHICH, by the way, was said to have a PERFECT script. And I couldn’t agree more. Aliens? Yea what a piece of shit story. haha Titanic? ooh GOD! What a terrible story. I mean so black and white and un-layered. I see what you mean. hahaha riiiiiight. Do you need a cookie or something?

    1. Oh, dear GOD! Please do not turn Spider-man into the crappy character that Marvel is writing now, or the emo Peter from #3. They have killed him in print and in film over the past three years and I am hopeful that they can redeem the character by starting fresh. Sony needs to give the rights back to Marvel (or just let them make their movie) so that we actually get a S-M film that is worth seeing … but we all know that will never happen.

  42. So at this point in time why don’t they just drop the whole project and leave it at a trilogy and look into new projects, A reboot is dum and I wouldn’t watch this one.

    1. Ummm…. they ARE dropping the whole project, leaving it as a trilogy and making new ones.

      You make it sound like Sony only makes Spiderman movies.

      I agree that it is a dumb move, but we might see them and suddenly think this is the best thing ever.

      1. I don’t see how this is a dumb move at all.

        How can you come back from Spidey 3? Honestly, I don’t see how it’s possible. You have a main character who’s credibility is shot to hell. A lead actress that can’t hold a scene. The timeline is all messed up and the fans’ faith in the franchise is the lowest it’s been in a while. You think ‘staying the course’ is the right move? Sorry but this is the smartest move they could have made.

  43. I’m sad, I really wanted to see more with Toby Maguire. I loved the first two even though the third was a dissapointment, the fourth one could’ve made up for it ;(

  44. wow, for some reason I want to boycott the reboot. thats my initial feeling anyway. im sure I’ll see the new ones… this just makes me so sad though. man I just can’t believe it.

    1. I am not going to say boycott because my $12 isn’t going to make a difference, but i wont see it.

      The 3rd Spider-man wasn’t good but it didn’t ruin the franchise. With the Hulk i understood because they started off on a bad foot. After 3 films and the last one being in 2007, I think it is too early to reboot.

      Aside from that I don’t think that studio execs generally know how to make movies. I think its better for films to have talented directors without studio making every decision.

      1. On another note, I don’t want to see some movie with a teenage superhero. There’s just something not cool about a kid having to finish his homework before he can go fight crime.

        How “dark” will venom be when spider-man is played by a 16 year old?

      3. He was in high-school for the first 20 mins of the first Spider-man movie. Before he even put on the costume.

        To say Peter Parker is going back to HIGH SCHOOL and that the story will focus on a TEENAGER dealing with super powers, lets me believe he will be younger than the COLLEGE-aged Spider-man that was in the first Spider-man movie.

      4. Cloud, you need to watch the first movie again.

        He is in highschool the whole time. It isnt until the second film when Peter is living on his own in the apartment with Harry that he is going to college.

      5. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t Norman Osborn come to visit his son Harry and Peter on Thanksgiving? In their own apartment in the city? But maybe they had their own apartment in High School right?

      7. Also a major theme in the first 3 Spider-man movies, and especially in the first one, was what it means to become a man. Moving out, finding a job, and responsibility obviously. For them to say Spider-man is going back to high-school, you can already tell how they are planning to make this Spider-man different.

        I just don’t care to see a teenage superhero movie, or a action movie for that matter. I don’t think I am the only one.

        I was watching the history channel the other day and told the story or Perseus and he was a teenager. They could have went that way for the new Clash of the Titans movie (maybe even the old one which I never saw, so can’t say they didn’t) but would many people be interested in seeing that?

        Maybe the teenage action hero thing works for teenagers but its a hard sell to adults (Harry Potter is more fantasy than action).

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