Spider-Man movie news

Many moviegoers are not aware that even though Marvel Comics has gained control over some of the film projects based on their comic book properties, they still do not own all of them. 20th Century Fox still owns Wolverine, the X-Men and Magneto (all expected to return as sequels in the next couple of years) and Sony Pictures still owns the biggest Marvel Comics flagship character to date, Spider-Man.

Even though the third outing was a critical dud, it still raked in plenty of dough. The movie franchise that popularized comic book superheroes more than any other since Superman has been significantly absent in recent years. This is probably due to the fact that few film franchises have ever made it past 3 movies (except for Superman and to some extent Batman and the X-Men).

Move over big blue, this is my show now!

With such an eager audience waiting on more web spinning action, what can the hold up possibly be?

The answer may lie in the details of this brief from CinemaSpy that contains news of three more films and the hints at possibility of a complete overhaul. With so much in the mix, it’s no wonder there has been no real momentum.

Spider-Man's back?

James Vanderbilt, who wrote the first draft of the upcoming Spider-Man 4, has been brought on by Sony Pictures to write Spider-Man 5 and Spider-Man 6. No word if those two films would continue a storyline begun in Spider-Man 4, or if they might take the franchise back to basics.

Sam Raimi, who helmed the first three Spider-Man movies and will direct Spider-Man 4, due in theaters in the summer of 2011, already has another big project in the planning stages: Warner Bros.’ adaptation of the popular computer game ‘World of Warcraft’. Meanwhile, stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst — who play Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane-Watson, respectively — are not confirmed past the fourth film.

According to a report in Variety, Sony does plan for Spider-Man 5 and 6 to be interconnected and shot back-to-back, thereby avoiding the long delay between Spider-Man 3 and 4. Over four years will have elapsed when Spider-Man 4 is finally released.

To date, there has been no confirmation which comic book villain will appear opposite Spider-Man in the series’ fourth installment, although The Lizard, Morbius, the Black Cat and Carnage have all been rumored. Dylan Baker appeared in the first three films as The Lizard’s alter-ego Dr. Curt Conners, but has not been officially cast in Spider-Man 4.

Superman and Batman, where are you?

Due to the recent ruling rewarding ownership of Superman to the Seigel and Shuster estates, Warner Bros. is legally obligated to begin production of a Superman film  by 2011 if they wish to revisit their blue boyscout on the silver screen.

To date, no plans have developed on the Batman movie front and personally I doubt that Chris Nolan or Christian Bale will be coming back to that franchise due to the loss of Heath Ledger and the possible cheapening of the first two films if the third is not up to par.

Spider-Man, the Avengers and Green Lantern to the rescue?

Spider-Man 4 is expected to screen in 2011 (I have written about my theories on the plot of the film here), the same year that Marvel’s Avengers film (if the Thor and Captain America movies keep to schedule) and the Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern movie premiere, resulting what could be a repeat of 2008′s Summer comic book blockbusters (Iron Man, Dark Knight and Hulk).

Marvel Comics Movie Madness

Make no mistake, we are living in the decade of the outcast.

Once ridiculed and book-dumped in the hallways of America’s schools, the comic book collectors, video gamers and fantasy novel readers of the country are the future of the commercial industry. All you have to do is turn on the TV and see the incessant commercials for the Punisher DVD, Wolverine and Watchmen movies or feature film-quality video games to see that corporations are desperate enough to pander to the very people they once shunned. Gone are the pro-military movies (unless it’s based on G.I. Joe of course), gone are the tough guy action films (unless it’s based on a video game), replaced by comic book video game movies that are easily downloadable to your handheld system of choice. Added proof to support this claim is that Warner Bros. pumped millions (and split the meager profits with 20th Century Fox) into The Watchmen, a bloated highbrow comic book movie that would only appeal to people who actually read the comic.

I have to say that the ‘nerd community’ is taking their ascension in stride.

And whereas the company with the most recognizable names in comics cannot get their act together, Marvel Comics is going from strength to strength. Batman, Justice League and Superman are all on indefinite hiatus from DC Comics while the Avengers are marching toward ticket holders with so much confidence you’d think the average guy on the street knew who these heroes are.

Giant Man, the Wasp, Iron Man, Cap and Thor- The Avengers

Marvel Studios has announced a revised release schedule leading up to their Avengers film that looks something like this:

Iron Man 2 (possibly with Scarlet Johnasen as the Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash)
-May 7, 2010
The Mighty Thor (Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Josh Harnett has been rumored to play either Thor or Loki… which makes as little sense to me as it does to anyone)
- May 20, 2011
Captain America, The First Avenger (no casting news but the rumor is that this will be a WWII perios film establishing the character as the first of a new breed of super heroes)
- July 22, 2011
The Avengers (the movie that will knit all of these projects together and presumably see the return of the Hulk as a villain)
May 4, 2012

Spider-Man's next big screen villain?

Add to this the recent announcement that Sony Pictures has slated Spider-Man 4 for a May 6, 2011 release date and it is beginning to look like a good time to be a Marvel Zombie. Director Sam Raimi has been quoted as saying all kinds of things about what he would like to do next, from the Lizard to Morbius the Living Vampire, so it’s hard to say what the next Spidey flick will look like. Co-creator Stan Lee says he would like to see the Vulture make an appearance which makes sense to me… but maybe Stan ‘The Man’ is thinking he can cameo as the aged villain.

Another chance for hornhead?

There have even been rumblings of a Daredevil revival much in the same vein as the Incredible Hulk film with Tim Roth. Comic creator/director Frank Miller has taken a shine to action actor Jason Statham and the actor has taken a shine to starring in a comic book movie so it could happen.

What does all of this mean? It means that all those ‘comic book nerds’ that were once looked down upon are now being pleaded with to save Hollywood… God help us.

Some Accessible Super Hero Comic Collections:
Captain America Omnibus, Vol. 1
Thor, Vol. 1
Spider-Man: New Ways to Die
Hulk, Vol. 1: Red Hulk
Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus, Vol. 1

About Comics:
Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society
You’ll All Be Sorry! (collected editorial columns of Gail Simone)

Back to the salt mines for Spider-Man 4 and 5

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Nevertheless, Sony Pictures is going head first into a pair of sequels to their Spider-Man franchise while the iron is hot thanks to Iron Man and The Dark Knight. The reason that I opened with the statement on repeating mistakes is that there is no franchise to date that has managed to deliver three films in a row, never mind 4. Added to that the fact that both Spider-flicks are going into production at the same time (much like the two Back To The Future films) and you have a recipe for disaster.

Raimi recently confirmed that Toby Maguire will be returning to the part (despite the fact that he seemed bored with it in the latest installment) and Kirsten Dunst will be in Spider-Man 4. Personally if I never see dodgy-eyed Dunst in another film it will be too soon. The first two Spider-Man films are nearly perfect in all respects save for the failure to capture the character of Mary Jane Watson, a comic book starlet that everyone wants to know. A jazzy-dialogued hipster, MJ served a unique role that not many other supporting characters ever did, readers actually liked her. As opposed to Lois Lane who has struggled for a reason to exist since her introduction, MJ’s appearance in an issue of Amazing Spider-Man is enough to get readers interested.

Added to the MJ problem is a rising tendency for Raimi’s Spider-Man films to be light and fanciful, even to the point of several musical numbers breaking up the hastily assembled action sequences. Again, the first two Spider-Man films are exquisite melanges of mood and action whereas Spider-Man 3 is an exquisite corpse by morons. The script was passed around the room and each person added an idea… that failed to build on anything that the previous person added… until the result was a directionless mess. It is common practice to ‘up the ante’ in these sequels which will probably mean more than one villain, which raimi has already shown he cannot do. I’d love to be proven wrong (a film featuring Kraven would be brilliant!), but we’ll see.

It has also been announced that playwright David Lindsay-Abaire has been hired to write the script for Spider-Man 4, his first super hero work. I would prefer Michael Chabon who punched up the most successful of the Spider-Man movies, but we’ll see what this new guy can do. These things almost always end up being massively rewritten by committee anyway, so I’m not sure that it will matter.

The rumor is that Hollywood is anxious to duplicate the success of The Dark Knight (the film that saved the movie industry) and is interested in making Spider-Man 4 and 5 more character driven and brooding. The angle can work for Spider-Man but I maintain that the absurdity of Peter Parker‘s life is the best approach. The bit in Spider-Man where the Green Goblin dies and begs Peter to not tell Harry that his dad was a super villain is just movie gold. I feel that the removal of Spider-Man‘s secret identity secret from Mary Jane was done too soon as frankly I enjoy watching Peter Parker squirm in abject solitude, but the damage is done now.

What do you, the reader think of this news? What do you want to see in the next two sequels?