Spiderman 4 Dead, going reboot route...

[Emperor]

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.

 

“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."

 

 

[SinisterDeath]

Why am I expecting them to Twilightize this?

[Krakalakachkn]

Yesterday, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios confirmed that (500) Days of Summer helmer Marc Webb is going to direct the Spider-Man reboot. In reporting on the news, the Risky Business blog has some possible more details on the project:

 

Webb, who has options on two sequels, will now tackle a Jamie Vanderbilt script that sees a “Spider-Man” movie that will look and feel very different from the big movies that went before it.

 

The plan for the movie is to be in the $80 million range and feature a cast of relative unknowns (so you can quash those Rob Pattinson or Gordon-Levitt rumors at this point). And the story will be pared down to center on a high school kid who is dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though the teen had the power to stop it.

 

The touchstone for the new movie will not be the 1960s comics, which were the inspiration behind the movies by Raimi, who grew on up on them, but rather this past decade’s “Ultimate Spider-Man” comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley where the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst.

 

Please keep in mind that none of this is confirmed and we may not know for sure until closer to release. Stay tuned for more announcements as they come in...

[Cadsuane]

the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst.

 

This sounds awsome ful.  ::)

 

American culture has taken teen angst, made it somehow attractive, and now adults who should really be getting over it and creating productive lives are wallowing in it, still. Can we please STOP idealizing idiot teen life and remind ourselves that there are more interesting and beneficial ways to live?

[aemonkristen]

You got that right, sister. I wanna see superheroes open a big ol' can of whup-ass on the bad guy. If I want to see idiot children that can't deal with their problems I'll turn on  the O.C.    :-X

[Emperor]

All I ask is they do not start ALL over again.  We know how he got his powers.  I also hope they go dark and gritty.

[SinisterDeath]

All I ask is they do not start ALL over again.  We know how he got his powers.  I also hope they go dark and gritty.

 

Its a man, that got bit by a radioactive spider, wears a red and black suit, and shoots webs out of his wrist, How can it be 'dark and gritty'? The movies we saw were about as dark as it could go.

IF they reall wanted to go dark, they could go with the Plot from Peters 'first' girlfriend, that wasn't MJ, but another lady.

 

Thats basically the lowest darkest point for spiderman. Afterthat, its all bells and butterflies for him. :P

[Krakalakachkn]

That apparently means the emphasis will be the way the Ultimate stories focused less on fighting villains and more on "high school angst," as the new Peter Parker will be "a high school kid who is dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though the teen had the power to stop it." That particular detail suggests something else, which is that in the fourth Spider-Man movie, we will once again be getting Peter's origin story. CHUD.com is also reporting that Peter will be joined by not just Mary Jane Watson, but also Gwen Stacy and Flash Thompson, in what will basically be a romantic triangle. Although on one hand, it's great that Webb's movie will apparently focus on character development, it's not exactly like Raimi's movies didn't also do that, but what will undoubtedly have to be trimmed as the budget goes from $258 million all the way down to $80 million is the amount of money Sony is willing to throw at the action and FX sequences. Even without a name cast, $80 million is a teensy tiny amount for a superhero movie, and especially for one on the scale of Spider-Man. And really, if we wanted to see a cheaply made Spider-Man story, couldn't Sony really save their money and just make it the CW weekly TV series that it's apparently getting closer and closer to becoming on the big screen?

[Krakalakachkn]

18-year-old "Percy Jackson" star Logan Lerman is the first potential candidate being mentioned to play the new version of "Spider-Man" reports Access Hollywood.

 

"There have been a few discussions, it's definitely something I'm looking into. It's one of my favorite characters ever and I'm a huge fan of the series. I'd love to have more conversations about it. I'm definitely very interested in it" said Lerman to the entertainment news show.

 

Lerman re-iterates that talks are still only in the earliest stages - "conversations are starting. It’s a long process with the studio and the producers and everything. But it’s definitely a project that I’m really interested in, of course" he says.

 

Update: Sony Pictures and Lerman's agent have added further details. A Sony rep tells Heat Vision that "No offers have been made, nor have any business discussions been made with Lerman". Right now the studio is compiling a list of candidates, Lerman IS on that list.

[Krakalakachkn]

A list of 5 potential actors to play Spiderman

 

A few months ago all the speculative casting about Marvel's "Captain America" film came to a head when a shortlist of four final contenders for the titular role emerged online.

 

Today, a similar thing has happened for Sony's upcoming planned reboot of the "Spider-Man" franchise. Director Marc Webb has been meeting and reading actors quietly for several months and though the the studio is still on the lookout, the shortlist of candidates that will likely submit to a screen test shortly has come down to five names which Heat Vision seem to have uncovered:

 

 

1. Jamie Bell

 

The 24-year-old British actor and best known name on the list, Bell rose to fame as the title character in “Billy Elliot”.

 

He followed that up with classic literary adaptations like "Nicholas Nickleby” and the upcoming “Jane Eyre”, Hollywood actioneers like Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and Doug Liman's "Jumper", indie dramas "The Chumscrubber" and "Undertow", and big-budget war dramas including Clint Eastwood's "Flags of our Fathers" and Ed Zwick’s “Defiance”.

 

He also stars as the voice and motion-capture elements of Tintin in Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” adaptation opening next year.

 

 

2. Andrew Garfield

 

The oldest and most interesting actor on the list, the U.S.-born and British-raised 26-year-old came to notice in 2007 thanks to starring roles in Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs" and acclaimed indie "Boy A" along with guest spots on British TV in the likes of "Trial & Retribution" and "Doctor Who".

 

He popped up again recently as the lead in the first and most acclaimed part of the "Red Riding" TV movie trilogy, played the loveable young Anton in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" and will later this year appear in David Fincher's "The Social Network" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go".

 

 

3. Josh Hutcherson

 

The youngest actor on the list, the 18-year-old has also racked up the strongest and widest resume of the batch.

 

Hutcherson has appeared in comedies like "RV" and "Kicking and Screaming", done voice work on animated feature "Howl's Moving Castle" and series "Justice League", and appeared in numerous arthouse dramas like "The Kids Are All Right," "American Splendor" and "Little Manhattan"

 

More relevant though is that he's had major roles in FX-heavy studio family-fantasy-action fare like "The Polar Express," "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," "Bridge to Terabithia," "Zathura," "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" and the upcoming "Red Dawn" remake.

 

 

4. Alden Ehrenreich

 

The 20-year-old American actor was "discovered” by Steven Spielberg thanks to a comedy video he saw at a bat mitzvah.

 

Though he had forgettable guest spots on "Supernatural" and "CSI", many took notice of him last year when he played one of the main roles in Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" opposite veteran Vincent Gallo and stole the limelight from him.

 

He also stars in Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere" opening later this year.

 

 

5. Frank Dillane

 

Though he starred as a child in 1997's "Welcome to Sarajevo", the 19-year-old British thesp's sole real credit is playing the teenage version of Tom Riddle in the flashback/memory segments of last year's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".

 

Sony aims to begin production on the film by the end of the year and Alvin Sargent is currently getting the script into shape, but all claim they intend to take whatever time is needed to make sure the product comes out right.

 

At present Hutcherson seems to be the favorite thanks to his experience and age, but his commitment to the upcoming "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" sequel could put a kink in the studio's plans.

[Krakalakachkn]

Dylan Baker is going to be pissed.

 

Bleeding Cool reports that apparently the main villain in the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot will be Dr. Curt Connors, who eventually becomes The Lizard.

 

In the comics, Connors is a Florida surgeon who lost an arm during a stint in the army. Returning to civilian life as a research technologist, he tried to re-grow his amputated arm using an experiment in reptilian limb regeneration. The procedure worked but eventually turned him into The Lizard.

 

Baker played the role of Connors, remained as Peter Parker's physics professor at University, in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy. The actor never got the chance to see his character turn into The Lizard.

[Krakalakachkn]

In an official press release from Sony, it has been confirmed that Andrew Garfield has scored the role of Peter Parker in the upcoming "Spider-Man 3D" reboot opening July 3rd 2012.

 

My personal favourite choice of the final batch of contenders, the U.S.-born and British-raised 26-year-old is the oldest actor on the list. He's also one of the most accomplished, signalling how serious the studio plans to be with their material.

 

Garfield first came to notice in 2007 thanks to starring roles in Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs" and acclaimed indie "Boy A" along with guest spots on British TV in the likes of "Trial & Retribution" and "Doctor Who".

 

He popped up again recently as the lead in the first and most acclaimed part of the "Red Riding" TV movie trilogy, played the loveable young Anton in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" and will later this year appear in David Fincher's "The Social Network" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go".

 

Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role with production on the film kicking off in early December.

[Krakalakachkn]

It looks like Dr. Connors a.k.a. The Lizard is going to be the villain in this movie.  Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) is currently in talks to play Connors.

 

 

 

Oscar winner Christoph Waltz is reportedly in talks to play The Lizard, the supposed antagonist of the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot for Sony Pictures reports The Playlist.

 

In the comics, Curt Connors is a Florida surgeon who lost an arm during a stint in the army. Returning to civilian life as a research technologist, he tried to re-grow his amputated arm using an experiment in reptilian limb regeneration. The procedure worked but eventually turned him into The Lizard.

 

Waltz's "Inglourious Basterds" co-star Michael Fassbender was previously sought for the role, but he opted instead to play Magneto in "X-Men: First Class" for Fox.

 

Andrew Garfield is so far the only confirmed cast member in the Marc Webb-directed production.

[Krakalakachkn]

Emma Stone to play Gwen Stacey

 

 

Sony Pictures has issued an official press release confirming Emma Stone had joined the cast of the "Spider-Man" reboot, ending several weeks of rumours.

 

In a surprise though, the release confirms she's starring in the female lead role of Gwen Stacy rather than the Mary Jane Watson character to which she was linked earlier this week.

 

The new films have Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) falling for Stacy, a blond fellow college student and science major who will serve as Parker's love interest. The Watson character is apparently taking a back seat in this incarnation.

[Krakalakachkn]

Rhys Ifans cast as unknown villain

 

Rhys Ifans is set to play the villain in the reboot of "Spider-Man" from Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.

 

In a press release from the studio, Columbia Pictures president Matthew Tolmach says "After seeing his performance in our upcoming film Anonymous, we're in awe of his talent and think he's the perfect choice to take on this role."

 

The filmmakers prefer to not reveal which particular villain Ifans will be playing in the forthcoming film. Ifans joins a cast which currently includes Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy.

[Krakalakachkn]

Rhys Ifans is THE LIZARD!

 

Though cast earlier this week, it was unsure what villain Rhys Ifans would play in the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot at Sony Pictures. Well now it seems The Lizard will be his character according to The Wrap

 

In the comics, Dr. Curt Connors is a Florida surgeon who lost an arm during a stint in the army. Returning to civilian life as a research technologist, he tried to re-grow his amputated arm using an experiment in reptilian limb regeneration. The procedure worked but eventually turned him into The Lizard.

 

Dylan Baker played the role of Connors in the previous Sam Raimi-directed films. In that mythology he was re-imagined as Peter Parker's physics professor at University, but the actor never got the chance to portray the transformed version of the character.

 

There were rumors that Venom would serve as the villain in the Marc Webb-directed project, however the character is not going to show up at all apparently.

[Krakalakachkn]

So the film is going to be completely separate from any of the other films.

 

Out doing promotion for "Legend of the Guardians" in Europe, filmmaker Zack Snyder has spoken about the upcoming "Superman" project with various European press outlets. Amongst the facts garnered:

 

Asked if it would be shot in 3D, Snyder tells Digital Spy it's "really just too early to tell". He adds that his favourite incarnation of "Superman" thus far were the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve films, but he won't be too slavish to that material - "It's hard not to like it, it's so awesome but I don't think this will have anything to do with any of those."

 

A more interesting quote comes from Filmsactu (via Bleeding Cool which hints of a possible origin film - "As I have already explained, the film will focus on the early days of Superman, so there will be no links with the other films. This is not a remake then."

 

Don't expect any influences from famous stories from the comic either. Snyder says "although I still cannot talk about the script, I can assure you that this new Superman will not be based on any comic book in particular."

[Krakalakachkn]

Pretty sweet casting news

 

Martin Sheen is in final talks and Sally Field is in early talks to play Uncle Ben and Aunt May respectively in the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot at Sony Pictures reports Heat Vision.

 

The characters are of course the parental figures who look after Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Ben's death has a major impact on his decision to slip on the webbed spandex.

 

The pair would join Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans who have previously been announced as playing Gwen Stacey and The Lizard respectively. Shooting on the reboot kicks off next month so more casting on the project is expected to be announced shortly.

[Krakalakachkn]

DENIS LEARY!

 

Denis Leary has entered negotiations to join the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot at Sony Pictures says Heat Vision.

 

Leary will play police captain George Stacy, the father of Spidey's love interest Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and a man who frequently comes into contact with the web-slinging superhero.

 

In the comics, George dies in an accident during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus - an event that leads Gwen to hate the webslinger.

 

The film marks Leary's return to movies, his last appearance on the big screen was 2002’s "The Secret Lives of Dentists" though he has voiced a character in the "Ice Age" film series. Shooting kicks off in December.

[Krakalakachkn]

Here's an amusing bit of news

 

If there's one acronym you never forget upon hearing it's V.P.L., or to those unfamiliar 'Visible Penis Line'. Anyone who goes commando or likes wearing super tight pants, you'll know what it is. It's also the basis for an amusing story or two that emerges seemingly every single time someone new slips into form fitting spandex to play a superhero.

 

From Ioan Gruffudd's hornblower compressed to action figure proportions for "Fantastic Four" to Brandon Routh's groin supposedly getting a digital facelift to stop the little kiddies from being scared by Superman's third leg - it's all a bit of amusing fluff about a problem that was solved years ago with a fitted codpiece and special padding.

 

Now it's Spider-Man's turn as Showbiz Spy reports that new webslinger Andrew Garfield has been through numerous costume fittings for the project, most notably the new suit which is "a very high-tech design".

 

An insider says "One whole day was devoted to make sure there was nothing inappropriate showing in the crotch area of the suit. Andrew should be flattered that it took so long to get that part right."

 

Garfield himself meanwhile has hit back at online talk that the actor is too skinny to play Peter Parker, saying "I have had a lot of good wishes and kind words and a fair bit of criticism too. I heard some people are saying I’m lacking the muscles to be Spider-Man. But the thing Spidey is as skinny and me. He’s not Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

[Krakalakachkn]

Nolan bows out.

 

With his concentration on "The Dark Knight Rises" growing with each day, filmmaker Chris Nolan has bowed out of any further creative input on the upcoming "Superman" reboot reports Hitfix.

 

Nolan's wife and producing partner Emma Thomas brought up how Nolan is so single minded when making a picture it's hard to get him to work on anything else. So now with Zac Snyder on board as director on the "Superman" reboot, Thomas says "we are handing it off to him".

 

Thomas indicated that Nolan and David Goyer just had an idea they couldn't believe wasn't being explored by Warner Bros. so "they brought it to an appropriate screenplay and it's now Snyder's picture".

 

Meanwhile composer Hans Zimmer tells NBC that he will be scoring the Superman reboot. Zimmer's works include "Inception," "Sherlock Holmes," "Gladiator" and both of Nolan's "Batman" movies.

[Krakalakachkn]

New Villain and Actor news

 

Campbell Scott ("Royal Pains," "Damages") and Julianne Nicholson ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Storm of the Century") are set to play the parents of Peter Parker in the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot at Sony Pictures reports Heat Vision.

 

The site also indicates that Irrfan Khan ("The Darjeeling Limited," "Slumdog Millionaire") is in talks to play a villain named 'Van Atter' and Annie Parisse ("Rubicon," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days ") will play his wife.

 

There isn't a 'Van Atter' in the comics, but there is a character named Nels Van Adder who is an employee of Norman Osborne who served as a test subject for a chemical which changed him into a red beast with fangs and claws who became the villain Proto-Goblin.

 

The character of Gwen Stacey's father, Police Chief George Stacey, figures heavily in the Proto-Goblin origin story in the comics. Denis Leary is already set to play George Stacey.

 

Filming kicks off shortly in Los Angeles.

[Majsju]

First look at new Spidey,

 

[Krakalakachkn]

Close-up looks at the new Spider-Man uniform have emerged thanks to a photo from shooting in Los Angeles this week (and MTV).

 

The costume however is likely designed specifically for stunt work, which would explain the brighter coloring and the more sneaker-like feet as the sequences being shot involve night shoots on streets.

 

The photos do give us a better glimpse at the mechanical webshooters. What's going on with the Spidey eye sockets however it's hard to say.

 

[Krakalakachkn]

Pictures released

 

 

 

 

 

I'm actually really excited about this movie. I never really liked the previous Spiderman movies, and I think Andrew Garfield is a much better choice than Tobey MacGuire. I have really high hopes for this movie.