Tag Archives: Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield is the new Spider-Man

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Goodbye Tobey Maguire.  Hello Andrew Garfield.  “Andrew who?” you ask.  He’s a 26-year-old Brit who is best known in the UK for his film Boy A.  In the U.S. he’s appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and has roles in the upcoming movies The Social Network and Never Let Me Go.  After a falling-out between previous Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and the studio heads, Sony Pictures decided to scrap Spidey 4 and start from scratch with a Spider-Man reboot that will focus largely on Peter Parker’s teenage years in high school.  An official press statement shares the pertinent news:

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) on Garfield as the new Spidey: “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”  Look after the break for the full press statement.

Will Garfield be able to pull it off as the next Spider-Man?  Somehow he was able to beat out fan favorites Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Anton Yelchin (J.J.’s Star Trek), and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass).  The only concern I have is his age.  At 26 years old, I’m worried about how they plan to make us believe he is a teenager.  Lerman, who is only 18 years of age, feels to me like he’d fit the suit best.  With a release slated for 2012, the studio has plenty of time to transform Garfield just as they did with a young Maguire back in 2002.

[Via SciFiWire] Continue reading Andrew Garfield is the new Spider-Man →

Spider-Man is getting a reboot; Sam Raimi & Tobey Maguire are out

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People, I have sad news to share with you: Spider-Man 4 is not being made.  Director of the first three movies Sam Raimi and Spider-Man himself Tobey Maguire will not be involved in future Spider-Man films.  I am quite disappointed.

Ramai pulled out of the blockbuster franchise “because he felt he couldn’t make its summer release date and keep the film’s creative integrity,” according to Deadline.  There were disagreements between him and the studio heads.  He wanted to focus on one villain while the studio wanted to incorporate numerous villians.  He insisted that John Malkovich play the villain (Vulture), and the studio wanted to nab Anne Hathaway for the part.  The studio wanted to shoot the film in 3D (look at the financial success from Avatar, right?!), but the Spidey 4 team did not include anyone with background knowledge of shooting in 3D.  With all these issues up in the air and the script getting delayed on more than one occasion, Sony Pictures decided to scrap a fourth installment and reboot the entire franchise with a new production team and actors.

Sony has released an official statement about the matter: “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.”  What direction will the new film take?  “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.”  Hm, this could work if executed properly.

Raimi shares his thoughts: “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.”  As does Maguire: “I am so proud of what we accomplished with the Spider-Man franchise over the last decade.  Beyond the films themselves I have formed some deep and lasting friendships.  I am excited to see the next chapter unfold in this incredible story.”

When I first heard news that the Spider-Man franchise was going to be rebooted I felt severely disappointed.  Though the third film was not so good, we are all so invested in the characters and the building relationships and themes in the three films.  I believe the franchise is strong and there’s no need to restart the story.  Tobey Maguire is Spider-Man.  What’s happening here is like taking Sean Connery out of a James Bond film only three movies in.  (I am not comparing Maguire to Connery in any way, shape, or form; it’s the idea that counts.)  With word of new a direction–going back in time to witness Peter Parker’s high school days–I feel somewhat confident that such a new story could work, only if executed successfully.  If the reboot is a flop (think what happened with The Hulk, but Ang Lee’s version coming second) my disappointment will turn into sheer anger.  Hopefully the studio can find the right set of actors and come up with a smart story to reignite the Spidey film series.

[Via Deadline]