Last September Sony Pictures announced that they would be producing a fourth Spider-Man film to carry on the franchise with Tobey Maguire as the lead hero . When that announcement was made, the movie studio stated that the film would be scheduled to hit theaters in 2011. Since that time, rumors have been going around concerning the movie’s plotline and earlier this month word leaked to the Internets that the studio and film’s director, Sam Raimi , were at an impasse concerning the film’s plot. As you may recall, Tobey Maguire commented on the state of the conflict, promising that nothing serious was the matter and that all films go thru this sort of back and forth while in the early stages of production. It turns out that late yesterday, Sony decided to scrap all plans for a fourth Spider-Man franchise film and go back to the beginning of the Spider-Man mythos to start a whole new franchise … firing both director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire as a result. Here is the press release issued by Sony Pictures on the axing of Spider-Man IV : 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.” What a mess. On the one hand, I absolutely think it is far too soon to reboot the entire franchise and start making films over again that tell the Spider-Man origin story. On the other hand, I was never 100% on board with a fourth Spider-Man movie, especially considering how badly the third movie turned out. In the end, it sounds like Sony just decided that the “back and forth” with Raimi was too much to deal with and they decided to say, See ya! In regards to Tobey Maguire , well, I really loved him as Spider-Man and it sucks that he’s gettin’ axed in this way. But as we saw in cute photos last November, Tobey can play Spider-Man with his kids whenever he likes . In the end, he will always be Spider-Man to me. So … what do y’all think. Is this a smart move on Sony ’s part? Do YOU think it’s too soon for a Spider-Man franchise reboot? [ Source ]
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‘Spider-Man IV’ Is Dunzo!
Last September Sony Pictures announced that they would be producing a fourth Spider-Man film to carry on the franchise with Tobey Maguire as the lead hero . When that announcement was made, the movie studio stated that the film would be scheduled to hit theaters in 2011. Since that time, rumors have been going around concerning the movie’s plotline and earlier this month word leaked to the Internets that the studio and film’s director, Sam Raimi , were at an impasse concerning the film’s plot. As you may recall, Tobey Maguire commented on the state of the conflict, promising that nothing serious was the matter and that all films go thru this sort of back and forth while in the early stages of production. It turns out that late yesterday, Sony decided to scrap all plans for a fourth Spider-Man franchise film and go back to the beginning of the Spider-Man mythos to start a whole new franchise … firing both director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire as a result. Here is the press release issued by Sony Pictures on the axing of Spider-Man IV : 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.” What a mess. On the one hand, I absolutely think it is far too soon to reboot the entire franchise and start making films over again that tell the Spider-Man origin story. On the other hand, I was never 100% on board with a fourth Spider-Man movie, especially considering how badly the third movie turned out. In the end, it sounds like Sony just decided that the “back and forth” with Raimi was too much to deal with and they decided to say, See ya! In regards to Tobey Maguire , well, I really loved him as Spider-Man and it sucks that he’s gettin’ axed in this way. But as we saw in cute photos last November, Tobey can play Spider-Man with his kids whenever he likes . In the end, he will always be Spider-Man to me. So … what do y’all think. Is this a smart move on Sony ’s part? Do YOU think it’s too soon for a Spider-Man franchise reboot? [ Source ]
Read the article on Pink Is The New Blog
