Sam Raimi Promises Spider-Man 4 Will Be Better (Again)

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has spun quite a large web over the movie industry.

We've had three films so far, the fourth begins filming in March, and screenwriter James Vanderbilt has been hired to work on the fifth and sixth installments.

For fans the main worry is that the next film won't learn from the mistakes of the third movie, which juggled three villains (Sandman, New Goblin, Venom) and is regarded as the weakest installment even though it brought in $891 million at the global box office.

Raimi spoke about the comic book movie franchise in the print edition of DVD & Blu-ray Review. When asked about complaints that there were too many bad guys in "Spider-Man 3," he responded: "I think having so many villains detracted from the experience. I would agree with the criticism."

So it sounds like there will be fewer foes in the next film. Raimi said he had learned some new lessons and storytelling tricks from his recent horror flick "Drag Me to Hell" which was a smaller and more intimate production.

He said: "I think I've learned about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations, and I'm hoping to take that into a production where I'm actually allowed to explore with more of the tools to pull it off with a little more splendor.
"I hope I don't lose that edge that I've just found. That would be my approach to 'Spider-Man 4': to get back to the basics."

Apart from that, we don't yet know much about the story of "Spider-Man 4" - Raimi says they are in the process of working out who the villains will be - and we know even less about the fifth and sixth films at this stage. There's talk that they could be a reboot with new actors and a new director, but that's unsubstantiated.

Raimi was asked by MTV News if he'd return to direct "Spider-Man 5 and 6" but with those films so far away at this point, he has no definite answer. He said: "Every time I make one of the 'Spider-Man' movies, I have to ask myself, is the character still intriguing to me? Do I love the character? Am I dying to tell the next story of Peter Parker and Spider-Man? And so far the answer has been yes.

"I've got to be super-excited about it. If I can't reach that level of commitment and excitement, I think then there'd be somebody else better to do justice to the story. You have to ask me in two-and-half years."

He was also asked by DVD & Blu-ray Review whether he'd like to adapt any other comic book crimefighters into films. He told the magazine: "I've always loved the 'Shadow.' I tried to get the chance to direct the movie years ago but they wouldn't hire me. I read a few of the pulp novels that they had and the character was very mysterious. I liked the intensity with which he dealt with his foes. It was uncompromising."

This links with the upcoming remake of "The Shadow" mentioned by executive producer Michael Uslan. During a speech where he was talking about the success of "The Dark Knight" he said he was teaming up with Raimi to bring a new "Shadow" film back to the big screen.

Source: The Geek Files

The Shadow Returns

Back when I met Michael Uslan, he gave one bit of news to the audience.
He said he was teaming up with Sam Raimi to make a new "Shadow" film.

Now Uslan, in an interview with MTV News, spoke more in length about the small tidbit he threw to me and others a few months ago.

“I think the one thing going in is we all see 'The Shadow' as more of a force of nature than a specific person in a secret identity,” Uslan told MTV in an exclusive interview. “'The Shadow' may actually be many people.

“We’ve gone back to the pulp roots, the comic book roots of 'The Shadow,' with a dash of the radio roots,” added Uslan. “But we’ve deeply ensconced ourselves in the world of pulps and comics.

“Sam [Raimi] and Josh Donen are my partners and we have it set up Sony, and a wonderful writer named Siavash Farahani who has worked for me before is writing the screenplay,” Uslan said. “It’s coming along great, we’re very excited about it. You know, it takes time to nurture these things. You probably know all the stories. The first ‘Batman’ film took me 10 years to get made.”

For those of you not familiar with Michael Uslan, check out my post of when I had the chance to meet him.

Sam Raimi, director of the "Spider-Man" franchise, makes an interesting choice as a partner (is he gonna direct). And from what I remember of what Uslan said, the two of them were going to make a "Shadow" film that would put the 1994 Alec Baldwin "Shadow" to shame.

Here's to hoping!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Meeting Michael Uslan, Batman Producer

I met Michael Ulsan today. Who is he you may ask? I shall tell you.

Michael Ulsan is the world's first professor to teach a class about comic books. This made the news back in the 70's at Indiana University.

Two weeks into his classes he got a phone call.
"Hi, is this Michael Ulsan,' said the voice on the phone. Ulsan replied yes. "This is Stan Lee," continued the voice. Stan Lee wanted to congratulate Ulsan on his job and success for the comic industry. A few hours after that the head of DC comics called and gave Ulsan a job (more like an internship).

Ulsan then helped pen a story for the comic "The Shadow," (which is another comic-to-movie adaptation, "The Shadow") and later got the job to write for Batman.

After that he went to law school and then worked for United Artists and learned about the film industry. He knew what he wanted to do. On Oct. 3, 1979 he bought the rights to Batman, quit his job, and began to start his dream of bringing a dark Batman to the silver screen.

He has produced an amazing list of films including: "Batman," "Batman Returns," "Batman Forever," "Batman and Robin," Constantine," "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," and the upcoming "The Spirit."

After his speech I went up to him and shook his hand and got his autograph. I asked him where he got his tie (which was a full on Spider-Man tie) and he asked where I got my shirt (Joker from "The Dark Knight"). I replied, "I bought it at Hot Topic."
He replied, "Stan Lee gave me this tie." My jaw dropped.

I managed to ask him one brief question. What were his thoughts about Marvel building the "Avengers" franchise and about a possible "Justice League" movie being made. He said that DC had to do it right by making solo films of all the characters, just like what Marvel was doing (he loved "Iron Man"), but that Nolan's Batman might not get along with other superheroes (I did mention an interview with Nolan where Nolan thought his Batman vision wouldn't work in a Justice League world).

Another note of interest that Ulsan said was that the idea to take away from "The Dark Knight" is not to make heroes dark, but to let directors be creative and to stay true to the hero. If all heroes end up being dark, serious, and violent, it would be terrible.

It was a momentous night for me....and I shall not forget it anytime soon.

Also he let out a bit of movie news. He said he is partnering with Sam Raimi (of "Spider-Man") and making a new "The Shadow." You heard it here first folks!