Andrew Garfield Cast as Spider-Man!

Columbia Pictures has announced that 26-year-old actor Andrew Garfield will portray Peter Parker in the currently "Untitled Spider-Man Reboot" for director Marc Webb ("500 Days of Summer") with a screenplay by James Vanderbilt.

Webb commented in the press release saying, "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."

Garfield is an up-and-coming actor probably best known for his role in the "Red Riding Trilogy" and a small role in Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," but will become more widely known with roles in David Fincher's "The Social Network" and as one of the leads alongside Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley in Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" later this year.
I've never seen any of the films he's been in, but the people behind the project seem to have great faith in him.

"In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen," said producer Laura Ziskin.

Hard to gripe too much about a guy I don't know - but I was kind of looking forward to Josh Hutcherson landing the role. He's American, 17 and has done way more prominent films. His character from "Little Manhattan" is basically Peter Parker as a kid!
It is a little odd that Marc Webb is choosing a 27 year old when the whole point of this movie, supposedly, is to bring Spidey back to his teen years. And he's British too.

Seeing as how Spider-Man is the ultimate hero in my opinion (judging by the posters in my room and the two Spider-Man comics I have on my bed at this exact moment), I am still uncertain about this whole reboot thing.

It is said Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role, which is expected to shoot this fall for a July 3, 2012 release which will be shot in 3D.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Sources:
UGO Movie Blog
Screen Rant
Latino Review
USA Today
MTV News
The Geek Files
First Showing
Twitter
Rope of Silicon
NY Times

'Spider-Man' Reboot Will be in 3D

Sony Pictures has just officially announced that the new "Spider-Man" reboot will be in 3D and has set the film with a release date of July 3, 2012.

The film, to be directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, will be based on the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series and have Peter Parker vack in high school

Jeff Blake, chairman of Sony Pictures worldwide marketing and distribution, said in a statement: "Spider-Man is the ultimate summer movie-going experience, and we're thrilled the filmmakers are presenting the next instalment in 3D.

"Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in the world, and we know audiences are eager and excited to discover Marc's fantastic vision for Peter Parker and the franchise."

I know many are weary about everything now being made in 3D and I’m definitely not that pumped about the idea for the next "Spider-Man." Sure, it’s great that they have the option to do it, but that doesn’t mean we have to have it.

But what can we expect of a 3D "Spider-Man"? Yeah...the hero shooting his web straight at us. Great...

Are you excited about the next "Spider-Man" becoming 3D? Should all superhero films be presented that way? Are there too many 3D films?

Production on the now untitled "Spider-Man" reboot will begin later this year. No casting has yet been announced.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Geek Files, Screen Rant

'Spider-Man' Spins a New Web with Director Marc Webb

Sony has released an official press release confirming that "500 Days of Summer" director Marc Webb has been hired to direct "the next chapter in the 'Spider-Man' franchise."

In a joint statement by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, the studio described the factors that went into the decision: "At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life."

"We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure," continued the statement. "We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey."

Producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin added, "Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure."

"The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world's most iconic superheros is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere," added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen."

Even Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee got in on the commentary, stating, "I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next."

Marc Webb also released this statement:

"This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man."

This announcement comes less than two weeks following the departure of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire, the director and star who worked on the previous three Spidey films. The fourth installment is set for a 2012 release and will focus on a younger version of the superhero.

According to HeatVision, it will cost around $80 million, feature a cast of relative unknowns and be based on the more recent Ultimate Spider-Man comic books.

Sony is obviously very controlling over what the next film must be, hence the farewell to Sam Raimi, and they already had screenwriter James Vanderbilt working on scripts for the next two Spidey films ("Spider-Man 5 & 6") well before Raimi and Sony parted ways. These scripts were planned to be used as a reboot if Raimi and Tobey Maguire didn’t return after "Spider-Man 4."

Enter young Marc Webb, who has crazy talent for character romance and comedy, which is no doubt why they’re bringing him in for the high school love stuff we’ll be seeing in the reboot. He’ll be eager and willing to follow Sony’s master plans but the problem for me is that is that they are seemingly focusing on re-hashing the origins of Spider-Man, something that’s still fresh in the minds of fans and moviegoers everywhere who saw Raimi’s "Spider-Man" just a few years ago.

I was really hoping that the "Spider-Man" reboot would take the route of "The Incredible Hulk" and get right into the story with the protagonist already having powers, not re-play how Bruce Banner became the Hulk or Peter Parker getting bit by a spider. We all know Parker got bitten by a radioactive/genetically enhanced spider and I’m not interested in seeing that again.

Here’s the official press release:

CULVER CITY, Calif., January , 2010 – Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe nominated Best Picture (500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, “At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker’s life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter’s shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man’s adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.”

Arad and Ziskin added jointly, “Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.”

Webb said, “This is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi’s virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I’m here because there’s an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, “I’m excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can’t wait to see what Marc comes up with next.”

Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, “The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world’s most iconic superheros is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.”

Marc Webb has won acclaim with his film debut (500) Days of Summer. He has several MTV VMAs™ including 2009’s Best Director award for Green Day’s “21 Guns,” 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI’s “Miss Murder,” and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects’ “Move Along.” The Music Video Production Association honored him in 2006 as the Director of the Year for his work with Weezer, AAR, and My Chemical Romance.

In addition to two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (musical or comedy), his first feature film, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature. Webb was also awarded the Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts, by the National Board of Review.

I’m sure Webb will nail the characters, but he is untested in the action side of things. Let’s see if he can pull it off. The idea is for this film to launch another trilogy and Webb’s contract includes the usual multi-picture option.

What do you think of Webb spinning his new version of "Spider-Man"?
Sorry....the web and spider puns just fit right in there and you know it.

Next up: Who will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, USA Today, MTV News, The Geek Files

'Spider-Man 4' Is Scrapped for a Reboot!

In my last post about the troubles of "Spider-Man 4," I mentioned how there were brewings of a reboot of the "Spider-Man" franchise in the works due to problems between the studio and Sam Raimi.

That reboot is now official as Raimi and Tobey Maguire have left the project.

Nikki Finke and Mike Fleming at Deadline Hollywood have confirmed that the cast and director have pulled out entirely and Sony will instead go the route of the reboot with Jamie Vanderbilt’s script.

Raimi was promised creative control over the next film installment after being somewhat of a puppet for the studio on villain selection in "Spider-Man 3." Problems arose between Raimi and Sony about the selection for the villain in "Spider-Man 4" as well and the creative control promise seemed to have disappeared entirely.

According to Finke and Fleming’s sources, Raimi told Sony that he cannot make their scheduled release date. The heads of Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures were not fond of the idea of waiting to replace the director, so they will instead reboot the franchise all together.

When Marvel Studios moved "Thor" into "Spider-Man 4"’s key release date at the opening weekend of summer 2011, we knew "Spider-Man 4" was officially on the move, but it’s a little surprising to see that turn into a full blown cleansing of the slate so to speak.
The studio later confirmed the report in an official announcement (posted in full below) that, along with outlining plans to start over with a teenage Peter Parker, indicated that a new "Spider-Man" movie was still planned for 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," reported the studio. "Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012."

The James Vanderbilt script that they are using is one that will re-tell the origin story of Spidey. This new chapter in the "Spider-Man" franchise will have an entirely new cast and filmmaking team.

Vanderbilt had written the first draft of "Spider-Man 4" but Raimi hadn't embraced his ideas and the studio instead asked the writer to turn them into "Spider-Man 5 and 6," which would probably have served as a reboot of the series. That plan has now been brought forward, with Vanderbilt's ideas becoming the fourth film instead.

"I am so proud of what we accomplished with the Spider-Man franchise over the last decade," Tobey Maguire said. "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."

"Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me," Raimi said. "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."

Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said: "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.

"Now everything begins anew, and that's got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. 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."

EW's Nicole Sperling even brought up "Batman Begins" as an example to describe how the studio is "interested in a more gritty, contemporary redo of the series." A few directorial candidates are tossed around such as "(500) Day of Summer" helmer Marc Webb, "Seabiscuit" director Gary Ross and even Michael Bay (X_x).

While director possibilities are being put out there, Movieline took advantage of the news by posting a list of nine possible actors to take over the role of Peter Parker less than two hours after reporting on the fourth film's demise. Among the names mentioned are Logan Lerman, Zac Efron (X_x), Michael Cera and Daniel Radcliffe.
Everyone ready to learn about how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man again…
I hear it has something to do with a spider…

But just because it's a reboot doesn't mean it has to be an origin tale! An ideal reboot would be to return to Peter Parker's high school days, with him already established as the wall-crawler, and simply tell a great "Spider-Man" story from that point forward.

Does this news break your heart or make you cry for joy? What do you want to see from the reboot? What will you miss most from Raimi's involvement in the franchise? For me...it's the Bruce Campbell cameos.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing (1,2), Rope of Silicon (1,2), Screen Rant, Latino Review, MTV News, USA Today, The Geek Files

Full text of the "Spider-Man" movie statement follows:
Spider-Man: Summer 2012

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) -- 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. 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."

The studio will have more news about Spider-Man in 2012 in the coming weeks as it prepares for production of the film.

'Thor' and 'Pirates 4' Change Release Dates Over 'Spider-Man 4' Delay

With Sony officially confirming earlier this week that "Spider-Man 4" will be delayed, other studios have jumped at the opportunity to take the coveted early May 2011 release spot they left vacant. Variety has confirmed that Paramount has moved Marvel's "Thor" movie up two weeks to May 6, 2011, which was the original opening weekend for "Spider-Man 4." And then Disney moved "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" into the May 20, 2011 slot that "Thor" was in.

With it now uncertain that Peter Parker's next adventure won't hit theaters on time as originally planned — though Sony has yet to officially move the release date — it seems that the powers behind "Thor" saw an opportunity for an early summer start.

Despite appearing like an act of internal rivalry, the report states that Paramount simply did not want to wait on an official release date change on "Spider-Man 4" in case other studios made the move first. This way, a Marvel movie still hangs onto the summer's opening weekend.

The report also notes that should "Spider-Man 4" not change its release date as is widely expected, "it's likely that 'Thor' would move."

Still, with "Thor" to begin shooting this month, it's a much likelier bet that the Norse God of Thunder will arrive in theaters before "Spider-Man 4." Until Raimi and Sony can solve their current script problems, this is probably the best available solution for superhero fans everywhere.

Scheduling is essential to marketing and making sure you not only hit your audience but the biggest portions of your demographics, especially in the summer when the major titles hit the silver screens. I’m happy "Thor" is going to be starting off Summer 2011 but I’m still worried about what will happen to "Spider-Man 4."

What do you think about these schedule changes and the delay of "Spider-Man 4"?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, First Showing, Screen Rant

Spider-Man's Worst Villain is a Studio Delay

Last month, a report hit online that "Spider-Man 4" production had been put on "indefinite hold" due to problems with the script — specifically, the choice of villain for the next chapter in the Sony Pictures franchise. Asked for comment on the report, the studio confirmed that production had indeed halted for the holidays, but denied that there was anything endangering the project's production schedule.

From that earlier report, it was indicated the hold happened because Sony and Sam Raimi were fighting about the script for the fourth movie. Sony wants another record-breaking blockbuster while Raimi wants to get "back to basics" and make a movie that everyone can enjoy.

Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood has now confirmed that "Spider-Man 4" is indeed on hold due to differences of opinion between Raimi and the studio over the film's script, and now the film could miss the mark for its intended May 5, 2011, release date.

While there's no official word on the project at this point and everything should still be considered rumor, there are a few other elements of the initial report that could merit attention from fans of the series.
According to Deadline Hollywood, one of the sticking points in script negotiations is Raimi's insistence that John Malkovich play the villain (rumored to be the Vulture), but Anne Hathaway's rumored involvement could no longer be an issue because the studio says "she'd cost too much and that they probably don't need 'such a big star' for the pic."

Drew McWeeny of HitFix says: "Since that first story ran, I've been hearing some really terrible things about what's going on between Sam Raimi, the studio, and the writers, and I've been starting to wonder if there's any chance they can reach an agreement that will make all involved parties happy."

I'm starting to worry about that as well. Will Raimi and Sony be able to work things out? I'm surprised that they're even fighting with Raimi, especially if they paid him big money to make sure he would return to the franchise.

Finke reports that Raimi "hated" the latest draft of the script. Sony has hired a fourth writer, Alvin Sargent, who wrote "Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man 3," to work on a new draft.

But the problem is they're already behind schedule waiting on this new script and therefore, according to an insider at Sony, "it is unlikely that May 11, 2011, date will be made."

But of course, "it depends on how quickly the script can get in," and if Raimi and Sony both like it. Finke says that Sony still wants to release "Spider-Man 4" that summer, even if they have to do push it back to July. But they'll be losing that May spot.
Here's the thing... another "Spider-Man" film will get made no matter what. But that doesn't mean it'll be a sequel to the films we've already seen, and there's no guarantee it will involve Sam Raimi or Tobey Maguire or anyone connected to the first three films. There may come a point where the studio realizes it's not going to happen, and they make the choice to move on and simply reboot the whole thing. I would imagine some of those conversations are starting to happen right now as scripts get rejected draft after draft.

The sad thing is that there are plenty of great villains and stories in the Spidey catalogue, so there's no reason why they should be hitting a wall in picking who the villain is. And there's really no reason to invent them wholecloth, either. Raimi's good at tying his villains to a theme he wants to explore about Spider-Man, so instead of trying to force him into using another villain he doesn't like (like Venom), I hope Sony lets him use the ones he wants. If only Sony would listen to Raimi and go with what he wants, then we'd not only have another big record-breaker in the works, but it'd probably be an awesome movie as well (just like "Spider-Man 2").

And if they don't, I hope Raimi moves on, for the sake of the film and his own sanity.

The more I hear about these "Spider-Man 4" problems, the more depressed I get. He is my favorite hero after all.
Hopefully some good news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Deadline Hollywood, First Showing, MTV News, HitFix

Dr. Curt Connors Confirmed For 'Spider-Man 4'

When it comes to "Spider-Man 4," the upcoming superhero sequel directed by Sam Raimi, all eyes are on figuring out who the film's villains are going to be.

Many fans are hoping that the fourth "Spider-Man" outing finally focuses on The Lizard, Dr. Curt Connors' reptilian alter-ego that's been teased over the past three films.

Connors eventually turns into The Lizard because he becomes obsessed with figuring out how to grow his arm back after losing it years ago in the war. He develops an experimental serum made from reptilian DNA but the experiment goes wrong and he turns into a human-sized lizard.

Even though the Lizard's involvement still isn't a certainty, actor Dylan Baker—who played Connors in previous "Spider-Man" films—will indeed reprise his role in "Spider-Man 4," offering hope to fans of Spidey's scaly-skinned nemesis.

According to UGO Movie Blog, Baker confirmed his involvement in the fourth "Spider-Man" film during a question and answer session following a screening of horror movie "Trick 'r Treat" in New York City.

Some confusion arose, however, when the film's director Michael Dougherty joked that Baker would essentially remain a background character—an assessment that Baker acknowledged as likely.

It's unclear whether Dougherty and Baker were joking about the actor's level of importance in "Spider-Man 4" or if they were simply trying to throw the audience off the scent. The "Trick 'r Treat" filmmaker even referred to Baker's continued role as Connors as a "c---tease for another year"

Regardless, Baker's attachment to "Spider-Man 4" means that The Lizard is at least a possible contender for the film's villainous role, if not the current frontrunner.

"Spider-Man 4" begins filming in March and is set for release in May 2011.

Source: MTV News, The Geek Files, First Showing

UPDATE: Movie News Mash 28

THis is gonna have to be real quick, but most of this news is pretty much given without explanation. So enjoy it. I have to go take some tests. Bah!

SPIDER-MAN 4
Sam Raimi told MTV News that Bruce Campbell will have an unknown, but meaty, role in the next "Spider-Man" film.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

COWBOYS AND ALIENS
Jon Favreau lets MTV News know that he isn't officially set to direct "Cowboys and Aliens" but he has been in talks about it.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

PREDATORS
Derek Mears has joined the cast of "Predators," the Fox reboot of the franchise being produced by Robert Rodriguez and directed by Nimrod Antal.

Dread Central reports that the 37-year-old actor, best known for playing masked serial killer Jason Voorhees in the remake of "Friday the 13th," confirmed his "Predators" role at the Rock and Shock convention in Massachusetts.

Mears said: "People were talking for a couple of weeks but I wasn't able to confirm. I kept assuring the filmmakers that I was not the leak. Now it's out there, but I'm still not saying who I play."

Also cast are Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Walt Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Topher Grace, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Louiz Ozawa.

The story centerss on a group of elite soldiers being hunted on the aliens' jungle planet and is set for release on July 9, 2010.
(The Geek Files)

THOR
If you weren’t excited about the cast of Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" movie so far, which includes Chris Hemsworth as the title character, Tom Hiddleston as his nemesis, Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore and possibly Brian Blessed as Odin, then you might be more excited now with the following two names possibly added to the cast.

Robert De Niro and Jude Law have reportedly joined the cast.

Ain't It Cool News says it received a tip-off about an interview with actor Matthias Schweighofer in the November edition of GQ magazine in Germany.

In it, the 28-year-old actor apparently says he is in the running for a part in "Thor" and reveals that De Niro and Law have already been cast in the film, which is set for release in May 2011.

At present, this is all unconfirmed and their roles are unspecified. The article is not on the Web site for German GQ, nor is it mentioned in the media interviews section on Matthias Schweighofer's official Web site.

Schweighofer starred with Branagh in Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie." De Niro was in the Branagh-directed "Frankenstein," Law in Branagh's "Sleuth."
(The Geek Files, Screen Rant)

UPDATE: Gossip Cop apparently got in touch with a representative of Jude Law who said there’s no truth to his involvement with the upcoming Marvel Studios production of "Thor." They also claim that after making some calls, De Niro is not involved at all.

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

Movie News Mash 27

SPIDER-MAN 4
MTV News had the chance to talk to director Sam Raimi over the phone about possible villains for "Spider-Man 4."

They presented the results of their Who Should Be The 'Spider-Man 4' Villain poll to him. And he loved who readers picked. (FYI: The Lizard nabbed 29 percent of the vote, while Carnage came in a close second with 26 percent.)

Here's what he had to say:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

(MTV News)

WARCRAFT
In July the MMORPG collective all shared a shocking experience when it was announced that Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead," "Spider-Man") would be at the helm of the adaptation of the popular game "World of Warcraft."

MTV News reports today that Raimi himself has confirmed that "Saving Private Ryan" screenwriter Robert Rodat is on board to write the screenplay.

Here's what Raimi told MTV News about how they're approaching the story in this big "World of Warcraft" movie:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

(First Showing)

TRANSFORMERS 3
Remember that interview last week that Collider had with screenwriters Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman? We learned a lot about "Star Trek" from that interview, but there were also some interesting "Transformers 3" news in there as well.

Collider managed to get these quotes out of Kurtzman and Orci on the subject of "Transformers 3":

Why have you decided not to be involved with Transformers 3?

Bob: We’ve been working on Transformers longer than I was in college. I feel like we have our degree in Transformers now.

Alex: The franchise is so wonderful that it deserves to be fresh, all the time. We just felt like we’d given it a lot and didn’t have an insight for where to go with it next, and said, “You should do it right.”
(Screen Rant)

Sam Raimi Hopes to Start 'Spider-Man 4' Production in March 2010

Back in March, a little less than two years after "Spider-Man 3" opened with what was then the biggest first weekend ever, Sony and Marvel Studios announced an official release date for "Spider-Man 4": May 6, 2011. Still up in the air was the date when production would actually begin.

In an interview with MTV News, franchise director Sam Raimi revealed that if all goes according to plan, shooting will begin early next year.

"We're hoping that it's the first week in March," Raimi said.

At the moment, pre-production is in full swing, even as screenwriter Gary Ross ("great director and a very fine writer," said Raimi) continues to work on the script.

"He's working on a draft," he continued. "I just gave him some notes and he's doing a rewrite right now."

On other fronts including stuns, set designs and special effects, "Spider-Man 4" continues to build a crew so hopefully that March shooting date can become reality.

"The production is starting to come together," Raimi told MTV News. "I've got a production designer who is starting to design the sets and the environments that the picture will take place in. We just brought aboard Scott Stokdyk as one of the two visual effects supervisors, and I worked with him on all three 'Spider-man' pictures."

With Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst set to reprise their roles, Raimi and his team will soon turn their attention to filling out the rest of the cast. "None of the casting has really taken place, but we're starting to think about that now," the director said.

Sounds like things are really rolling for "Spider-Man 4" (and the "Venom" spin-off as well). Here's to hoping this next installment in the franchise will be better than the last.

And when will we find out who the villain is (or villains...)?
As mentioned, "Spider-Man 4" has a release date of May, 6 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Spider-Man 4' Screenwriter To Rewrite And Direct 'Venom' Movie?

Variety is reporting that Columbia Pictures is in talks with Gary Ross ("Seabiscuit," "Pleasantville") to direct and rewrite the upcoming "Venom" solo film. Ross’ name is not new to Sony and their Spider-Man-related flicks however, as back in July he was brought in to make rewrites on the "Spider-Man 4" script.

The report states that Ross will begin work rewriting the Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick screenplay after the fourth Spidey installment finishes. Reese and Wernick are two names you'll recognize as writers of the recently released box-office topper "Zombieland." I'm guessing that Ross is working off of their script in order to tweak it for the studio and potentially get it ready for him to direct. The film will probably be a fresh start for the villainous character and the lead actor will most likely be recast (sorry Topher Grace).

I have no idea what to expect from a "Venom" solo film but I can’t believe that it can match anywhere near the success of any of the "Spider-Man" movies. The character simply doesn’t have that mass appeal and after what happened with Venom in "Spider-Man 3," I don’t know where they go from here. Unless of course they cross-over with Spider-Man…

My prediction is that after "Spider-Man 4," Maguire, Raimi and the rest of the existing crew will leave the franchise, giving room for Sony’s planned 5th and 6th installments which are currently being written by James Vanderbilt to act as a franchise restart if needed. That would allow them to tie the new take on "Venom" with the new start of Spider-Man, allowing them to do it the right way this time.

What do you think about the "Venom" project and what would you like to see from it? Do you think it’ll tie-in at all with "Spider-man 4" or the following two sequels?

"Spider-Man 4" opens May 6, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, MTV News, Rope of Silicon, First Showing

Kirby's Kids Try to Claim 'Spider-Man'

When I read the news that Jack Kirby’s kids were seeking copyrights to all their father’s Marvel creations, I found it curious that Sony is one of the studios sent termination notices.

Why? Because Sony’s only Marvel-based movies that might have anything to do with Kirby’s legacy are those in the “Spider-Man” franchise—and he’s never had official credit for co-creating Spider-Man or the other major characters in the superhero’s mythology.

The Hollywood Reporter was also intrigued by the claims of the Sony/Spider-Man part of the case, especially after getting two of the notices, which respectively seek to recapture rights to most of the original characters from the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man comics.

The former makes sense, as Kirby is known to have co-created the team with Stan Lee. The majority of initial Spider-Man characters, however, are either solely credited to Lee or to both Lee and artist Steve Ditko (and sometimes others, such as John Romita, Sr.).

Apparently Kirby was unofficially instrumental in the creation of Spider-Man, possibly even before Lee was on board. Kirby and Joe Simon were responsible for a character called the Silver Spider that may have evolved into what eventually became Spider-Man. Regardless, although Kirby didn’t draw any of the early Spider-Man comics, he is known to have been involved in their development.

Kirby’s kids, however, are claiming partial rights to “Amazing Fantasy” #15, famously known as Spider-Man’s first appearance. They also name the following characters as being Kirby co-creations: Aunt May; Uncle Ben; J. Jonah Jameson; Flash Thompson; the Chameleon; the Vulture; the Tinkerer; and the Lizard. Also, the Daily Bugle and specific storylines are included in the notice.

The Hollywood Reporter points out that such a complicated claim will cause the Kirby-Marvel case to feature a lot more back-and-forth than it would otherwise with just the concrete credits included. And it may just be one of those extras that plaintiffs throw in to barter with—knowing that the Spider-Man claims will be thrown out, the Kirbys may hope to be granted the more legitimate copyrights as part of a bartered compromise.

Either way, given how long this case could take, and seeing as how the rights to Spider-Man wouldn’t be available to the Kirbys until 2018, we at least shouldn’t see any threat to the “Spider-Man” movies until the sixth or seventh installments.

Do you believe the Kirby family has some claim to the Spider-Man characters and mythology? Are they biting off more than they can chew?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Spider-Man 4' Swings Toward IMAX Release

Columbia Pictures and the IMAX Corporation have today announced that the upcoming superhero sequel, "Spider-Man 4," is coming to IMAX theaters on May 5th, 2011, along with being released worldwide in regular size theaters. The film will be shot regularly, and then digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience.

This comes as no surprise to anyone, as both "Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man 3" were released in IMAX. The difference with Spider-Man 4’s release is that it will have far more IMAX theaters to play in, giving more audiences the chance to experience their favorite web-shooting superhero on the gigantic screen.

"The last two 'Spider-Man' releases have been available in IMAX theaters, and we're very much looking forward to our return to a wider IMAX theatre network with this exciting new chapter in the continuing adventures of Spider-Man," said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. "The addition of so many new IMAX locations will give even more fans of Spider-Man an opportunity to experience the action and adventure in a unique way."

For the full press release on "Spider-Man 4" in IMAX, you can head over to SuperHeroHype.

Between this news and the prospect of a bigger role for Bruce Campbell, "Spider-Man 4" is shaping up to be a pretty exciting film.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Screen Rant

Bruce Campell and 'Spider-Man 4'

The amazing Bruce Campbell was in attendance for yesterday’s LA premiere of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, for which he voices the character of Mayor Shelbourn, and took some time to speak with Access Hollywood, touching of course on the eagerly anticipated "Spider-Man 4."

Campbell, who made his mark and cult following playing Ash in the "Evil Dead"/"Army of Darkness" films, has had cameo roles in all three Spider-Man films (and even the tie-in video games) to date because of his relationship with director Sam Raimi, the same guy who directed said "Evil Dead" films back in the day.

According to Access Hollywood, it sounds like Campbell is not only returning for the next "Spider-Man" movie, but Raimi has found him a big role in the much-anticipated sequel.

"In the next installment in the superhero franchise, [Campbell] has been told he has a major part – but didn’t yet know anything about his character," reported the site.

Of course there's plenty of speculation about Campbell potentially taking on the role of a villain (Mysterio seems to be the most popular), but with all the craziness that's been going on hiring writer after writer for the forthcoming sequel, who really knows what's going on with the script.
There's still no official word yet on which bad guys Peter Parker will be squaring off against in his next big-screen adventure. However, the report also states that filming for "Spider-Man 4" will begin in January 2010.

In the first three films, Campbell made cameos as a ring announcer, a theater usher and finally, in "Spider-Man 3," as the host at a high-end restaurant Parker visited.

So, with "Spider-Man 4" set to hit theaters in May 2011, let the speculation begin. Who will Bruce Campbell play?

"Spider-Man 4" begins principal Photography in January 2010 and is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant, MTV News

Even Stan Lee Is Happy About Disney Buying Marvel

The ramifications of Walt Disney Company acquiring Marvel Entertainment have yet to be fully grasped but that hasn't stopped the comic book community from speaking out regarding the announcement.

Now, legendary Marvel creator Stan Lee is adding his voice to the Disney-Marvel conversation. Considering how close Lee came to buying Marvel a decade ago, it's not terribly surprising to learn that not only is he in favor of Disney's acquisition, he's actually thrilled by it.

"I couldn't be happier with this agreement," Lee said in a statement. "It's [a] great move for Disney, for Marvel and for my company Pow! Entertainment since Pow! has a first-look deal with Disney. From every point of view, the merger of Disney and Marvel is a match made in heaven."

While the prospects of ludicrous Marvel-Disney mash-ups have worried some in the fan community, Lee sees nothing in the new partnership except progress.

"Just imagine," he said, "with this deal Marvel gives Disney a library of literally hundreds of unique and colorful characters that have the potential to make great, high-concept movies and long-lasting franchises—and nobody knows how to play in that ball park better than Disney.

"This is a great day for the two companies and for the entertainment community as a whole," he continued. "To sum it up as simply as possible, when you combine the best with the best, everyone wins!"

Do you agree with Lee's assessment of the Disney-Marvel merger or are you still nervous about the situation?

I feel like the man hustles a lot and is going to try and get something out of this new relationship for himself. Maybe a "Stan 'The Man' Lee" movie?

Nuff' said.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

James Vanderbilt to Write 'Spider-Man 5 and 6'

Just as Sony is ready to launch "Spider-Man 4" (set for a 2011 release) with Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and Kirsten Dunst all on-board once again, they've hired a writer to start work on Spider-Man 5 and 6, according to Variety. James Vanderbilt, of "The Losers" and "Zodiac," will write an over-arching storyline that will extend from the fifth movie into the sixth - which might mean both films could even be shot back-to-back.

Vanderbilt isn't new to the Spider-Man universe, as he wrote the first draft of "Spider-Man 4." Many of his original ideas will be seen on-screen come 2011; Raimi and Vanderbilt failed to see eye-to-eye, so David Lindsay-Abaire was brought on to rewrite Vanderbilt, which then led to Gary Ross, who is rewriting the whole thing yet again. In fact, this interconnected storyline was supposed to be a part of "Spider-Man 4 and 5," but that idea was scrapped as shooting back-to-back was apparently out of the question.

Should Raimi, Maguire and Dunst call it quits after "Spider-Man 4," Vanderbilt's script is being eyeballed as a franchise reboot. The interwoven plot between fifth and sixth installments could help make the transition of creative teams and actors a bit more palatable, but how wise is it to enact a full cast change-up so quickly after "Spider-Man 4" hits theaters?

Still, it's an option that Sony needs to consider given Raimi's own obligations. The director has signed on to helm a "World of Warcraft" movie based on the popular computer game, which is likely to spawn an entirely new franchise for the filmmaker. Assuming its success, Raimi's future with "Spider-Man" is uncertain at best.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, First Showing

Movies Getting Rewrites

Two movies are getting new drafts of their scripts. "Spider-Man 4" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

According to Variety, Gary Ross has been hired to pen a new draft of “Spider-Man 4.” The deal reunites Ross with series lead Tobey Maguire, who he directed previously in “Seabiscuit” and "Pleasantville."

The most troubling part of this news is likely to be that any official announcement of the new “Spider-Man” villains is probably further away than we’d hoped.

Ross has worked with Maguire before, but does that make him the best writer for the next "Spider-Man" film?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has hired Randall Wallace to rework the screenplay for its upcoming remake of the 1954 classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," based on the Jules Verne novel. Wallace will rework the existing script by Bill Marsilii and Justin Marks, which tells the origin of Captain Nemo and his warship the Nautilus.

Wallace wrote, produced and directed "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "We Were Soldiers." He was also the writer on "Braveheart" and "Pearl Harbour."

Can these rewrites make these movies work? We'll have to wait and see.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, The Geek Files

Updates on Spider-Man 4

Producer Todd Black was being interviewed for the new movie "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" recently and was asked a few questions about the upcoming "Spider-Man 4."

According to The New York Post, "Kirsten Dunst is definitely on board. Last month, director Sam Raimi was quoted as saying he didn't know if the actor was going to sign up to play Mary Jane again, but it appears that she has."

On a related note to the character of Mary Jane, there were rumors going around that the "Spider-Man 4" script featured a wedding between her and Peter Parker. However, that appears to have been news to Black - he has no knowledge of such a marital subplot. So either he is being kept in the dark by Sam Raimi (which is very unlikely) or marriage is off the table for Peter and Mary Jane, at least for the fourth movie.

Raimi also speculated at the villain for the film and hinted at how he would like it to be Morbius, the Living Vampire.

The villain will not be Morbius and they're working on who the villain will actually be.

In fact, Black was kind enough to drop them a big hint.

“We're just coming up with who the villain's going to be now. We'll be shooting in New York again. Trust me, people will appreciate who we pick, because it'll be a big part of New York.”

The article then goes on to try and work out who would be the villain, who is so New York-centric in the current bag of Spider-Man villains that would fit the bill?

I am certainly glad the wait is finally over for Dunst to sign back on for the franchise. We all knew she was going to do it but she still took her time. As for who the villain is, I have patience to sit and wait to hear more news. It will be two years until this film comes out. Let Raimi work on it to make it better than "Spider-Man 3."

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, NY Post, Filmstalker

UPDATED: Awesome New Film Posters

The Licensing International Expo is currently underway in Las Vegas this week and that means we've go some new logos to check out courtesy of Ain't It Cool News. Marvel has a booth at the convention and is showing off their logos for their four upcoming movies: "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," and "The Avengers." And Universal is showing off a giant 20-foot tall poster for their "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" movie that's in production right now. If you're a fan of any of the comics mentioned, then these logos should be pretty awesome to see anyway.


I think the "Scott Pilgrim" poster would have been a lot cooler if it was the real actors instead of drawings, but this probably only a promotional poster and won't be around for very long (same goes for the Marvel posters until they get every one cast and get good pics of them).

UPDATE: More posters!

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: First Showing