Spider-Man 4 in May 2011
Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin told theater owners on Thursday that Spider-Man 4 is tentatively being scheduled for a May 2011 release. She also confirmed that screenwriter James Vanderbilt has yet to turn in a final screenplay, but she insisted that Sony Pictures is very hopeful that they will be on track for 2011.
Director Sam Raimi has yet to commit to the project, and told press earlier this month that he is “excited to read” the screenplay, and is “hoping it’s as great as our discussions were about it and hoping it feels right”. No stars are signed on to the project, however Sony has publicly insisted that they want to bring Tobey Maguire back for the fourth film. I still wonder if the script and money will be enough to bring the original team back to the fold. JK Simmons has said that the studio has recently checked in with his agents to say they want him back for a sequel, and he’s ready to return if Raimi is still involved.
source: LATimes
Raimi Teams Up With Lehane
Sam Raimi, best known for his Spider-Man movies, has just become the next director to get behind an adaptation of literary master Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone) The book rights to The Given Day were acquired by Columbia Pictures.
The Given Day is set in 1919 Boston, with the city in turmoil as soldiers are returning home from WWI, having brought back an epidemic of Spanish influenza. Attempts to unionize the police department have set the stage for a historic strike and two cops take center stage.
The book will be published by HarperCollins on Sept. 23.
Having signed on to this, Raimi is going to be one busy fellow! He’s also looking at a fourth Spider-Man movie (currently being written by James Vanderbilt), but he is also supposed to reinvent the Jack Ryan franchise for Paramount!
I guess money talks!
Sam Raimi And J.K. Simmons Talk Spider-Man 4
Spider-man trilogy director Sam Raimi spoke to SHH about Spider-Man 4. Would come back to direct? Has he read the script? And how does he feel about recasting?
“James Vanderbilt is writing the script and I’m excited to read it. I think it’s going to be done in a few months,” Raimi told us, adding, “I’m hoping it’s as great as our discussions were about it and I’m hoping it feels right for me because I love Spider-Man. I’m hoping I’m well rested enough to embrace it and I’m hoping Sony wants me to do it. If all of those things come together, I would love to do it. There are a lot of unknowns about the future.”
And how does he feel about re-casting key players if needed? “I’d hate to re-cast anybody in the future, I can’t imagine that.”
In other Spidey news J.K. Simmons who plays J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, spoke to IESB about the fourth Spider-Man movie.
“I spoke to Tobey in, I guess it was February… sort of awards season time,” said Simmons. “and, y’know, he’s certainly amenable to doing some more and hopefully we’ll be able to get everybody back and make another good one.”
…if Sam were not the director but was, still had a hand in it then I would certainly have a reasonable amount of faith in it. You know? Obviously if he’s the director I’m there a 100%. If he’s not involved at all, which I think is VERY unlikely, then it would be a situation that I would have to think about. But if he’s involved, hopefully directing or at least as a producer then I’m pretty confident that it would be something that I want to do. Plus they pay money.
Sam Raimi Excited to Read Spider-Man 4 Script
Don’t count director Sam Raimi out just yet. The Spider-Man series director is waiting to read James Vanderbilt’s (Zodiac) latest draft, which he says is due in a few months, before he decides if he will helm the project or not.
“I’m excited to read it,” Raimi told SciFi. “I’m hoping it’s as great as our discussions were about it and hoping it feels right for me, because I love Spider-Man, and I’m hoping I’m well-enough rested to, like, really embrace it and hoping that Sony wants me at that time to direct it. So if all those things come together, I would love, love to do it. But this is a lot of unknowns about the future.”
Raimi also reiterated that he would “hate to recast anybody” new in the key roles, and “can’t imagine that” actually happening. I have the feeling that Raimi was a little less excited to do a fourth film six months ago. It’s funny how time changes everything. I just hope that Sony gave Raimi room to develop a story with Vanderbilt that he is comfortable with. It seemed clear that Raimi wasn’t interested in including Venom in the third film, but was forced to by the studio. The overcrowding of characters was one of the main reasons the film failed with audiences. Oh yeah, and the Jazz bar sequence, which Raimi has no excuse for.