With the exception of his darker days of long hair and unexplained swing-dance capabilities, Peter Parker has always been conceived with such great dimension by Sam Raimi. Though the third film was plagued by the pitfalls of its unresolved, emotionally vague script, Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy has presented a fresh approach to the web-slinging superhero… and now it’s all over.In a heated debate between Raimi and Sony Pictures last week over “Spider-Man 4,” Raimi stated that he could not create his envisioned fourth installment by the targeted release date, which was set to be in May 2011. He officially left the project on January 11th.
It should then come as no surprise (but rather as profound disappointment) that Tobey Maguire has walked off the project as well. The actor has frequently made clear that the mutual undestanding he shares with Raimi is an industry rarity. The Peter Parker they created hinged on this chemistry.
But what’s next for the franchise? Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have both announced that Marc Webb, director of this year’s sleeper hit “(500) Days of Summer,” will helm a reboot of the Spider-Man series, featuring Parker in his high school years.
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As an admirer of Webb’s debut film, I am eager to see if and how the director’s originality and style translates into a genre of such supernatural and melodramatic constrictions. I’ll also point out that Raimi’s trilogy invested us so much into a story still unfinished, and now we are to completely start all over again in Webb’s vision.
“Spider-Man” creator Stan Lee commented on the decision, “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.” I wholeheartedly agree. Though Sam Raimi crafted a unique cinematic life from the original comic, it is always refreshing to see what a new talent might bring to the table.
This has thrown casting into a tangled web of uncertainty and suspicion. While rumors had circulated that John Malkovich would appear in the sequel as the villain “Vulture” and Anne Hathaway as “Black Cat,” Webb’s teenaged Parker would be less likely to run into such characters. More importantly, who will play Peter Parker? What young talent will follow Maguire’s act? Who else can sport nerdy stiffness and still be a badass superhero as a teenager?
My top three choices for Peter Parker: Patrick Fugit, Daniel Radcliffe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
What Sony is leaning towards: Robert Pattinson (you had to have seen that coming)
Feel free to comment on your own Spider-Man casting preferences. And be sure to check out the Reel Deal next week for more movie info!
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