Sounds like parts 5 & 6 are being written as a possible franchise reboot to shoot back to back if Raimi, Maguire and Dunst leave the franchise after part 4.
As Sony Pictures Entertainment preps a fourth installment of "Spider-Man" to begin production early next year, the studio has quietly engaged screenwriter James Vanderbilt to pen "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6."
Vanderbilt was the first writer on "Spider-Man 4." Director Sam Raimi brought on "Rabbit Hole" playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to rewrite him, and Gary Ross is now rewriting that script. The studio is enthusiastic about where it stands as the picture begins prepping for an early 2010 production start for a May 2011 release.
Raimi didn't embrace all of Vanderbilt's ideas, but execs at Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have. Vanderbilt has been hired to pen the fifth and sixth movies, which have an interconnected storyline. That's what was originally discussed when Vanderbilt signed on to write "Spider-Man 4," but the idea of shooting a fourth and fifth film back to back with the original cast was scrapped.
Sources said it was unclear whether Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will be back. If they aren't, Vanderbilt's script would be the blueprint for a franchise reboot. After committing to his fourth "Spider-Man" film, Raimi signed on to direct a new franchise based on the massively multiplayer role-playing online computer game "World of Warcraft" for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Maguire and Dunst were locked into the first three pictures and made a new deal for "Spider-Man 4." It's unclear how long they want to continue with the series.
Then again, Raimi was initially doubtful for "Spider-Man 4" because he expected to direct "The Hobbit," but returned after Guillermo del Toro got the job.
Why is Vanderbilt writing when so many variables are undecided?
The most important thing is for Sony to prime the "Spider-Man" pump more frequently. The lapse between films has grown with each blockbuster. The second film came only two years after the first, but it took three years for a third installment, and four years will have passed when "Spider-Man 4" opens in summer 2011.
Sony Pictures toppers Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton may well have a new franchise following last weekend's strong opening of "District 9." And after "Angels and Demons" grossed some $500 million worldwide, they will certainly move forward and extend the "Da Vinci Code" franchise with an adaptation of Dan Brown's fall publishing release, "The Lost Symbol." But "Spider-Man" remains the studio's most important film franchise, and Sony doesn't want to wait half a decade for the next outing.
While the "Spider-Man" movie business is booming, Sony has widenedits footprint on the franchise and become one of the investors in the Broadway musical version of the webslinger; the "Spider-Man, Turn off the Dark" tuner recently experienced a funding hiccup on the way to a planned March premiere.
Although there's been speculation that the show, which will cost upward of $35 million to produce, may not get off the ground, the project is too important to the "Spider-Man" partners to be tabled, sources said. The musical has "The Lion King" director Julie Taymor and songs by U2's Bono and the Edge.
Vanderbilt's most recent script credits are the Sylvain White-directed "The Losers" for Warner Bros. and David Fincher's "Zodiac."
He's repped by WME and Fuse Entertainment.
We've known for some time that Sam Raimi had brought in Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst for yet another sequel to his Spider-Man franchise. However, Variety is now reporting that Sony has brought in screenwriter James Vanderbilt to pen what would be the FIFTH and SIXTH Spider-Man films.
That, however is not the most notable tidbit of news with this situation. Things seem to be pointing in the direction that Sony is entertaining the possibility of Vanderbilt's films being the first of a franchise reboot for Spidey.
Bringing merit to this rumor, are a few things:
First, is the fact that (while they obviously cannot play these characters forever), Maguire and Dunst are not confirmed for any wall-crawling project beyond the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Also, the plans of director, Sam Raimi may have revealed themselves with the news that he will direct the feature film adaptation of World of Warcraft. (And while it may not be a comedy, I will be disappointed if there are no "Leeroy" references.)
Secondly, James Vanderbilt was initially hired by Sony to pen the Spider-Man 4 script. However, Sam Raimi was apparently not satisfied with it, and used his directorial clout to have it re-written by David Lindsay-Abaire. (In a move that may have rubbed Sony the wrong way.) The fact that Sony has brought Vanderbilt back to the table, seems to imply that Raimi will not be a factor in those fifth and sixth films.
I think I speak for fans everywhere when I say, "REBOOT, PLEASE." Let's move forward and get something more conducive to the atmosphere of the current Marvel films that Paramount is putting out there. Make a stronger story, work out some deals, and get some crossover potential. Sure, Raimi's films had their strong points (Spider-Man 2 will always be a great film in its own right), however, with Spider-Man 3, the franchise made the critical mistake of trying to wrap-up its storylines into a neat little package, when there was just too much going on. They may have gotten away with it in the first two films, but "screwing up Venom" might as well be the broken 11th Commandment.
A new Spidey franchise that is structured to be told in a serial manner, with villains that are a bit more faithful to source material (while obviously injecting some modern aesthetic sensibilities) will practically make itself. So, NO Green Goblin in metal gimp suits, NO cheap attempts to garner sympathy towards supervillains with sick daughters, and NO supervillain deaths (at least not in the first film.)
Want to make it right? Peter needs to fall in love with, and eventually lose Gwen Stacy BEFORE he gets with Mary-Jane. (Anything otherwise would be sacrilege.) Eddie Brock needs to be established as a professional rival of Peter's before we even think about Venom. Also, Harry Osborne's struggles with drug addiction (which changed the face of comics in the early 70's) needs to be documented in more detail. I could go on...
