James Vanderbilt Writing Spider-Man 4
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
October 30, 2007
James Vanderbilt has been brought on board to write the screenplay for Spider-Man 4 for Sony Pictures.
Vanderbilt most recently penned David Fincher's Zodiac, polished up the X-Men Origins: Wolverine script, and has written The Rundown, Basic and Darkness Falls.
Laura Ziskin is returning as producer of the billion-dollar franchise, though no deals have been made to bring back series director Sam Raimi or stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.
Plot points are being closely guarded by the studio, though the intent is to scale back the story to include only two villains instead of repeating the Spider-Man 3 model.
Several writers were being considered for the fourth installment, and Vanderbilt apparently was chosen by Sony executives for his character-driven approach to the story rather than a focus on special effects.
http://www.superherohype.com/news.php?id=6469
Scribe James Vanderbilt ("Zodiac," "Rundown") has already turned in a working draft of the Spider-Man 4 flick that includes a plot that would allow for a fifth film in the Spidey franchise.
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on October 31, 2007, 04:41:38 PM
Vanderbilt apparently was chosen by Sony executives for his character-driven approach to the story rather than a focus on special effects.
What a novel idea! lol
I enjoy the spiderman movies but was really not that fond of the 3rd installment. It just had way too much going on and not enough time to delve into each character.
How about a movie about the Marvel Civil War story. Start with the Spiderman side of it and spin off multiple movies to cover it. That would be very cool imo.
Nothing has been confirmed yet.. but...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180282289817
"Spider-Man 4" Set Visit On Ebay
By Garth FranklinThursday, August 28th 2008 12:18am
Stand Up to Cancer, in conjunction with Sony Pictures, is offering an amazing "Spider-Man 4" pacckage to the highest bidder on eBay.
The winner scores not just a visit to the set of Spider-Man 4 for one shooting day; a meet and greet with the cast (1 hour); A walk-on/ extra role in the film for the auction winner only; A Trip to the New York premiere; Designer outfits to wear to the premiere for winner and guest from top designers; and the winner and guest will walk the premiere's red carpet.
The offer comes as there's still no word on the film or who's involved just yet. The studio though wants the film out in theaters by 2011.
The auction though ends September 5th at 7:00 pm US-PDT.
Raimi and Maguire Set for Spider-Man 4?
Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
September 5, 2008
Back in May, Cinematical was the first to report that Sony Pictures might shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 at the same time using James Vanderbilt's script that the site said spans two films.
Now, Deadline Hollywood Daily has added on that director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire have apparently signed on the dotted line for Spider-Man 4, which the studio is targeting for a May 2011 release.
DHD adds that there's no deal for Kirsten Dunst to return as Mary Jane Watson yet, but the character will be featured and the studio would not recast her.
As for the baddie in the fourth picture, the site says that principal photography doesn't start until the fall of 2009 and that once we find out who the villain we'll know who is playing it. Naturally, speculation would put Dylan Baker's character Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard at the head of the line, but who knows?
According to the site, "the studio is trying to figure out if it can feasibly shoot Spider-Man 4 and 5 at the same time because doing that is so cost effective and 'it wasn't so easy to get everybody back together.'"
DHD also says that Sony has hired two screenwriters to pen the new script for the Spidey spin-off Venom.
Is this all accurate? We'll have to wait and see if/when the studio starts making some announcements, which could be a while!
I hope they are much better then the 3rd one.
That's a pretty long gap between films. Wish they could get it out sooner. I wasn't as down on the third film as some but it was the weakest of the three. But I love the series as a whole and would love to see another with the same people.
Maguire's $50M "Spider-Man" Deal?
By Garth FranklinTuesday, September 16th 2008 1:08am
The less-than-verbose 33-year-old actor will allegedly score that salary, plus profit shares, to shoot two further "Spider-Man" films back-to-back over six months next year reports The Times.
What's interesting is that there's a distinct stipulation in the contract - that he be granted 'family time', ie. to take early mornings and evenings off, to spend time with his 22 month-old daughter Ruby Sweetheart.
In the next few days Sony is expected to reveal whether actress Kirsten Dunst, who has been struggling with clinical depression, will be returning as his on-screen love interest Mary Jane Watson.
The third one was crap.
After watching The Dark Knight, all I can say is that it set the bar so high that it pretty much ruined superhero movies.
Spidey 4, even if it's one of my favorite characters of all time, has a huge hole to fill. I hope they stick to a great story.
And for coffee's sake, let's hope they only put one well done villain, instead of 3 bland ones.
I never even bothered after the second one. I liked the first one well enough except that the Green Goblin was mega lame. Then I saw Doc Oc and realized a villain could be lamer. It's hard to be scared of a someone so out of shape.
Loved one and two and even the third one for me had some nice moments. I'm sure they can get it back on track. I've read Spider-Man maybe longer than any other comic - for decades. My favorite superhero.
Dunst In For More "Spider-Man"
By Garth FranklinTuesday, September 30th 2008 7:58am
Of her involvement in the upcoming "Spider-Man 4", actress Kirsten Dunst tells MTV News that "I'm in".
However when pushed to officially confirm her casting, she cryptically added, "I'm not saying anything, I know there's rumors."
Dunst had previously had one major condition as to whether or not she'd sign-up for any future sequels -- that director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are signed on as well.
Those two of course confirmed their involvement the other week in the fourth and fifth films that will be shot back to back.
Looks like another writer on board....
Pulitzer pen crafts "Spidey 4"
Friday October 31 1:51 AM ET
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire got out of a rabbit hole, only to be ensnared by a spider's web.
Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama "Rabbit Hole," is in final negotiations to write "Spider-Man 4" for Columbia.
Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character.
Plot details are under lock and key. Producer Laura Ziskin had said she would like to aim for a May 2011 release for "Spider-Man 4," nine years after the original movie's debut.
Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the "Spider-Man" movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's "Paper Moon" and 1980's "Ordinary People," served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on "Spider-Man 2."
James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of "Spider-Man 4."
Lindsay-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole," which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play "Fuddy Meers."
Lindsay-Abaire has said in interviews that his plays tend to be "peopled with outsiders in search of clarity," which would put his work on sympathetic terms with Peter Parker, who in his classic incarnation is the perpetual outsider.
The choice of scribe also signals that that filmmakers are intent to focus on character, something that critics said got lost in the third installment.
Lindsay-Abaire, now writing the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical adaptation of "Shrek," has dipped his toe in Tinseltown before, with his adaptation of "Inkheart" due in January. He is also adapting "Rabbit" for 20th Century Fox and Nicole Kidman.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter