It’s an interesting move to hire Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) for a superhero franchise like Spider-Man. The accomplished music-video director has a refreshing aesthetic that will certainly differentiate his Spidey from Sam Raimi’s. But I can’t help but feel a little chagrined for Webb as he’s hurled into the deep end of billion-dollar franchises. For one, taking on Spider-Man just three years after the web-slinger’s last adventure is a thankless task. We haven’t even had a chance to miss our friendly, neighborhood superhero yet. Is there really a hunger for his immediate return? Many people dying to see another Spidey this quickly are probably craving Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire’s Spidey, and anything less — or different — than that could be soundly rejected. Secondly, I worry about the magnitude of Webb’s promotion. Christopher Nolan established the formula for the highbrow reinvention of comic book pulp, via his Batman films. But at least Nolan made Insomnia in between his indie breakthough (Memento) and Batman Begins, proving he could direct movie stars (Al Pacino and Robin Williams) in a moderately-budgeted studio film. Webb’s budget on (500) Days, on the other hand, was reportedly under $8 million. Spider-Man 3 reportedly cost $258 million to make. That offers Webb a lot of room to get creative, but with great budgets come great responsibility. And pressure.
What do you think about Webb taking on the Spidey reboot? Is it safe to assume that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is on Webb’s short list of potential Peter Parkers?
Though I hate to see Raimi go, Maguire just never sat right with me as Spiderman and don’t even get me started about Kirsten Dunst. This time around, maybe Spiderman can actually keep his mask on longer than a minute.
Maguire was good as peter parker but terrible as spiderman. If you don’t understand what that means you gotta read a spidey comic.
Hmmmm. Interesting. I think you just helped me make sense of what I couldn’t place my finger on when it came to these Spider-Man movies.
Excellent point dude. Great as a fumbling nerdy parker…not so great as the alter ego super hero. Nice call..
I think that a reboot is unnecessary (Spiderman 3 was not as good as one or two, but it was hardly awful or dated), and that even if it were needed, it’s probably too early. However, Webb is a creative choice and could help differentiate this version from Raimi’s. If it’s an origin story, though, I’m not sure about the wisdom of casting Levitt–isn’t he pretty close to 30 by now?
I have to disagree, Spiderman 3 was awful, not Watchman awful but still…
No Marc you are wrong. Spider-Man 3 was very cool!
All of the Spiderman movies were great in there own way. I enjoyed all three movies.
If you think Watchmen (plural) was awful, why should I listen to your opinion? But ya, Spiderman 3 was pretty awful, not “The Hulk” awful, but still…
A Spidey reboot at this point is unnecessary, even though Spider-Man 3 was awful. They should take the money and spend it on something else…..
Like HAITI
Haiti’s gonna get really old really fast. The popularity of natural disasters never lasts. There needs to be an immediate sequel in order for any real money and ratings to be made.
I don’t think people want to see a teenage spider man, at least not adults. So it won’t make as much money. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be great, but too old to play a high school student unless it is only for the first movie and he graduates by the end.
“unless it is only for the first movie and he graduates by the end.”
But didn’t we just see that already? This reboot is pointless.
I guess the studio figures if theyre gonna go down, might as well go down in flames with this one. I was never a huge fan of the last trilogy and with how bad the decisions are being made with this new one it pretty much guarantees that i will have no interest at all.
they’re saying at deadline and aintitcool that the budget is only expected to reach 80 million. this is going to get interesting. that’s basically an indie film in blockbuster standards.
there is no way u can make a spiderman movie with 80 million. The CGI would end up looking like something off the syfy channel.
But this worked SO well for The Incredible Hulk… Seriously? A reboot is going to tank. It’s too soon to do that. I’ve been to every Spidey movie (most multiple times) and don’t plan on seeing this one at all. it’s just unneccessary. And the sad thing is, when it does tank, they’re going to put it all on this director and how he couldn’t handle a project this big. Just wait for Raimi. yeah, Maguire is 35 but it’s not as if he looks too old to play this part (especially if they keep it with his current timeline). Next thing you know Bale will be replaced b/c they feel the need to start the Batman movies out when he was a small boy and actually delve more into the relationship with his parents…
The Hulk reboot was better than Ang Lee’s version.
It did work for the Hulk. Just ask someone at Marvel. t was much better recieved and whilst the money it nade theatricly was similar to the 1st Hulk movie it was much more popular in terms of people actually liking the film. It served it’s purpose, i.e making the Hulk likable again and stepping up the “Avengers iniative” started with Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury in Iron Man by having Tony Stark appear at the end of the film, Stark Industries Tech and Shield info in the movie itself and a possible “Controlable” Hulk at the end allowing him to be in The Avengers Movies and possibly in Thor, Captain America and Iron Man and their sequels. The Ang Lee Hulk / Eric Banas Bruce Banner were not popular enough to fit in to thenew Marvel Movieverse but the rebooted ones are. Also you could expect a sequel to The INcredible Hulk to make a fair sight more than this one but a sequel to Ang Lee’s would be foolhardy.
Batman begins made decent money but its main function was to restablish viewer faith in the charcter. Ditto Incredible Hulk.
Also, can we have something with more importance in danger, like Spiderman saving NY instead of just rescuing MJ in every movie.
I love (500) Days of Summer, but it’s hard to say if Marc Webb is the right guy to tackle a mega-budget blockbuster franchise. He’s definitely jumping right into the deep end rather quickly.
No, no, just no. TERRIBLE idea to reboot one of the biggest and most beloved movie franchises of the 2000s… only 3 years after the last film came out. I like Marc Webb, but this has Epic Fail written all over it.
I couldn’t agree more. Well said.
I wouldn’t have a problem with any of these except that they’re going back to an origin movie rather then move the story forward… yawn
I agree. Its not like the Hulk which bombed on the first one and was the total opposite on the second. Let continue like batman, lets make it a darker movie as the dark knight.
Spider-Man is NOT like Batman.
People need to stop this mindset of thinking dark = better, and lets take characters and manipulate them to fit that formula. Spider-Man is your ‘friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’ not ‘the dark knight’ or ‘the cape crusader’. He is not a dark character nor does he have to be in a ‘dark’ movie just because another popular superhero is.
The main reason Peter Parker is a teenager again in this reboot, is to try and sell the film to a teenage audience by having a main character whose a fellow teenager.
This is a marketing gimmick, just like the usual cheap product tie-in junk sold at toy stores and fast food restaurants.
Are the people at Sony who think Peter Parker should be a teenager again in the next Spider-Man movie, in anyway related to the people at NBC who thought that a 10:00 PM cheap talk show would be good television?
I just don’t think they can make the money they made with the 1st three by doing this…
I have no clue if Marc is the right guy for the job but someone thought so, but I think the spiderman series needs to be forgotten and try again the first one was ok and it went downhill from there. Anything will be an improvement compared to spiderman 3
I’m just glad it won’t be Michael Bay and/or Roland Emmerich to ruin the franchise. That would be a tragedy. I think McLovin would be a good choice for Spiderman – kidding.
I hope the new director brings something completely different than Raimi. I love Raimi in the Evil Dead triology, and Maguire is pretty much great in everything; but I’m one of the few people that did not like Spiderman 2. I thought it was trying so hard to be important and relevant that it lost some of the fun that made me a Spiderman fan originally. Iron Man is what comes to mind for what I am looking for in a superhero movie. I want intelligence and crazy entertainment!