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    Showing posts with label Spider-Man 3. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label Spider-Man 3. Show all posts

    Thursday, November 21, 2013

    EDITORIAL: Why SPIDER-MAN Joining The MCU Is Like Asking The President For A Drink And Why You Have A Better Chance Of Receiving A Drink From The President.

    Unknown 11:12 PM , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can." Obviously, spiders can’t shove common sense into the general public and film critics alike. For the past couple of years, all I’ve heard in regard to Sony Pictures/Spider-Man movie conversations/articles is the declaration “sell the rights to Marvel.” This statement annoys the living barnacles out of me. Not only is this quarrel perhaps the most stupid argument since “Superman could totally lift that island of Kryptonite.” But this argument makes less sense than the ending to Bryan Singers’ Superman Returns. Throughout this piece I will explore the reasons why Sony will never let Spider-Man venture to the other side, and I might even make certain people think… So, swing away.


    Since 2002, the Spider-Man franchise has grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide, this is not including DVD sales, merchandise and tie in products, this is just the films. Now, unless you do not understand numbers or profit/loss, you can tell that is a lot of money. Last year marked the release of The Amazing Spider-Man, the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, and went on to gross over $750 million worldwide, in the words of the immortal Borat “great success.” But even before The Amazing Spider-Man’s release, ‘fans’ (‘fans’ = people who believe anything Marvel Studios touch is pure genius *cough Incredible Hulk *cough) believed that Marvel Studios should have the rights and Sony should go die in a whole. That’s a vague understanding of every chat board and forum on the web, but it is very true. So, why is it that people think Marvel should have the rights? Is it because they have made eight films that have all been financially successful and critically successful? In that case the Spider-Man franchise is not doing so bad, after four films the least successful film (critically) was Spider-Man 3, but that grossed $890 million worldwide, so it cannot be that Sony are making unsuccessful films. Because, even emo Peter Parker, can rake the dough.


    So now that we have a bit of history out of the way, let us get to the now. Why do fans think Spider-Man should be at Marvel? Well, basically, it is because ‘fans’ have not given this argument much thought. Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, has said time and time again that “Marvel have a plan up to 2021.” So, how is it that Marvel, are just going to shove one of the highest grossing superheroes of all time, into their plan? You know, the one that ends in 2021? A lot of people online seem to think that it is a piece of cake making a film series, let alone a film universe. People! It is a hard thing to create a film universe, props to Marvel Studios, they have done something fantastic, kudos to them, and they really deserve it. But you cannot shove a character like Spider-Man in there with no build up. You know, we are not talking about… Namor or The Silver Surfer, we are talking about Spider-Man, the character whose film’s have become box office smashers and have entertained millions. I received a Tweet a couple of days ago, it went like this “But Rob, Joss Whedon would nail Peter Parker’s dialogue.” Okay, so you are saying, that the hallway scene in The Amazing Spider-Man was not a perfect Peter Parker situation? Because, out of the entire film series (including Raimi’s) I believe that hallway scene is perhaps the best  sequence of them all. The scene shows Peter’s relatable side (with his nervous stumbles) and bringing a seemingly fictional hero, down to the viewers level. But remember guys; Joss Whedon would “nail” Peter Parker’s dialogue, thus making all Spider-Man films worthless because Whedon did not write them. Why would Sony sell a franchise that is making them billions of dollars? Sorry ‘fans’ this is not Football Manager, where you can buy Lionel Messi for $5 million.


     Another interesting argument is the argument that says, “All of Sony’s Spider-Man movies suck.” Now, this is simply not true. Film, in general, is all viewer perceived, if I like Batman Forever, but you hate it, that does not mean it sucks, it just means we have a different stance on it.  I love Spider-Man 3, it has its faults, but overall it is a pretty solid movie. Now, that does not mean, the film is amazing and no one can say anything bad about it, that just means I thought it was good. Whenever I hear an argument with people saying “TASM sucked.” I ask them why, and they usually reply with “too dark and gritty.” Okay, if you go back and watch Raimi’s film, you would be surprised how much darker that film is compared to The Amazing Spider-Man, and if you want to prove me wrong, go ahead take a swing, that is not an opinion, that is a fact. The next thing people say is “Hipster Peter Parker.” Now, I do not understand how this argument even exists. What is so “hipster” about Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker? What? He wears skinny jeans? Oh heavenly Father no! Not skinny jeans! Give me a break, I wear skinny jeans to school, I do not get called a hipster. Case closed, The Amazing Spider-Man does not suck, and it is up to whoever is watching it, like all films. ALL FILMS. I felt I needed to repeat that.


    In conclusion, Sony’s Spider-Man franchise is one of the best franchises the world has ever seen (in my humble opinion) with twists and turns, and jaw dropping moments, this franchise feels fresh even after its fourth film. From horrible films all the way to hipster Peter Parker, I have discussed the main reasons why Sony Pictures will never let Spider-Man go. And that is why, it is much easier asking President Barack Obama for a drink, than asking Sony Pictures to sell the Spider-Man rights. 

    Friday, November 15, 2013

    FEATURE: 10 Things You May Not Know About The SPIDER-MAN Franchise

    Unknown 8:39 PM , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


    Spider-Man is perhaps the most successful superhero of today’s generation. You name it, Spider-Man’s done it. The Spider-Man franchise is deemed one of the most successful franchises of all time, with four feature films to it’s name, with another three films set to come out before 2020, the franchise has also grossed over three billion dollars worldwide over the course of its four films. But, believe it or not, there was a time when Spider-Man was impossible to bring to the film screen. The likes of James Cameron and David Fincher couldn’t bring the character to life, so without further ado, I invite you to take a seat, and sit back and enjoy ‘Ten things you may not know about the Spider-Man franchise’.


    1 1.  James Cameron Tried To Bring The Wall Crawler To Life… Twice


    Who would ever think that a film by James Cameron, the guy behind fricking Titanic would never get made? Well, thank God this Spider-Man movie didn’t get made. James Cameron was a fan of Spider-Man and attempted to bring a realistic, gritty version of the character to the big screen in the early 90s. Cameron’s film was set to feature Doctor… Or should I say, Professor Otto Octavius as the bad guy. Octavius would have been portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and would have featured Leonardo DiCaprio as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. After the studio declined Cameron’s original script, he sent in an updated 47 page screenplay, instead of Professor Octavius as the bad guy, it featured Electro and Sandman as the film’s main villains. The film was heavy in profanity, featured a climatic battle atop The World Trade Center, and featured Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker having sex… How touching. When Sony announced the rebooted Spider-Man, Cameron was offered the director’s chair but declined saying he didn’t want “sloppy seconds.”

    2  2. The Joker Almost Played Spider-Man


    When Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film entered pre-production, Sony Pictures went looking for some of the hottest actors of the time. On the shortlist to play the wall crawler was none other than Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze, Jnr, Chris Klein, Wes Bentley and believe it or not, The Joker himself, Heath Ledger. Ledger read for the part, but nothing else was ever revealed, and Harry Osborn actor, James Franco screen tested for the role, despite not getting it, Franco impressed Raimi so much that he cast him as Harry Osborn instead. Despite the list of A-list actors, unknown Tobey Maguire was cast and the rest is history.

        3. Add Green Goblin To The List Of Roles Nicolas Cage Almost Played


    When Sam Raimi was looking for his perfect Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, he went to the best, so why did he offer Nic Cage the role? I am of course joking, but Nicolas Cage was offered the role but turned it down. No word on why he turned it down, but eventually Willem Dafoe was cast, and now whenever I hear Willem Dafoe, I always scream, “avenge me.” Dafoe has since slammed the rebooted Spider-Man film, The Amazing Spider-Man, calling it "unoriginal." Harsh words from a guy who starred in John Carter.

        4. Spider-Man 2’s original pitch and title were ‘Amazing’


    Just after Spider-Man swung into theatres in May of 2002, Sony hired Michael Chabon to rewrite the Spider-Man 2 screenplay and to shake things up a bit, shake things, he did. The film’s title was originally going to be ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ named after the character’s long time comic series. The film’s storyline was also significantly different, with Dr. Octopus actually being a love interest for Mary Jane and resembled more of the Ultimate Doc Ock than the 616. Harry Osborn also teamed up with The Daily Bugle, with putting a $10 million price on Spidey’s head. Producer Avi Arad turned down the idea, but tweaked the Osborn idea a little. The film was then rewritten a third time, and was based on the ‘Spider-Man: No More’ storyline and Superman 2.

       5. Trevor Slattery Was Almost In Spider-Man 3


    Ghandi himself! Sir Ben Kinglsey was in negotiations to star as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture in Sam Raimi’s original draft for Spider-Man 3. Kinglsey was a fan of the previous films and was looking forward to playing the role, before the part was cut due to the studio wanting Raimi to add Venom instead of Vulture, thanks Sony! Kinglsey later starred in Iron Man 3 as Trevor Slattery/The Mandarin. Venom’s alter ego, Eddie Brock, did however have a small part in the original screenplay, and it was said that Topher Grace was always Raimi’s ideal Eddie Brock.

       6. Sony Hired James Vanderbilt To Write Two Separate Spider-Man Films


    James Vanderbilt, the man behind 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man, was hired by Sony Pictures in May of 2008 to rewrite the Spider-Man 4 script and to write a reboot of the film series if worse comes to worse. Of course, Spider-Man 4 was scrapped and the studio went for a new, fresh take on the Spider-Man character, simply using Vanderbilt’s screenplay. Vanderbilt’sSpider-Man 4 screenplay featured such iconic characters as The Vulture, Mysterio, The Lizard and Felicia Hardy. While his reboot, featured Green Goblin as the main villain, resembling the first six issues of the successful comic book series, Ultimate Spider-Man.

        7. David Fincher Was In Early Negotiations To Direct The Reboot


    When it was announced that Sam Raimi had left Spider-Man 4, the Internet exploded, people were confused and sadden. And then out of nowhere, a new man arrives, Marc Webb. Webb who was most famous for his indie rom-com, (500) Days Of Summer, was not however the first man to pitch something for Sony. The Social Network director, David Fincher pitched an idea to Sony that would have been based on the graphic novel, Spider-Man: Blue and would tell the story of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy’s love, from the moment they first lay eyes on each other to Gwen’s horrible death.  As much as I love Webb’s film, it would have been bloody brilliant to see what David Fincher would have done.

    .   8.  Mary Jane Was Originally In The Amazing Spider-Man


    Before Marc Webb was announced to direct, Sony were pretty keen on keeping Mary Jane Watson as Peter Parker’s main love interest. The studio even looked at some actresses for the part including Ophelia Lovibond, Diana Agron and Emma Stone, the latter of course went on to play Peter Parker’s other love interest, Gwen Stacy in the film. Mary Jane’s part in the film was cut and was left on the shelf for the sequel, which again, the part was cut, this time having Shailene Woodley miss out. Maybe third time lucky?

       9. Ang Lee’s The Amazing Spider-Man?


    Ever since The Amazing Spider-Man hit theatres in 2012, fans have been coming up with multiple theories and explanations for the origin of Spider-Man. While at the film’s surface it may just seem like another ‘boy gets bit by spider’ story, there is apparently a lot more there. The whole storyline with Peter’s parents was actually expanded on in the original test screening for Sony executives in February of 2012. Marc Webb held a screening of his cut, at his home in February, his cut of the film explained how Peter Parker got his powers in what has since been described as “Ang Lee Hulkish.” According to many sites, Sony hated Webb’s cut because it simply gave away a storyline that they felt could be a mystery throughout the entire franchise. The film was taken back to the editing room.

    110. Jamie Foxx Is (Apparently) Writing A Song For The Amazing Spider-Man 2


    A very recent entry in this list is arguably one of the coolest ones. Grammy winning Jaime Foxx revealed in an interview a few months ago that he is planning to write a song for the anticipated Spider-Man sequel, which he will star in as Electro. Foxx has revealed a few details about the song saying “"When it (music) really ramps up, when the orchestra comes in, that's when you see the big fight. Imagine the orchestra playing and then, in slow motion, breaking their instruments and running from everything." Honestly, I’m super keen.


    Well that brings this ’10 Things You May Not Know’ to a close, hopefully you guys enjoyed it and maybe we can do this again? If you like what you see here, you can always bookmark us, and even follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook!



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