According to various reports, Sony and Marvel might be teaming up to bring Spidey back to the big screen in 2010 or 2011.
Take it from the horse's mouth: Marvel's Vice Chairman had this to say about a possible sequel to the wildly successful franchise:
"As far as Spider-man 4, it's really up to Sony, it's up to them, most likely scenario is 2010 or 2011 but we can't speak for them and I think, that we don't know. They have given us their re-up payment for that film so you know they're going to make it within a reasonable timeframe. Sony may be looking at some issues with the cast and so on, I think they have to make some decisions."
Issues with the cast? Would this be a reference Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dundst? Hard to say. But the real question is the directing: since 'The Hobbit' is now officially in the hands of Guillermo Del Toro, this frees up some space on former director Sam Raimi's calendar. Raimi had expressed interest in taking a break from the series and tackling Middle Earth.
As to whether or not Raimi wants to come back for another film is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: as long as Marvel and Sony dish out flicks about the friendly neighborhood crime-fighter, there's money to be made.
It's hard to imagine a Spidey film without the pairing of Dundst and Maquire, and as much as the last installment made my skin crawl, I still have the utmost confidence in Raimi's work. After all, Spider-Man 2 just might be the best superhero film of all time.
Things get even more interesting now that Cinematical is reporting James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) is on board to write the screenplay.
The kicker? The script will be two feature lengths, shot at once.
Be sure to check back for more updates on the project.
