Plot: Spider-Man, the creation of veteran comic book writer Stan Lee, first appeared in comic books in 1962. The story centers on student Peter Parker who, after being bitten by a radioactive spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. Peter first uses his powers to make money, but when his beloved Uncle Ben is killed by thieves after Peter chooses not to get involved, he vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime.
News:
10 December, 2002
Sony has set up a special little event for fans with the DVD.
On December 15th, 2002 at 8:00p.m. Eastern, 5:00p.m. pacific time there is going to be an exclusive online event with Spider-Man himself, Tobey Maguire and JK Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson, the audacious, and vocal editor of the Daily Bugle). Hear streamed commentary by Maguire and Simmons against playback of the film from your very own DVD.
You can find all the details you need right here.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
21 October, 2002
We've got a ton of video clips for you today, taken straight from the upcoming DVD release of the film. You can find 'em all right here.
1 May, 2002
The latest edition of the Untitled Deadpool Column features a positive early review of the movie.
16 April, 2002
If you want to get an advance taste of the movie, head over to CountingDown where they have no less than nine clips from the movie to download.
TV Guide will be featuring the wall crawler in the April 22 issue with a series of five covers. The covers represent different styles of Spidey over the years, culminating with the film version. You can see copies of the covers below.
9 April, 2002
A review of the film has appeared online very early. The critic is David Poland who used to run TNT's Rough Cut. It's a mixed/positive review that is broken up into pieces to avoid spoiling anything. Folks not familiar with Poland should probably be aware that he's generally more attracted to small indie films than Hollywood blockbusters.
29 March, 2002
The second trailer for the film is now online.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
4 February, 2002
A new ad for the movie premiered during the Super Bowl last night. You can find a copy of it here:
25 January, 2002
You can find eight new stills from the movie at Columbia Pictures spanish site.
Thanks to 'Checker.'
12 December, 2001
Sony now confirms that the new trailer for Spider-Man will indeed be shown this thursday during Fox's "Temptation Island." After that it will be available at the official website.
Thanks to 'Baldric.'
19 November, 2001
One of our readers came across some interesting photos relating to the movie and wanted to share them with us.
President and chief operating officer of Sony Corporation Kunitake Ando introduces actors Tobey Mguire and Kirsten Dunst during his key note address at Comdex 2001 in Las Vegas November 12, 2001. The World's largest computer technology show continues all week with some 2,000 venders showing off the latest in computer related technology to over 150,000 attendees. Sony will release the major motion picture "Spiderman" in May 2002, Maguire plays Spiderman and Dunst his love interest in the movie.
President and chief operating officer of Sony Corporation Kunitake Ando taps "Spiderman" on the shoulder at Comdex 2001 in Las Vegas.
Thanks to 'Fernando.'
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13 November, 2001
Coming Soon has found out a sneaky way to get a look at some new footage from the movie. Follow the link and read the instructions.
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8 November, 2001
 Willem Dafoe spoke to USA Today about the Green Goblin costume, which you can see officially for the first time to the left. The actor compares wiggling into the costume to "putting toothpaste back into the tube." The suit isn't the most comfortable thing to wear but Dafoe finds it acceptable, if a bit warm. "I'm always better hot than cold" he says.
Part of the Goblin's arsenal is of course his glider, which Dafoe describes as "a cross between surfing, snowboarding and riding a mechanical bull. I'm locked into these shoes with clips like a ski boot." He doesn't control the glider, computers do, leading to some difficulties for the actor. "I have to zig when I have to zig and not zag. It can be hairy."
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1 November, 2001
 Finally a new poster is out to replace the old one. It's very much in the same vein as the original but with less specific surroundings...
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2 October, 2001
The new updated version of the trailer is now online.
26 September, 2001
Spider-Man Hype found a series of nifty pictures from the movie in the latest issue of Wizard. They are also reporting that Danny Elfman will be composing the score for the film. A couple of the images are below. Head here to see the rest.
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25 September, 2001
Here's 'The Mole' with more word on what's going on in the Big Apple.
Detective Movie Buff hears of re-shoots for "Spiderman" "Men In Black 2" and "Stuart Little 2." How and when these will be done remains to be seen as the city still isn't issuing film permits for Manhattan indefinitely, though there is talk that eventually some filming can take place only in areas above Houston Street. Heard that the "MIB2" shots may simply be plate shots of the Chrysler building which will be inserted in place of the original World Trade Center shots, but there's no telling how long the filmmakers want to wait either to return to Manhattan which has no Police to spare for filming at this time. They are permitting filming in the outer boroughs, but only for projects that don't require NYPD assistance.
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21 September, 2001
 AICN got a hold of a pair of promo shots from the movie of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin (pictured here). This is easily one of the clearest shots of the Green Goblin that we've seen yet but I'm still fairly unsure about the design. As closely as they stuck to the design of Spidey's costume they seem to have deviated when it comes to the Goblin. Hopefully it looks a lot better in motion.
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17 September, 2001
Sony issued a press release in relation to the attack on the World Trade Center Tuesday.
Due to the devastating events that took place yesterday and out of respect for those involved, Sony Pictures Entertainment is requesting that all Spider-Man teaser posters and trailers be taken down and returned to the studio.
Our profound sympathy goes out to the friends and families of those who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.
24 July, 2001
Our very own Hollyfeld was at this year's San Diego Comic Con where they showed the first complete scene from the movie. Yes, you read that right. So sit back and prepare for coolness as he describes how Peter Parker gets his powers.
In preparation for the Q&A, they start playing the kickass trailer currently floating around theaters, but the sound system seems to be off, only playing the dialogue track, and the already disgruntled crowd almost looks like they're about to riot. For a moment I almost decide to give up and get out of here before something bad happens, but then Sam Raimi finally enters the room and of course, everyone goes nuts. He goofs around for a little bit, doing his Sam Raimi-stuff, then finally answers some questions.
On the state of the shooting: "We've shot the film." 90% of it is in the can, leaving room for some re-shoots and added material to be done later. There are about two more weeks of filming left. 10% more of the visual effects are done everyday, he added, although this may be an exaggeration (seems like quite a lot, doesn't it?). The very first cut of the film will be shown later this week.
On how much influence Sony has had on the production: "They say 'Jump,' and I say, 'What color?'" (I'm not sure what that means, either.) According to Raimi, Sony has been pretty hands off, and has just let him make the movie.
On the length: Expect the film to come in at around 110 minutes.
On whether or not he uses his crazy-ass visual style in the film: Raimi didn't want his "own personality" to get in the way of the story, stating, "I feel like I'm in the service of Spider-Man." He finished the question off by saying, "It's not going to be like my previous movies. It's just Spider-Man."
On where Peter Parker is at the beginning of the film: In high school, unmarried (a lot of applause), already friends with Harry Osborn, and been admiring Mary Jane from afar, never having talked to her.
On Ted Raimi's role in the film: "My mother made me give him a part."
And then, of course, the big surprise - that we would be the first people, EVER, to see a completed scene from the film. Then the riot begins. The studio execs hand out baseball bats, and the people in the back start tearing up the stage. Garth Franklin's in front of me, giving Ain't It Cool's Quint the wedgie of a lifetime…
No wait. Sorry. I think the acid just kicked in. Give me a moment.
…
The first scene from Spider-Man, and it's a doozy (dialogue largely paraphrased - it's better in the actual scene):
Establishing Shot: Columbia University's Genetics Research Lab
Interior, Peter's high school class is in the middle of a field trip tour. If I recognized the actress correctly, Una Damon (Christof's personal assistant from The Truman Show) is leading the tour, talking about DNA. Someone, I assume Flash Thompson, has his arm around Mary Jane. Peter looks at her for a moment. Then he looks at Harry next to him.
PETER: You know that this is the world's largest electron microscope?
Harry either says nothing, or brushes him off. I forget. Either way, he's bored. Peter takes pictures, but just before he does, Flash Thompson (or one of his friends) shoves Peter, ruining his shot. MJ notices, and doesn't look too happy about it. The tour guide all through this the tour guide is pointing out several spiders on display, explaining their various attributes. Leaping abilities, web-spinning, and even, yes, a spider-sense. This sequence clearly serves as an introduction to all of Peter's future powers.
PETER: (After she points out the first spider) Can I take a picture? For the school paper?
TOUR GUIDE: Of course.
Peter takes a picture, again, Flash shoves him.
TOUR GUIDE: (Pointing to a rather large enclosure) These fifteen spiders are the result of gene-splicing, and have all of the attributes of the spiders I just described.
MARY JANE: Fourteen.
TOUR GUIDE: What?
MARY JANE: (Pointing out) There are fourteen spiders here.
TOUR GUIDE: (Confused) Oh. Well, they must have one in research.
Overhead shot: A blue and red spider has made a web just above them.
The class moves on a bit. Harry looks at a spider.
HARRY: Look at this one.
PETER: Yeah. Did you know that some spiders actually have the ability to blend in with their surroundings?
HARRY: Now, why did you think I would want to know that?
PETER: It's interesting.
They both look at MJ, who has lingered behind the class, looking at the 14 genetically engineered spiders.
HARRY: Why don't you go and talk to her, man?
PETER: No! Why don't you go and talk to her?
HARRY: (Pause) All right.
Harry walks over to Mary Jane.
HARRY: Hey.
MJ: Hey.
HARRY: Did you know that some spiders actually have the ability to blend in with their surroundings?
Peter stares at him. Harry doesn't notice.
MJ: Really? Cool.
HARRY: Yeah. You know, this is the world's largest electron microscope…
A moment. I forget what happens, but Harry leaves. MJ remains, alone at the display.
PETER: Hey, can I take a picture of you? For the paper.
MJ: Sure. But only if you promise not to make me look ugly.
PETER: That's not possible.
P.O.V. - Peter's camera lens. He takes a few shots of MJ. They turn out great.
Overhead shot: The spider starts to descend upon Peter as he's taking pictures. Peter compliments MJ as he continues to shoot. Soon the spider lands on his hand…
… and bites him.
PETER: Ow!
The field trip has moved on. MJ runs off to join them. The spider crawls away. Peter rubs his hand and walks after her. Behind him, a computer screen show a CGI DNA strand being added to. The screen reads, "DNA Mixture Complete."
The words on the screen behind probably aren't accurate, and I apologize for my above summarization, for although it is a good guideline as to what the scene is like, it is nowhere near as cool as the scene itself. My opinion of the scene? The film is in very, VERY good hands. Shot with understated panache, performances dead on, particularly Tobey Maguire as Peter, and a great iconic feeling all the way throughout. Though not an exact adaptation of the comic book, this is better than we probably could have hoped for.
I was excited before. Now, I am officially DYING to see this film.
Afterwards they gave out free Daily Bugle hats, which I wore proudly for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the line to get said hats was long enough to make me miss the JLA presentation. It was worth it.
You can read the entire report from the Con here.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
13 July, 2001
It's finally here kids. The very first bit of footage released from Sony showing your friendly neighborhood wall crawler in live action. Or as it's more commonly known, the teaser trailer.
Click on any of the pictures to the below for a larger still from the trailer or click one of the links below to download the entire trailer.
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12 July, 2001
The guys at Spider-Man Hype got a chance to interview director Sam Raimi. Here's a taste:
S-MH!: What would you think today if you were to make a sequel?
RAIMI: Today, if I were to make the sequel I think it would be an ongoing storyline. I think people, if they like the first picture, which everyone's hoping that they will, they'll have seen Peter Parker move through high school and graduate high school. I think they'd probably be ready to see him start up in college and they've seen a relationship with Mary Jane Watson and it has a particular outcome. They probably want to see the next step or it is going to take an unexpected step with one of the other love interests of Peter Parker. So I think it is going to be a continuation. He's got a relationship with his best friend, Harry Osborn, and that takes a very dramatic turn in the end of the first one that has a lot of pending outcome. So I'm hoping, whether it's me or another director and writer, that they would get these elements effective, they would pick up where the story left them and set the new story from there. So I do think it would be a continuing story.
It should be pointed out that the teaser trailer for this movie is attached to prints of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The trailer should also appear on TV tonight on Entertainment Tonight and on the web (sorry) at the official site at some point today.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
22 June, 2001
 Sony Pictures released the first teaser poster and damn if it isn't pretty sweet. Kind of makes you think they know what they're doing on this project. Let's hope so.
What do you think?
Talk about it on the Forums
20 June, 2001
Sci Fi Wire spoke to director Sam Raimi at the Saturn Awards last week. Raimi spoke of the approaching end of principal photography. "We're just finishing up the last of the shoot. We've got about another three days of photography, then there's a week somewhere two months from now, but we're almost done," he says.
He's a little surprised by the intense fan scrutiny of his project. "I've never had anything to do with a film where people were really interested when we were making it, so it's a brand new experience for me," he said.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
16 May, 2001
 Hello, what do we have here? That's a shot of the back of Spider-Man's costume. The photo was taken on set and appeared in the Italian magazine SETTE.
20 April, 2001
The guys over at Spider-Man Hype got a couple reports that indicate the movie may hint at the future of Harry Osborne. You can find those here and here. They also have a report indicating where filming will take place in NYC this weekend.
They will be filming exterior shots at the 42nd street library in new york at fifth ave on sat and sunday. Will be at Moondancer Diner on Grand and 6th ave Thursday. Drop by and take some pics, they brought the new costumes to new york so maybe they are filming the suit?
 In other news, JoBlo got the first good photo of Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. This is one of those shots that should have the purists actually happy for once. She appears to be spot on perfect in appearance for the role to my eye. They have a pair of photos, one of which includes Tobey Maguire.
Thanks to 'Hollyfeld.'
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
9 April, 2001
 What do we have here? The good folks over at Spider-Man Hype found this nifty photo in the latest issue of New Idea, an Australian women's magazine. As you can now clearly see, the face of the costume is more or less in keeping with the comic book. The rest of the costume however, is rather radically different. The head has a rather odd shape to it and the body looks more like armor plating than anything else.
At least they still have that costume. Reuters reports that four of the Spider-Man costumes were stolen from the LA set in Culver City last week. Columbia Pictures is offering a $25,000 reward for the safe return of the outfits. That probably says a lot about what they're worth, don't you think? The loss of the costumes won't delay shooting though. There were more than enough copies on hand to keep Tobey Maguire working.
Thanks to 'Shankster.'
27 March, 2001
The official website has opened and easily its coolest feature is some footage from a special effects test that shows Spider-Man crawling up a wall. I can't stress enough that you should go look at this if you're a fan. It's that cool looking, though rough.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
21 March, 2001
 The Green Goblin was captured on film for the ever vigilant folks over at Spider-Man Hype. You can see one of the pictures here. The costume seems to have been modified fairly extensively from the comic book. The face is the same as ever but the entire helmet is somewhat different with an odd pointed shape. The rest of the body looks like some sort of metallic armor. Click on the picture to see the other photos and a detailed description.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
15 March, 2001
Kirsten Dunst talked about playing Mary Jane while on The Late Show with Craig Kilborn. Asked about the hair, she says "I got some red in it for Spider-Man. They put a red wig on me, so they color the front of my hair."
She put to rest any rumors about resurrecting the theme from the original cartoon series. "I don't know, I think we're going to have somebody who re-does the song."
She says she does her own stunt work in the movie. "I'm a triple threat, man. I dance, I cheer, I sing a little. I do my own stunts in Spider-Man. I do like Mission: Impossible/Tom Cruise stuff, like hanging down and falling and all this stuff. It takes skill."
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
12 March, 2001
There are yet more opportunities to be an extra in this movie. Check out the press release below for all the details.
Thanks to 'Mark.'
Calling all Spider-Man fans!
Los Angeles, Ca – March 9, 2001
Audience Associates Inc has limited space available for people interested in being "unpaid Spectators" for the last filming dates of Spider-Man that are open to fans. We will be filming March 15 & 16, March 19 through 23, and March 26. Fans may attend as many days as they like. These filming dates are the last ones available for this movie! This scene will be shot outdoors in the Los Angeles area. You MUST be over 16 to participate.
Please visit our website www.tvtix.com for more information and registration.
We will be filming outdoors, on location in Los Angeles. But you will feel like you have been transported across the country when you arrive at this fabulous Hollywood re-creation of New York's famous Times Square. You will be there…just in time for the "World Unity Festival" scene - an event packed with music, entertainment and activity!
You will be there, as Peter Parker; a reporter for the Daily Bugle, (played by Tobey Maguire), covers the event… You may be there as he becomes Spider-Man… Or will you be there as Spider-Man does battle? And who is in the process of destroying Times Square? What will happen at the World Unity Festival? Come and find out! Every day will be a different action packed scene, special effects and all…
The Producers are looking for a mixed crowd casually dressed for an exciting street festival. You will be an "unpaid Spectator" on the set, part of a bustling crowd of people attending the "World Unity Festival" in a re-creation of New York’s Times Square. There will be special effects. You are not a paid extra today… but the extra casting company will be on the set, with information available on how you may become a "paid extra" in future movies.YES!!!
- See Toby Maguire as…Spider-Man? Or…Peter Parker? Maybe both!
- See Spider-Man face off against enemies of all that is good!
- See New York’s famed Times Square…in Los Angeles?!?!
- See Peter Parker encounter not only his alter ego, but also his deepest heart felt feelings for the beautiful Mary Jane (played by Kirsten Dunst).
We know how excited everyone is at having a chance to be in Spider-Man, the movie. For you fans that were with us last month for the Evil Bone Saw McGraw scenes with Randy Savage and Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man… you know how much fun it can be!
This is going to be a great film, an unforgettable experience, and a once in a lifetime opportunity for any Spider-Man fan! This will be a fun filled time for all that participate. There will be great Door Prizes, Food, Contests, and there will be a table set up with information on being a paid extra for future projects. Participants will be provided a free continental breakfast and a box lunch.
Please visit our website www.tvtix.com for more information and registration.
CONTACT:
Mark Mulhall
Cash Oshman
Audience Associates
(323) 653-4105 Office
(323) 653-4176 Fax
audiencela@yahoo.com
http://www.tvtix.com
7 March, 2001
Tragedy struck the set of the movie on Tuesday when an accident resulted in the death of a welder.
The crew was busily working at recreating a 1930s style building on a set in the LA suburb of Downey. A crane lifting a metal cage containing a sign to the top of the building fell over, crashing into a platform on which two welders were working. The cage struck one of the men in the head, killing him. The other welder was uninjured. The incident happened early in the morning.
The set was still under construction for shooting later this month. None of the cast were present. "The studio and filmmakers are deeply saddened and send condolences to all involved--we are cooperating fully with the authorities investigating the accident," said Sony in a statement.
Work has been halted on the set for the time being to give investigators a chance to inspect the site. There was no word on if this might delay the movie's production and for how long.
Talk about it on the Forums
12 February, 2001
Andy Jones from E! Online has some interesting details on the handling of the web shooters. As you all know by now, director Sam Raimi intends to use organic web shooters rather than mechanical. Since this is a deviation from the comics, purists are outraged. It seems that there may be a compromise. Be warned, potential spoilers follow.
Although Spider-Man will end up spinning webs organically from his wrists, Tobey Maguire's teen Parker will initially be unable to control his superhero powers and will have to manufacture shooters in order to aim and direct his spinnerets. In fact, Parker will test those web shooters in a scene featuring a big product placement opportunity: Maguire (who pumps up with a barbell before every scene) flings his web juice on a Pepsi can and snaps it back to his hand.
By the way, if you live near LA and want a shot at being an extra in the movie then head here. Extras are needed for several shoots in mid to late March.
Spider-Man Hype has a nifty report from the set of lab where Parker gets his powers.
There in the old rotunda of the museum sits all this great looking lab stuff, very current and hip looking, and real! The images of spiders from science books tacked to bulletin boards all around me clinches it, as does the guy watching the set! This is it!! The bronze statues of three women have been covered by a cool looking huge silver tube thing, that has to be some kind of reactor or partcil accelorator or maybe just a juicer. In any case it dominates the space and looks cool as hell.
Talk about it on the Forums
12 January, 2001
 I bet you're thinking that picture yesterday was a nice little morsel but you really want some more. Well then you're in luck. Coming Attractions managed to talk Entertainment Weekly into releasing a second photo of the final Spidey costume.
Now this is the final version of the costume but it isn't the one that will be seen early on in the movie. When Parker makes his first appearance as Spider-Man, to fight the wrestler "Bone Saw" McGraw, he will be wearing a a less refined version of the costume. The idea is that the suit will evolve as the movie goes on as Parker gets better at making them.
The actual costume you see here is the work of costume designer James Acheson. "It is based on tension - and is one piece - all the way from the boots to the top of the head," reveals Acheson. "The boots have actually been built into the suit." The lenses for the eyes were designed by sunglass maker Oakley, who also came up with Cyclops' visor in X-Men.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
11 January, 2001
 The moment you've all been waiting for is at hand. The movie version of Spider-Man is revealed. This picture appears in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. The good folks over at CHUD managed to procure a copy slightly before it hits newstands.
As you can see, it is very faithful to the comic book version. Changes are minor and match up well with what Sam Raimi has been hinting at all along. This should save fans from the levels of anxiety placed on them in the past by directors who felt the need to tinker with the look of a costume (Bryan Singer comes to mind).
19 December, 2000
Willem Dafoe spoke to EON magazine about the movie. "Green Goblin," Dafoe said, "Some of the writing I like very much. I like very much the fact that it's a double character. It's a character with a dark alter ego. It attracted me. I mean, we all can relate to that." Beyond that he wouldn't offer up much. Asked about what king of costume he would wear Dafoe responds, "Ah -- a Green Goblin costume."
14 December, 2000
 The search for Mary Jane is over. Kirsten Dunst has emerged as the winner in that particular sweepstakes. While admittedly not a natural red head like Alicia Witt, she's an excellent actress who has been needing a high profile project like this to showcase her talents.
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20 November, 2000
After several false starts we finally have our villain. Willem Dafoe is confirmed to be in the picture to play the Green Goblin. Dafoe will be seen next month playing the vampire in Shadow of the Vampire.
9 November, 2000
Okay, I got a rumor today straight out of left field. I have absolutely no reason to believe this is true but I'm going to post it anyway. Why? Well, if it's false, as I believe it to be, then posting it should quickly bring out denials from those in the know. If however this is true then it's huge and should be reported. So here's the scoop as reported by 'Jocky Chan':
One name for movie JACKIE CHAN. Cheers
I have no confirmation on this at all but the scooper was pretty determined so make of it what you will.
Tear it apart on the Forums
3 November, 2000
Empire Online caught up with John Malkovich at the screening of Shadow of the Vampire at the London Film Festival and asked straight out about his involvement with this movie. "I won’t be doing Spider-Man," Malkovich said. "It's not really my genre particularly, and there were scheduling difficulties and what they offered wasn’t in any way an inducement for me to do it."
Asked if scheduling conflicts with a possible sequel to The Talented Mr. Ripley, he responds "I’ve had a meeting with Liliana Cavani and it’s a possibility." But that wasn't the entire reason he turned down the role. "It was everything," he explained, "way too much time, not enough money, not enough of anything. I mean, if I’d have loved it obviously I would have done it, but those sort of films aren’t art films, they’re business propositions."
Disappointed? Talk about it on the Forums
25 October, 2000
According to a report in the NY Daily News and elaborated on by 4W-Wresting, Randy "Macho Man" Savage has been offered a part in the movie. Savage would play the wrestler Crusher Hogan who Parker. In the original comic, Parker steps into the ring with Crusher to earn a $100 prize for surviving three minutes in the ring with the wrestler. With his new superpowers, Parker easily bests Crusher to win the prize.
23 October, 2000
A 60 second teaser was made up for ShoWest 2000 earlier in the year and the company that put it together, Imaginary Forces, has released a few stills from it for the general public. It contains no footage from the movie (it hasn't started shooting yet) but it might provide a few clues to style.
20 October, 2000
While in Rome to promote his movie Ride With the Devil, Tobey Maguire talked about the movie, seemingly confirming Alicia Witt as Mary Jane. Spider-Man Hype got a report on his comments. "Maguire talked of Spider-Man, saying that Alicia Witt is a sure thing for the role of Mary Jane, while they are having problems casting the Norman Osborn role after the defection of Malkovich. He then went on saying he had never read a Spider-man Comic-book but liked the part as written in the script. He expecially liked the fact of Peter Parker's need of hiding his powers from the people he most loves, in order to protect them. He then talked of his training and that he will not be wearing any padded suit in the movie."
9 October, 2000
 Sam Raimi talked to Andy Jones at E! Online about progress on the film. Raimi says he doesn't yet have a short list for the part of Mary Jane but he is considering Alicia Witt (Urban Legend). "I really like how she tested," he says. Raimi also says that he really wanted to use Doc Ock in the movie but will limit himself to one villain only, the Green Goblin. He confirms that John Malkovich has taken the role and hopes not to lose him due to a scheduling conflict like he did with Nicolas Cage. "The idea is not to give fans what they expect," he reasons, "but what they want."
The Hollywood Reporter mentions that James Franco, who tried out for the Peter Parker role, is now in negotiations to play Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin.
25 September, 2000
Cinescape reports that director Sam Raimi has hired Danny Elfman to compose the musical score. "He is [perfect for the film]. He's a great composer," Raimi said. "I really have enjoyed working with him in the past."
Elfman has been a popular composer for a number of years. He has scored such movies as Sleepy Hollow, Men in Black and Mission: Impossible.
15 September, 2000
The start of production has been moved back from December to January 2001. At the same time the movie's release date has been moved from November 2001 to May 3, 2002. According to a press release from Sony, "The start date makes possible a production and post-production schedule that will enable the film’s creators to realize their ambitious vision for Spider-Man and bring Marvel’s worldwide comic book icon to life."
The most interesting thing about this change is that the new release date puts the movie into the same time frame as Star Wars Episode II. That means May 2002 could be see some astounding numbers at the box office.
Talk about it on the Forums
11 September, 2000
'Deadpool' reviews the first draft of the script!
4Filmmakers.com is currently listing Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) as having the role of Mary Jane.
1 September, 2000
According to the BBC, John Malkovich is going to be the Green Goblin. Cinescape called up his agents and were told "John is indeed in talks for the Spider-Man film." Unfortunately further questions were met with the response, "We have no information at this time."
30 August, 2000
 Remember the comment that Tobey Maguire had done some serious working out to get in shape for the role? Well check out this picture and you can see exactly how much work he did.
Nicolas Cage will not be playing the Green Goblin. According to Spiderman Hype and confirmed by the NY Daily News, the actor won't be pulling on the green tights for the role. He really wanted the part but unfortunately his shooting schedule for John Woo's Windtalkers made it impossible. "There was talk of him playing the Green Goblin," confirms Cage's press rep. "But I don't think the dates could be worked out."
Also on the outs is Doctor Octopus. Various sources have been indicating that he has been removed or at least cut down to a quick cameo in the movie.
Talk about it on the Spider-Man Forum
14 August, 2000
Supposedly Sam Raimi really really wants to get William H. Macy to play newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson. I think Macy's a great actor but I have trouble seeing him as Jonah. It might not matter though. Macy is going to be tied up doing Jurassic Park 3 and might not have time for Spider-Man, which is on a similar shooting schedule.
There are also rumors that Bob Hoskins could be up for the role of Doc Ock and Brian Dennehy could be up for Peter Parker's Uncle Ben. Finally, Ted Raimi (the director's brother) will continue having small parts in Sam's films, possibly playing one armed, lizard loving scientist Dr. Curt Connors.
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9 August, 2000
Nicolas Cage is close to signing on to play Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, in the movie. Sony's weekly newsletter confirmed rumors that Cage was interested in the part. Cage will be busy working on John Woo's Windtalkers until December, which could make scheduling a bit of a problem.
While I'm at it, let's kill a few casting rumors. According to Zap2It, Julia Stiles won't be appearing as Mary Jane. Her agent denied it saying she will be attending college this fall, leaving no time for acting. Also not appearing is Vincent D'Onofrio as Doc Ock. The actor told TV Guide that, "I wouldn't do it. There are certain things you cannot do." He did however think the casting of Tobey Maguire was great.
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8 August, 2000
Being Spider-Man has already been a tough task for Tobey Maguire. In an interview with Time magazine, Maguire spoke of the process in which they started preparing his costume. Apparently a mold was needed for the form fitting costume.
"They put some kind of grease on my body and then layer after layer of this ... stuff. When it hardens, they take it off, and it's a bit painful 'cause I have hair on my body."
4 August, 2000
One of the biggest concerns with any movie being made is the script. When a movie is based on a comic book it is even more important. Comic books tend to have broad larger than life characters. The medium allows and actually encourages this. When translated to the big screen, these things can seem silly. X-Men was successful because the director took the time to make sure that everything made sense so that he concentrate on the characters. That made the movie believable.
Spider-Man now faces the same dilema. A script is needed that makes the characters believable before they do extraordinary things. Stax got a hold of the script for this movie by David Koepp. This script is based on James Cameron's treatment. This will not be the final version as Scott Rosenberg has been called in to rewrite it. Still it gives us an idea as to the direction of the project.
The best parts of David Koepp's script were found in these first 40 pages, which were almost lifted directly from the original comics. As soon as Peter becomes "the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man", the script went into a nosedive that it never recovered from. It was at this point that the story went from being about someone, an underdog who learns a hard-bitten moral lesson, and became a "comic book movie" with a hokey teen romance sub-plot. It didn't remain Peter's story from here on out. The focus was on the relationship between Norman Osborn and his son Harry, and on how Mary Jane Watson stirs up trouble between Harry and Peter. The script also gets bogged down in establishing the origins of two super-villains when all we really needed was one of them.
Since the latter part of the script was no longer about Peter's "coming of age", then I had at least hoped it would become a gripping battle between Spider-Man and his two most nefarious foes. Instead, the Green Goblin and Doc Ock actually ruined the script. They were woefully under-developed characters that lacked convincing agendas and spoke awful dialogue. They were neither scary nor entertaining. At least with the Green Goblin, Norman's strained relationship with his son Harry was explored to a degree. But their Abraham/Isaac relationship never quite clicked. I didn't know what Norman wanted to accomplish once he's transformed into the Green Goblin thanks to one of those pesky lab accidents that always befall comic book characters. (The scene here played a lot like Mr. Freeze's clumsy "lab accident" in Batman & Robin.) At first, Norman wants to kill his weak-willed son Harry, then he wants to off Spidey, then its Mary Jane's turn to pay. The Goblin didn't seem to present much of a threat to anyone except his ne'er-do-well kid and his two pals. This is a super-villain?!
To read the entire review, head to Stax's home at FilmForce.
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1 August, 2000
 Sony put out a press release regarding the signing of Maguire. "I am delighted with this choice," said [studio chairman Amy] Pascal. "Tobey's acting ability and incredible screen presence and Sam's creative vision are a powerful combination to bring Spider-Man to the screen." Director Sam Raimi also comments on the signing. "As an actor, Tobey is a director's dream," said Raimi. "He has all the qualities we were looking for in our Peter Parker."
 The film is scheduled to begin filming in November in Los Angeles before moving to New York.
In other casting news, Spider-Man Hype is reporting a rumor that Julia Stiles (Ten Things I Hate About You) may be up for the role of Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane was Parker's long time friend then girlfriend and eventual wife in the course of the comic book.
Is he the right guy? Talk about it on the Forums
31 July, 2000
 It's official. Tobey Maguire is in final negotiations to play the part of Peter Parker in the live action adaptation of the popular Marvel comic book. Maguire had long been director Sam Raimi's choice for the role but studio executives weren't so sure. Despite a solid resume with quality work in Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules and Wonder Boys, he didn't strike them as a big name star to help their fledgeling franchise off the ground.
Maguire put in a lot of work to present a considerably more buff appearance for the role and that helped turn things in his favor. He will be signing a contract with options for a pair of sequels. Filming will begin in November in New York. The film should be released in November of 2001.
Thanks to Variety.
In other casting news, 4Filmmakers is reporting that Nicolas Cage is in negotiations to play the Green Goblin.
28 July, 2000
Dark Horizons is reporting that it is all but settled. Tobey Maguire is very likely going to be Peter Parker. A scooper left them the simple message, "Tobey Maguire did his final screen test yesterday. From what I hear Sam is set to cast him and he will be officially cast by Monday - if all goes well."
26 July, 2000
 The folks at Coming Attractions walked away from the San Diego Comic Con with a nifty souvenir. This picture of the design sketch for Spider-Man's costume. Note the distinct similarities to the original with some minor differences. The eyes are considerably smaller. The web shooters are now organic rather than an invention of Peter Parker's.
How do you think it looks? Talk about it on the Forums
20 July, 2000
Marvel Comics is playing a tape at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend of Sam Raimi's thoughts on Spider-Man. Below is a transcript.
"We've assembled a great team of artists and technicians. We don't have anyone yet cast for Spider-Man, but we're talking to all of Hollywood's hottest young men. I'm not at liberty to say their names, but almost every young great actor has come to me and said that they must play Spider-Man because he is the hero of their youth.
"I've been a fan of Spider-Man since I was a kid. What is so exciting about Spider-Man is that Peter Parker, his alias, the human being that Spider-Man is, lives in our world, in the real world. And he has problems that we identify with. He's misunderstood. Unlike Batman and Superman, where you have the whole crowds actually cheering for him, Spider-Man does good but he's misunderstood, and people boo Spider-Man. They don't know that he's doing good.
"What I'd like Spider-Man to be is not be a muscleman that is Superman or Batman, those stiff characters, but rather this very, lithe, thin graceful dancer of a super-hero who performs his ballets 80 stories up, above the city.
"His outfit will be different that any of the super-heroes you've seen in the past, modern fabrics that you see them on snowboarders or windsurfers. They're kind of a high-tech look.
"The web-shooters that are classic to the comic book, those metal bands that shoot the web fluid â¤| in James Cameron's original treatment of the Spider-Man movie, he's changed that. And I think he's done the right thing, because now Spider-Man's webs come right out of his wrists. I think it's more interesting because it's one more thing he's got to be embarrassed of. When he walks around high school, he'll be like this now (Raimi holds sleeves over his wrists).
"Of course, we're going to have lots of big action and stunts. We're going to have two of our favorite villains, the Green Goblin and the terrible Doctor Octavius, also known as Doc Ock. And they do battle amongst the rooftops of Manhattan, and the Goblin uses his devices from his Goblin glider, his own personal winged transport, to his infamous pumpkin bombs, stun bombs, blast bombs and he also uses his bag of razor bats - you don't want to know what those things do. Doc Ock is a brilliant scientist, and he has developed these snake-like arms. And they are expanding arms that can work with great dexterity and fluidity, which I think is going to be quite interesting with visual effects, which are going to have to be created digitally. And we have a great designer in Sony Imageworks to help pull that off.
"One of the big illusions of the picture is to make Spider-Man really fly through the city. It's got to have a graceful, soaring quality. It uplifts the audience. Unlike some of the other super-hero pictures, where the guys are stiff on wires.
"We've got a lot of great hopes for Spider-Man. We think it's going to be very entertaining, create great new visuals that the audience hasn't seen before and we hope it will be very, very successful because, at its heart, it is a young man we can identify with and his problems, which hopefully we can relate to, and we'll get to watch him as he grows beyond the limitations of his character and becomes a responsible young man."
12 July, 2000
Here's a source you don't often hear mentioned in movie news. The scientific journal Berkeley Labs Currents had an article on the research being done for Sony's art department for the movie. John H. Turner of the National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) reported, "The plot presumably involves Spider-Man jumping on a large electron microscope to retrieve some spider DNA being manipulated by researchers at Cornell University., Turner says. And the design of their prop may be based on the Berkeley ARM microscope at NCEM."
19 June, 2000
Sony called several young actors in for a screentest with director Sam Raimi recently. Among those called were Scott Speedman from the TV series Felicity, Jay Rodan (Caveman's Valentine) and James Franco (Whatever It Takes), who is currently playing James Dean in a biopic for TNT. Tobey Maguire was also rumored to be in the mix.
Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter.
16 June, 2000
Scott Rosenberg has been called upon to work over David Koepp's script. Koepp has written two drafts of the script so far. Rosenberg will be reworking the latest draft. The script was originally based on James Cameron's treatment.
Thanks to Variety.
14 June, 2000
According to Entertainment Weekly, the winner of the Peter Parker sweepstakes will be signing a three picture deal. Obviously Sony has big plans for this one.
13 June, 2000
It would appear that you can scratch Heath Ledger's name off the list of potentials to play Peter Parker. In an interview with IGN Movies, Ledger was asked point blank about the rumors. His answer was, "Yeah, I guess [I've been approached]. I'm not a really big fan of putting on the tights or anything though."
Check out the rest of the interview with him and Mel Gibson.
8 June, 2000
The good folks over at IGN Movies dropped us a note to let us know that a couple of unknown actors are going to get screentests to try out for the role of Peter Parker. The first one is Colin Farrell. Don't worry about it if you haven't heard of him yet. His most prominent work hasn't been released yet. He has appeared in Joel Schumacher's Tigerland and will be shortly shooting a movie based on Jesse James. Here's what they had to say about him. "...the boy can act. His work in the yet unreleased Tigerland will blow your doors off, coming across (almost) like a young Jack Nicholson."
The other actor is Jay Rodan who is currently filming Caveman's Valentine with Samuel L. Jackson. Not much else is available on him unfortunately.
Big name or unknown? Talk about it on the Forums
30 May, 2000
Producer Avi Arad dropped a couple of little tidbits while talking to Comics Continuum. He is currently reading the latest draft of the script. "It's terrific. We're really getting there," he said. He also confirmed the villains, "It will be Green Goblin and Doc Ock." He expects casting will get underway sometime in the next sixty days.
11 May, 2000
Special effects wizard John Dykstra (Stuart Little, Star Wars) has been hired to handle the likely heavy effects load for the movie. It would also appear that director Sam Raimi is working with David Koepp on the script.
Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter.
8 May, 2000
It appears we now know who the villains will be in the movie. According to Wizard World, the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus will be the ones gunning for Spidey's head. In the original treatment by James Cameron, Electro and Sandman were the villains. Alex Ross is in negotiations to handle conceptual designs for the project.
Meanwhile Eon magazine managed to get an interview with director Sam Raimi concerning the movie. The best news coming out of this is that Raimi is clearly a big fan of the Spider-Man comics. "Ever since I was a little kid, I loved Spider-Man," says Raimi. "My older brother, who was the smartest guy I knew, was reading him and for some reason was enamoured of these comics. I finally put down my SUPERMAN and BATMAN comics and took a look at one of them. Then, I understood why. The writers, Stan Lee primarily, got into the character of Peter Parker. He's a real human being. He's not from the planet Krypton. He's not some mutant. He's one of us who wins the spider lottery. He becomes this super-powered person, but he still has the everyday troubles that we all experience when he's not in the outfit. That makes him interesting and accessible."
Very encouraging words from the director as clearly understands the character. So how does he want the character to translate to the screen? "What I hope to put into the movie," he continues, "is what I found so attractive about the comic books. He is not pretending to be somebody, like Superman pretends to be Clark Kent. Superman is really cool and unstoppable and he winks at us with the glasses and says, 'I'm just pretending to be a nerd.' But Peter really is. He never loses sight of who he is and that's what's great about him. He's still us in that costume. It makes a big difference as you follow the action of the picture. But like any high school kid, Peter goes through a lot of teenage angst and he's got a lot of learning to do."
So who will be playing Peter Parker? Raimi won't say. "We're going to try and zero in on Peter Parker twelve weeks from now. There are so many guys," says Raimi. "I am not allowed to say at this time, but I've never been so blessed with so many great young actors wanting to play the part. I was so surprised and my faith in the project was reaffirmed when each of them came up to me and said, 'I love Spider-Man. I've got to be Spider-Man.' This is how I felt and I think that a lot of kids, American and international, feel that way. I think if we can just stay true to who the character is and what the comic book is, I think we'll have a very enjoyable picture and I hope it will fulfill the very high expectation of the readers."
To read the entire interview head over to Eon.
Does Raimi understand Spider-Man? Talk about it on the Forums
3 May, 2000
Sony is holding a big ass meeting today with around 400 potential licensing, promotion and retail partners to work out the details of how to market the movie. Sony is going to announce the formation of Spider-Man Merchandising, which will be a partnership with Marvel to handle promotions for the movie and comics. Toys will be handled by Marvel's Toy Biz but that is far from the only item that will carry Spidey's likeness. Expect there to be a huge marketing push for this movie when we get closer to fall 2001 when the movie should be released.
Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter.
2 May, 2000
The only part out there that may challenge that of Star War's Anakin for sheer volume of rumored names is that of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The two big names topping the rumors right now are Chris Klein (American Pie) and Tobey Maguire (Pleasantville). Britain's Radio Times Magazine is reporting that Sam Raimi has already cast Klein. Speculation that Klein was getting the part arose recently when he was spotted on the set of Raimi's The Gift.
The confusion grows however when you go to visit 4Filmmakers. That site is listing Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man.
What have we learned here? Not much really, except that the internet is great at stirring up speculation.
13 April, 2000
The big question surrounding this project is who will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man? A few days ago rumors were flying that Jude Law had the part locked up. Before that it was a mystery actor who was already signed so he could start training for the part early. According to Columbia Pictures they haven't settled on anyone yet. Who's under consideration? The top candidates so far appear to be Heath Ledger, Tobey Maguire, Chris Klein and Ewan McGregor. As always, Leonardo DiCaprio is in the list too.
I like Ewan McGregor but he's really too old for the part. Chris Klein is a pretty boy. Same goes for Leo. Wes Bentley would be a good choice but they will have to work around his schedule for Queen of the Damned. That leaves Ledger and Maguire. I'd pick Maguire for the simple reason that he looks a bit more like Parker. Of course I think the best choice would be Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) but he's not even on the list.
Thanks to Variety.
8 February, 2000
David Koepp is currently in the middle of writing the script for movie adaptation of Spider-Man. Loosely working from a treatment written by James Cameron, Koepp had a few thoughts to share on the project. "There really is only one treatment; Jim Cameron wrote a treatment. There are no previous drafts. But you get thirty-five years worth of comic books and ten-years worth of animated TV, so you know there’s lots—an abundance of material. Then you try to figure it out, and you go down different directions. You try this villain; you try that villain; you try this storyline and that one, and you see what works. It’s an on-going process, and it takes a long time. There’s a million ways to do it.
"That’s keeping me busy," he adds, preparing to get back to work. "I’ve been on it for six months or so, but I’m nowhere near done. I wish I were more productive. Mostly, I’m just staring at a blank computer screen. But I’ve got to get back to staring!"
He also seems pretty pleased with the choice of Sam Raimi as the director. "It should be fun. Sam’s a great director for it."
13 January, 2000
Now that Sam Raimi appears to be the likely director, attention turns to who gets the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. SpidermanHype is reporting the likely candidates are Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), Wes Bentley (American Beauty), and Nicholas Brendan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Seventeen magazine spawned the Brendan rumor by stating that he was in talks for the part.
Schwartzman probably makes the most sense for the part. He's about the right age and his appearance is skinny and a bit awkward. That's Peter Parker if I'm not mistaken. He's also proven himself a good actor in Rushmore. Bentley can handle the role but doesn't match up visually quite as well as Schwartzman.
7 January, 2000
Apparently it's official. Sam Raimi has been named by Sony to direct the screen adaptation of Spider-Man. That sound you hear in the background is the fanboys screaming in delight. Expect an official announcment in a few days.
6 January, 2000
Maybe Jan De Bont wasn't a serious candidate for the director's chair. According to IGN, Sony has limited its list of directors to just two names. One of them is David Fincher. We've known for awhile now that he was in the running. The other name is new to the rumor mill, Sam Raimi. Best known for his Evil Dead movies, Raimi has lately branched out to make films like A Simple Plan and For Love of the Game. Clearly he is capable of more than just horror. Either way it sounds as if Sony wants a dark version of Spider-Man.
9 December, 1999
Who is going to direct the long awaited movie? It seems the list of potentials is down to just two, Chris Columbus and David Fincher. Stylistically these two could not be any different. That means the decision is going to be based on how Sony wants the movie to look.
Columbus is best known for tearjerkers like Stepmom or cheerful comedies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Home Alone. Fincher on the other hand is known for dark thinking movies like Fight Club and Seven.
Fincher has been having extended and reportedly positive meetings with executive VPs Matt Tomach and Amy Pascal. Apparently warm and cheerful is not the direction Sony wants to take with the project. That would indicate that Fincher is the favorite.
I've no lack of confidence in Fincher as a director. With the exception of Alien³, I've really enjoyed his movies. I'm just not sure that Spider-Man needs to be that dark. There are definitely some dark elements to the story but Peter Parker was a generally upbeat guy who has to struggle with powers and responsibility forced on him by fate. If Fincher can tone down his typical level of darkness, he'll make a fine choice. Columbus on the other hand may be too upbeat. He would need to show some subtlety and darkness that I don't think we've seen from him before.
Thanks to Variety.
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