INT. JJJ’S OFFICE—DAY
He tosses a stack of photos at PETER PARKER. They’re awfully nice photos. Maybe a little too nice.
JJJ: Dogs catching Frisbees in the park … Some fat old geezer playing chess … Autumn leaves.
PETER: I was thinking maybe the Bugle could show another side of New York for a change—
JJJ: Parker, if I believed for one second those pictures were an accurate reflection of this town, I’d hang myself from the top of the Chrysler Building.
Want to read Michael Chabon’s original script for Spider-Man 2? Well, McSweeney’s have it for your enjoyment:
Chabon was the third of four screenwriters assigned to the project; he ultimately received shared “screen story” credit. As far as we know, this script hasn’t been seen anywhere else, and it won’t be seen here for long.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I’m halfway through it right now. Harry putting a bounty on Spidey’s head? Otto having a weird obsession with Spidey pre-arm attachment and making a play for MJ? Peter actually injecting himself to lose his powers, rather than it be a mental block thing?
It’s good that some of this got revised.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I haven’t finished the whole thing and still have a long way to go, but so far I’m enjoying a lot of the dialogue more than the final product.
April 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
At last we know where know why there’s an elevated subway in Manhattan in final film – it made a lot more sense when the fight takes place in Queens.
While this is not a great script anymore than the finished product, I find it makes more sense in some ways as regards Doc Ock. I never did like any of the nuclear fusion stuff. And Chabon gets JJJ in a way that the movies haven’t.
April 11th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
After reading a lot more of it, it’s pretty hit or miss. There are a lot of things that I wish had made it into the final movie, but there’s also a lot of stuff I’m glad didn’t.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Anyone know if this is available elsewhere? McSweeney’s doesn’t have it anymore.