Still on track for a May 6, 2011 release, Spider-man 4 has another big name writer taking a swing at the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Ross, who has previously worked with the film’s star Tobey Maguire on Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, will write the third major draft of the screenplay, to which Maguire and director Sam Raimi are already attached.
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 and most recently wrote music and lyrics for the currently-on-Broadway “Shrek” musical (look out, more Spidey dance numbers!) previously tried his hand at the web-slinger’s next on screen adventure, as did James Vanderbilt, writer of thriller Zodiac.
Some may see three high profile writers as a bad portent, but it should be noted that the grand majority of Hollywood movies take several writers and several drafts to get hammered out. Being the fourth film, Raimi will likely have significant changes he’ll make as Director as well. The current ongoing comic, Amazing Spider-man, of course also has a team of writers telling Peter Parker’s stories, rather than a single writer doing a long-form multiyear arc.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Dude — Not another Spidey movie – - I’m a Spider-Man fan myself — But this is over-kill, man!!! The forth movie better blow me out the theatre with its exelence — otherwise the SPidey 4 is going to ruin it — But it will be 2011 — The same year Sin City 2 comes out — That I’m looking forward to.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Three writers is no problem – vast majority of produced screenplays have numerous hands in them.
And Ross has a good track record – Big, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit and Dave are all pretty great movies – and I’d go so far as to say that Seabiscuit is damn close to perfect.
And the bright side is that not one of the writers was involved with Spider-Man 3.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:37 am
The comparision to the comic book is laughable. The comic book has multiple teams on it because they put out three issues a month. It is like comparing a movie writer to a TV show writing team. I take this is a good sign in that they just did not take the first script and run into production. Hopefully it means they are working to make sure it is a good story and not just a bunch of stuff thrown together like Spiderman 3 (which I liked as a comic fan but was a mess as far as a movie plot goes).
July 9th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I look at the spiderman movie as our version of the 80s superman movie with Christoper reves
July 9th, 2009 at 9:23 am
this movie will be the last one by this cast and crew and it will suck, and I mean batman and robin suck!
July 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am
As noted above, Ross has an excellent track record. I still never understand why there are never any actual comic book people brought in to at least help with the plotting and scripting, but I think may be just what Spidey 4 needs. I figure that it can be any WORSE than Spidey 3 was… Right?
Raimi knows he shit the bed on the last one, and he’s not going to let it happen this time. It’s going to be hard to wash the taste of S3 out of our mouths (Hell, it’s made me like the first two Spider-Man movies less), but it can happen. If Raimi & Co. can somehow redeem the franchise with #4, and manage to mostly act like S3 didn’t happen (OK, Harry’s absence will make that tough), then I’m all for it.
I’ve read comments elsewhere, and I think the best approach for this one would be a tandem of Lizard and Kraven. Unlike S3, where the villains were just all thrown into the same pot regardless how well they mixed (or didn’t), this would actually be a logical pairing. The hunter arrives to bag the wild game, and Spidey has to not only stop Lizard, but protect his prof from Kraven. Hell, that could lead into “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline for S5 (which, if memory serves, was going to be filmed back to back with S4?).
I’d certainly like to see Kingpin too, but since I think Universal still has the rights, I don’t see that happening.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:18 am
DEAR GOD WHY?!?!?!?! Personally i havent liked any of these movies. 1 and 2 were decent, i thought they were too “soap-opera”y and i hate Keirsten Dunst and Tobey McGuire. Spider-Man 3 was so so so bad that i demanded a refund from movie theater i went to.
LET IT DIE!
July 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
So, does this guy specialize in writing for McGuire or what?
July 9th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
LOL… Yeah, but he did a good job writing for Magiure in those other two films. Pleasanville and Seabiscuit are a couple of wonderful movies. Give Ross a chance, I think it could be good if he/they put some thought into this one and make a point of not repeating S3′s (many) mistakes.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
While Raimi’s input is inevitable and welcome to an extent, I sure as hell hope he DOESN’T include the following:
1. SONG AND DANCE NUMBERS (Shudder)
2. Horrible child actors (Tobey Maguire’s brothers were okay in SM2, but the kids in SM3, from the kids who said “awesome” and “wicked cool” to the twerp who sold JJJ a camera).
3. Elya Baskin aka Mr. Ditkovich (he was fun the first time around but I’m sorry to say the jokes he’s good for have pretty much played out).
Also, I realize getting Danny Elfman to come back is next to impossible considering what I’ve read about what happened in SM2 (wiki it; I don’t really have time to explain it here), but surely they can get a better composer than Christopher Young? Just a suggestion…
July 9th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
2. I meant to say the kids in SM3 (as enumerated above) were TERRIBLE actors and considering you have child actors like Abigail Breslin or even Dakota Fanning, being kids is no excuse for execrable performances.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:55 am
The comics medium has truly arrived…
Once upon a time, comic book fans rabidly bitched, moaned, whined and cried endlessly for movie-versions of their favorite properties to be made, and done right.
Now comic book fans bitch, moan, whine and cry endlessly about how follow-up films of their favorite properties are going to suck and should not be done, at all.
The comics medium has truly arrived.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
There’s actually a pretty good idea that could be used for any writer attached to Spidey 4: DON’T LET IT SUCK LIKE THE LAST ONE. Easy enough, right?
August 13th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Raimi should be done with the crappy Spiderman series and make Evil Dead 4 and the remake already!
January 15th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
I think there do a stupt move the should keep Sam Raimi Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst as also the rest of the people. Cause if you start over again you will be doing a Batman thing & people are going to hate it You will losn money. So Going with the Lizard Vulure or electro That what i think you should do.
Mike
May 14th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you possibly can take away me from that service? Thanks!