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12 articles from 2010

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Script Squabbles Delay Spider-Man 4 (Updated)

12 hours ago | Screenrush | See recent Screenrush news »

The latest installment of the famous Marvel comic and blockbusting franchise Spider-Man 4 is facing difficulties as Sony and director Sam Raimi are at loggerheads over the direction of the film, according to industry organ The Hollywood Reporter .

Having shoehorned two villains into the clumsy plot for Spider-Man 3, it's the baddies who are causing the crisis yet again: Raimi, who was disappointed with the direction of the last film and ashamed of its critical/fanboy reception, wants to leave the series on a high with a scary criminal called Vulture and not Black Cat, the romantic and more marketable antagonist Sony is demanding.

So far a list of formidable script-writers have unsuccessfully tried their hands at reconciling the two opposing views. They include the Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and Oscar-nominated Gary Ross (Seabiscuit); Alvin Sargent, famous for dramas such as Paper Moon and Ordinary People is now »

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Gold Derby nuggets: Can Mariah Carey top herself at Pca? | 'Avatar' & six other VFX finalists | 'Precious' leads with 8 NAACP Image nods

6 January 2010 2:43 PM, PST | Gold Derby | See recent Gold Derby news »

• Following up on her antics at Tuesday's Palm Spring filmfest -- reported in detail by Pete Hammond -- Mariah Carey should make for must-see TV tonight. As Roger Friedman reports she, "is all set to pick up her People’s Choice Award tonight on CBS. She’s a winner, I’m told, for Best R&B singer. What? Yes, everyone seems to know who’s won those People’s Choice Awards before they arrive at the studio." As Roger writes, "If you watch this show, you’ll know who’s won right away by who’s in the audience waiting to get their award. Since Hugh Jackman, Sandra Bullock, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Swift are already being promoted by CBS, you can guess they won their categories. Surprise! They’re not hanging around that studio for their health!" Showbiz 411

• Another diva -- Jennifer Lopez -- is none too pleased with »

- tomoneil

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‘Spider-Man 4′ Still On Hold

6 January 2010 8:00 AM, PST | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »

There were reports before the holidays that there were issues on the production of the new Spider-Man film. But at the time, those rumors were shrugged off as the production just breaking for the holidays. But now comes news via Deadline Hollywood that director Sam Raimi is having some issues with the script and trouble getting financiers at Sony to back his choice for the movie’s villain.

The big news is that with all big franchise films lately, release dates are announced far before production even begins, so there’s a setup of expectation from the viewing public, and the pressure on the filmmakers to meet that deadline. Spider-Man 4 – or Spider-M4n as it is rumored to be titled – was scheduled for release on May 11, 2011. That date is starting to look like an impossibility.

Previous versions of the script have been written by Jamie Vanderbilt (Zodiac), David Lindsay-Abaire »

- John Muth

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Spider-Man 4 stalled: Fourth writer on board after Sam Raimi trashes screenplay

6 January 2010 7:42 AM, PST | The Geek Files | See recent The Geek Files news »

Production on Spider-Man 4 has ground to a halt because director Sam Raimi is unhappy with the script, it has been reported.

Raimi is said to have 'hated' the most recent draft. Gary Ross, David Lindsay-Abaire and James Vanderbilt have all written scripts, with Alvin Sargent now "retooling the story." Sargent worked on the screenplays for the second and third Spidey movies.

There had been rumours last month that work had stopped but at that time Sony Pictures insisted the crew were taking their standard Christmas break.

However, according to Deadline Hollywood, production is indeed on hold. Filming had been due to start in February ahead of release on May, 2011, but there are doubts over whether the movie will now be ready in time.

"We'll try, but I think making May is a real question," a source told Variety. "We will not start until we have it right. The feeling »

- David Bentley

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'Spider-Man 4' caught in villainous web of script delays

6 January 2010 7:18 AM, PST | Zap2It - From Inside the Box | See recent Zap2It - From Inside the Box news »

Damn you, "Spider-Man" villains and your interfering ways.

The fourth installment of the Marvel hero franchise was supposed to start production in spring, but that's been delayed due to an epic fight between Sony and director Sam Raimi about which criminal our webslinging hero should battle next, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Raimi, who fought to have the Vulture join Sandman in "Spider-Man 3" and lost, wants to go big on the Vulture this time around, whereas the studio would like to mix up Spider-Man's (Tobey Maguire) love life with a romance with a burglar known as the Black Cat and add another villain to be determined.

The road to "Spider-Man 4" has been fraught with peril and script rewrites, trying to meld the two visions. So far, James Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire, Gary Ross and Alvin Sargent have taken a shot at the story.

It's a tad premature to worry, »

- editorial@zap2it.com

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Spider-Man 4 Delayed, Script Being Re-Written (Again)

6 January 2010 4:18 AM, PST | Reelzchannel.com | See recent ReelzChannel news »

For months, speculation over who the villain would be in Spider-Man 4 has spread throughout the internet. Apparently, an official announcement was never made because Sony Pictures and Sam Raimi can't agree on which villain the movie should have, an argument that has led to a delay on the highly-anticipated sequel.

THR reports that Spider-Man 2 and 3 screenwriter Alvin Sargent has been brought in to work on the script, which has already received versions from screenwriters James Vanderbilt and David Lindsay-Abaire, plus a rewrite from Sea Biscuit's Gary Ross.

Sargent's version will have to settle the villain dispute between Raimi and Sony, with Raimi insisting on using the winged criminal The Vulture, while Sony wants a romantic sub-plot with burglar and Spider-Man love interest The Black Cat. According to Deadline Hollywood, Raimi is insisting that John Malkovich be cast as the Vulture, while Anne Hathaway, who was rumored to play The Black Cat, »

- Ryan Gowland

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'Hobbit' Starts (Soon), 'Spider-Man 4' Stops (Now) and 'Deadpool' Gets Written

6 January 2010 12:00 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

In headline order, we'll start this fantasy film update with a Twitter message from Production Weekly regarding Guillermo del Toro's The Hobbit that reads as follows: Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Jrr Tolkien's "The Hobbit" is due to begin a 14 month production schedule this June in New Zealand. Recently Spoiler TV posted a casting breakdown for the film as we are still without a Bilbo Baggins, the role played by Ian Holm in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Holm, obviously won't fit the age requirements of the younger Bilbo as the casting is looking for someone between 25-35 years-old. Several names including Tobey Maguire and James McAvoy have been rumored for the role, but all have proven false so we will have to just sit and wait.

Speaking of Tobey Maguire, he won't have to worry about putting those webbed tights on any time soon »

- Brad Brevet

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Yes People, Spider-Man 4 Is Delayed

5 January 2010 11:17 PM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »

Things are not well over in Sony Towers, following on from the rumours last month that Spider-Man 4 had been put on hold (rumours which Sony vehemently denied) it now seems that it has in fact been confirmed that Spider-Man 4 is on hold due to differences between the studio and director Sam Raimi.

The problem has arose because Raimi is hoping to have The Vulture as the film’s primary villain while Sony bigwigs are dead against the choice and are also hoping to crowbar The Black Cat in there for an additional love interest (Gwen Stacey: Spider-Man 3 anyone?). Personally, since we’ve already covered this story, none of this comes as a huge surprise. Yes, Sony denied it back in December, however it seems that THR have now confirmed the rumour and that’s pretty much all there is to it, this from THR:

A succession of »

- Craig Sharp

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Sony Postpones 2011 Release Date for Spider-man 4

5 January 2010 7:36 PM, PST | FusedFilm | See recent FusedFilm news »

Back in early December there was a story about Spider-man 4 possibly being postponed or on delay due to disagreement over the villain. Now a pretty substantial source is reporting its delay.

Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that Spider-Man 4 no longer has a firm start date and that it was “unlikely” that the film will be ready for its planned May 11, 2011 release date, according to one of the site’s insider’s at Sony.

“It is unlikely that May 11, 2011, date will be made,” a Sony insider just told me today. “It depends on how quickly the script can get in.”

The site was also reporting that they had gotten a hold of an email sent to the visual effects team working on the film that indicated Sam Raimi was having issues with the story that were being tended to, which was why the production was put on hold.

There »

- Kevin Coll

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Sony Postpones Spider-Man 4's 2011 Release Date

5 January 2010 5:09 PM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

Right before the holidays, we ran a news item about an "indefinite" delay on the highly-anticipated Spider-Man 4 and it seems another story has surfaced about these delays as well. Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that Spider-Man 4 no longer has a firm start date and that it was "unlikely" that the film will be ready for its planned May 11, 2011 release date, according to one of the site's insider's at Sony."It is unlikely that May 11, 2011, date will be made," a Sony insider just told me today. "It depends on how quickly the script can get in." It seems the site had gotten a hold of an email to the visual effects team working on the film that indicated there was a delay on the production and that they would know more in mid-January. That email revealed that director Sam Raimi was having issues with the story that were being tended to, »

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Spider-man 4 Start Date Pushed Back, Release Date Now Uncertain; Could Film Be in 3D?

5 January 2010 5:00 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

The next installment of the Spider-Man franchise could lose its coveted May 11, 2011 opening (due to script problems).  Director Sam Raimi has yet to settle on a script, a process that has already involved screenwriters Jamie Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire, and Gary Ross.  Currently in the hands of Alvin Sargant, who wrote Spider-Man 2 and 3, Sony is still planning on a Summer 2011 release but studio sources are saying, “It is unlikely that May 11, 2011, date will be made.”

Originally set to start filming in February, production was pushed back to early March then late March or early April.  Currently there is no official start date.  While Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal assured fans they were still working toward the original date saying, “I’m going to do everything I can to make May,” she acknowledged the importance of having a completed script, “…I’m not going to start a movie where the script isn’t right yet. »

- Bob Starr

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Spider-Man 4 delayed over script clashes

5 January 2010 1:50 PM, PST | Filmicafe | See recent Filmicafe news »

The latest "Spider-Man" sequel is proving villainously difficult to plot out.Sony and director Sam Raimi are at loggerheads over which direction to go with the villains for the latest installment -- an impasse that has prompted the studio to delay its scheduled spring production start and potentially to bump the picture from its May 11, 2011 release slot.Raimi wants to have a criminal known as the Vulture act as the primary antagonist in the film while the studio, which dislikes the idea of the winged wrongdoer, is pushing for a romantic sub-plot involving a burglar named the Black Cat in addition to another villain.A succession of writers has tried to marry the two parties' differing visions to no effect.Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire ("Rabbit Hole") was hired in October 2008 to pen a key version of the screenplay, on top of the earlier version penned »

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2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2004 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998

12 articles from 2010

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