Sony in Talks With Screenwriter for Spider-Man 4

[GrnMarvl14]

Original source.

Superhero Hype! has learned exclusively from a very reliable source that Spider-Man screenwriter David Koepp is in talks with Sony Pictures to write Spider-Man 4!

Our source tells us that the studio is really excited about Spider-Man 3 after having seen a first cut of the movie. Add to that the phenomenal reaction to the screenings of footage at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and the momentum leading up to this point from last summer's Comic-Con, which have sparked the studio to approach Koepp about penning the fourth film's screenplay.

Koepp is not signed yet, but the studio is definitely moving forward with another installment.

Keopp recently finished the script for Indiana Jones 4 which received the green light from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. Besides the first Spider-Man movie, he has written such blockbusters as War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park, Panic Room, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible and Carlito's Way.

The first two "Spider-Man" films earned $1.6 billion dollars total worldwide. Spider-Man 3 kicks-off the summer on May 4.

This is interesting. Apparently they're going forward with a fourth film, regardless of who stays on from the first trilogy. Raimi's talking about leaving. Maguire's talking about leaving. Dunst is almost definitely leaving. I wonder what Sony has in mind to keep people around when most of the original cast is gone.

 

[Doctor Oak]

Well, they could do this a number of ways:

1) They do a James Bond and change the entire cast but make absolutely no reference to it at all
2) Stick "Ultimate" in front of the title and start from scratch.

I guess, really, it depends how the third movie ends as to how viable option 2 is...

 

[Lil Brother]

Eh, with all this talk about how everyone's ready to up and go, I'd rather just have it end at 3. Too much of something can be a bad thing, y'know?

 

[Zeta]

Eh, with all this talk about how everyone's ready to up and go, I'd rather just have it end at 3. Too much of something can be a bad thing, y'know?

Ditto.

Also, Spidey has a ton of interesting villains, but no real masterminds or large threats left to cover after you've done Doc Ock, GG, and Venom. Those were always his killer big three. I'd rather not see a movie featuring Electro or anything.

Well, they could do this a number of ways:

1) They do a James Bond and change the entire cast but make absolutely no reference to it at all
2) Stick "Ultimate" in front of the title and start from scratch.

3) Ben Reily: THE MOVIE. XD

Seriously, I actually liked Ben. And I think the Clone Saga could actually WORK well as a movie. The only reason it sucked so much in the comics is because they kept on changing their minds on how to end it and drew it out so long.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

You're forgetting villains like Carnage (would make for an interesting superhero/horror movie, though it would never happen), Vulture (one of my favorite Spidey villains because he's such a unique blend of old man and crazy), Jackal (would be an interesting psychological element), Black Cat (could be like the second Batman movie), Scorpion (stick to Jameson being responsible for his creation and Scorpion eventually turning on Jameson), Kraven (he DID bury Spidey alive), and Chameleon (c'mon...that's just fun).

Yeah, they got some of the biggest Spidey villains out of the way (for obvious reasons), but there are plenty of fish swimming around without digging into the obscure.

And doing the whole Spider-Clone story would be interesting, but with all the negative tones it brings up in the comics community...I wouldn't bet on it being too successful. But...I've been shocked before by the success of certain films.

 

[Zeta]

I suppose you could do an interesting Sinister Six storyline featuring the C and B-list villains teaming up, seeing as how the A-listers have all been done. But the six always worked best with Doc Ock as their leader, and I'm not sure how they'll pull that off now that he reformed.

 

[Adamant]

Jackal would make a good villain for a Spidey movie. As for Dunst, just kill off Mary Jane and bring Gwen into the plot. No problem there.

 

[Lil Brother]

1) They do a James Bond and change the entire cast but make absolutely no reference to it at all

Which would suck.

2) Stick "Ultimate" in front of the title and start from scratch.

Considering how horrendously bad USM has become... *shudders*

(Yeah, I know I'm late to reply to Oak's post, but whatever.

3) Ben Reily: THE MOVIE. XD

Seriously, I actually liked Ben. And I think the Clone Saga could actually WORK well as a movie. The only reason it sucked so much in the comics is because they kept on changing their minds on how to end it and drew it out so long.

Clone Saga would definetly rock as a movie if done correctly. As in, any more than two clones (Scarlet Spider and Kaine, dur) would be overkill. Ever since I've heard of the Clone Saga, I thought it sounded epic and great. That would be because I knew how it ended about one minute after I read the big Peter's-the-clone reveal. I could see how annoying it would be for the storyline to be in all the books for so many years, but in hindsight it seems wonderful. I want Marvel to come out with Clone Saga/Identity Crisis TPBs already (from Aunt May's death to the end of vol. 1 of Amazing, The Gathering of Five or whatever that last arc was called). I'm really interested in how things played out in that time period. What was I saying? Oh yeah, the Clone Saga, if done well, could make a great two-hour movie.

The bad thing about a Clone Saga movie would be that the comics would probably have Clone Saga Part 3 to start in the comics. Well, as long as we get some closure on Kaine and Baby May...

You're forgetting villains like Carnage (would make for an interesting superhero/horror movie, though it would never happen), Vulture (one of my favorite Spidey villains because he's such a unique blend of old man and crazy), Jackal (would be an interesting psychological element), Black Cat (could be like the second Batman movie), Scorpion (stick to Jameson being responsible for his creation and Scorpion eventually turning on Jameson), Kraven (he DID bury Spidey alive), and Chameleon (c'mon...that's just fun).

Yeah, they got some of the biggest Spidey villains out of the way (for obvious reasons), but there are plenty of fish swimming around without digging into the obscure.

And doing the whole Spider-Clone story would be interesting, but with all the negative tones it brings up in the comics community...I wouldn't bet on it being too successful. But...I've been shocked before by the success of certain films.

You're kind scraping the barrel. And it's not like villians make a superhero movie. What made Spider-Man 2 so great was clearly not Ock, despite how good he was characterized. While I would love for this movie series to go on forever, I'm afraid that the original direction would be lost and it'll end up like the Superman and Batman flicks.

I suppose you could do an interesting Sinister Six storyline featuring the C and B-list villains teaming up, seeing as how the A-listers have all been done. But the six always worked best with Doc Ock as their leader, and I'm not sure how they'll pull that off now that he reformed.

Well, for all we know, Ock could easily still be nuts and for all we know he washed on shore and has been under custody all this time. The Sinister Six would be cool, but again, it's not like the villains make the movie.

Jackal would make a good villain for a Spidey movie. As for Dunst, just kill off Mary Jane and bring Gwen into the plot. No problem there.

While I agree the movies should be able to take liberties with the source material, that would be bizzare in every way. :0

Then again, Movie!MJ is a horrible character. But I don't want her to die, because then that would mean Marvel would have no problem with booting her out of the comics, sadly enough. I don't understand what Quesada has against the marriage at all...

 

[GrnMarvl14]

You're kind scraping the barrel. And it's not like villians make a superhero movie. What made Spider-Man 2 so great was clearly not Ock, despite how good he was characterized. While I would love for this movie series to go on forever, I'm afraid that the original direction would be lost and it'll end up like the Superman and Batman flicks.

"Scraping the barrel" would be the Spot and Gibbon. And while the villains don't make the movie, they do help to shape the hero by giving him new challenges and trials to overcome.

As long as they aren't just movies where ANY villains could fill the roles (like, certainly, the last two, if not ALL of the original Batman movies), they could certainly be interesting. But, you're right, the longer they go on, the more the quality will suffer, regardless of writers and directors. Or even actors.

But I don't want her to die, because then that would mean Marvel would have no problem with booting her out of the comics, sadly enough.

Not to spoil anything, but you might not like what August holds (depending on what ACTUALLY happens regarding what's being hinted towards).

I don't understand what Quesada has against the marriage at all...

He explained why he doesn't like it in an old edition of his interview segment on Newsarama. I'd dig it up, but he basically says that the original wedding was just because the comic strip version was heading towards a wedding and the editor at the time (Jim Shooter, I believe) wanted the comic version to beat it to the punch. And Quesada has no soul.

 

[Lil Brother]

Not to spoil anything, but you might not like what August holds (depending on what ACTUALLY happens regarding what's being hinted towards).

Yeah, I know. Which is why I'm getting so worried for her.

And Quesada has no soul.

Utter truth.