It’s time for your Hollywood Minute! Late last night it emerged that Marc Webb, the director of (500) Days of Summer, which I think is a romantic comedy/drama judging by the trailer (I do have the rip sitting on one of my hard drives, lest you think we don’t practice what we preach), will direct Spider-Man 4. The movie is currently scheduled to be released in the summer of 2012, and may well be filmed in 3D.
You’ll recall that Sony kicked Sam Raimi off the project because he was being uncooperative. The story goes that Raimi, who did a pretty good job with the first two Spider-Man films (his hands were tied for the third one, which helps explain its terribleness), wanted to make The Vulture the villain for Spider-Man 4, but that Sony felt Vulture wasn’t commercial enough.
But that’s all in the past. The new guy, Webb, is sorta an outside pick (like Raimi was back in 2000). His biggest movie, (500) Days of Summer, wasn’t exactly a blockbuster. That doesn’t speak to its quality, of course, but it’s going to be a little different movie-making experience. Giant franchise, antsy studio on your back, fussy “big name” actors, etc. Good luck, bro.
Remember: Spider-Man 4 will be a re-boot, with an entirely new cast and storyline. Early word is that it puts Peter Parker back in high school. If that’s the case, I imagine the name won’t be Spider-Man 4 when it actually comes out. Maybe something like Spider-Man Begins or Spider-Man: The Beginning.