Mid December we wrote a story about Spider-Man getting a delay because Raimi and Sony are in a heated battle about the direction Spiderman 4 should take. We were repeatedly fed a line that this was blown out of proportion and that the studios typically take a break around the Holidays and everything was fine with Spider-Man.
Well kids, the dust has settled and the Holidays are over, so lets get back to work. Nope… it seems that every word of the rumoured feud was right.
Spider-Man IS getting delayed over a dispute in direction.
We wrote a few stories at the end of last year about Spider-Man 4 being put on hold because Sony and Sam Raimi were fighting about the script for the fourth movie. Sony wants another record-breaking blockbuster while Raimi wants to get “back to basics” and make a movie that everyone actually enjoys this time. Well, Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood has now confirmed that Spider-Man 4 is indeed on hold and it may not even make its May 2011 release date. “We will be extending the production hiatus on the film. The studio is firmly committed to this franchise but, for us, the script must come first.”
Even us wee peons here can see that this pissing match is not going to end well. Many of the fingers pointed at Spider-Man 3 were appropriately redirected at the studios as Raimi quietly turned his “I toldya so” face towards the powers that be reminding them that they forced their own vision on the film they PAID him to make.
He did fine with the first two with NO studio interference. And why would they? They trusted him with it, and he came up kings. The first two films were great and the fans loved them. It wasn’t until they made him do Venom (something he repeatedly said was not a good idea with the movie he already had) and he was heavily criticized for it.
Some people are happy to ignore his previous success and hang him from the flagpole for part 3, but we all know Raimi can do a great Spidey film. Sony just needs to get out of his way and just count all the money he makes them.
Apparently Raimi is waiting on yet another re-write of the script by Alvin Sargent who was involved with part 2 and 3, so I have half faith in him.
I wonder if the parts he disagrees with were the rumoured involvement of a Vulturess.
I can put up with a delay as long as it means a more cohesive film worthy of the first two.
