It seems like only a short time has passed since The Amazing Spider-Man was barreling through production, eager to release in time to retain Sony Pictures' film rights.  After audiences reacted warmly to the rebooted superhero franchise, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has followed the same pattern of fast and furious production as its predecessor.

Anticipation for the sequel is high, as director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) has recruited a bevy of promising new faces for the project. In the past week, two rather interesting tidbits about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (and possible directions the film might be taking) have surfaced.

The first of these stories comes from The Wall Street Journal, which shares the scoop that sets for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suggest a trip to the dormitories at Columbia University. The movie's currently released synopsis hints that Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) will be graduating high school this go-around - will we see him begin his life as a college undergraduate? The report mentions that the dorm appears to belong to a girl, so Peter may be attending another school, if at all. If so, the scenes mentioned may involve Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) or Mary-Jane Watson (Shailene Woodley).

In related news, MTV's Splash Page reports that Woodley (The Descendants) has completed filming her scenes as Mary-Jane. The relative quickness with which Woodley's contribution to the film was finished backs up previous rumors that the part is smaller and less important than initially assumed. It looks as if (for now) the movie's romantic focus will remain squarely on Gwen.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Columbia University
Image of the campus of Columbia University in New York City. Will this be Peter Parker's alma mater?

Both of these pieces of news don't mean much in the larger scheme of figuring out The Amazing Spider-Man 2's plot and the fates of its principal characters. However, they do confirm that the film will at least take a little time out from action set-pieces to examine Peter Parker's turbulent personal life.

This is almost certainly a good thing. While this installment of the Spider-Man saga will see Spidey taking on both Electro (Jamie Foxx) and The Rhino (Paul Giamatti), a major part of the character's appeal has always been in how he deals with the vagaries of day-to-day, non-superheroic life. Struggling to balance life as Spider-Man and Peter Parker (complete with girl troubles and school woes) is all part of the package of a proper adaptation of the comics.

The production of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 appears to be moving with a quickness. Keep your eyes glued to Screen Rant for more news as it develops.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will leap into theaters on May 2nd, 2014.

Source: The Wall Street Journal; MTV Splash Page [via Deadline]