Screen Rant » spider man

Who Should Play Black Cat in Spider-Man 4?

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:31:04 +0000

Enough already! This entire week seems like it’s been devoted to rumors about who will and will not be playing the role of Black Cat, the recently announced villain (and temptress?) of Spider-Man 4.

When news leaked that it would be Spidey vs. Black Cat in the next film, the first actress named for role was Rachel McAdams – then that rumor was debunked. After that came word that Julia Stiles is up for the role. Now we’re hearing Anne Hathaway’s name being tossed in the mix, while many internet fanboys are insisting that Eliza Dushku or Elisha Cuthbert be given the role because “they’re hot.”

Look… at this point we could keep on “reporting” each and every one of these Black Cat casting rumors as they pop-up and get knocked down again, but why? We all know the final decision is coming soon. But before we learn who will be playing Black Cat, let’s take a moment for ourselves and have a little fun discussing who should play Black Cat.

Lets begin with some background info on the character:

In the Spider-Man comics Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, a villain / love interest of Spidey’s who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man in July of 1979 (almost 40 years after Catwoman first appeared in Batman comics, in case you’re wondering).

After decades of add-ons and reworkings, Black Cat’s current origin story is that she was the daughter of a world-famous cat-burglar, a daddy’s girl who inherited papa’s talent for larceny and his ambition to be the best. After some tragic incidents in her young adult life involving domineering men, Felicia becomes a fierce, independent-minded woman who trains herself to peak athleticism and skill as a thief. When her father ends up in jail, Felicia dons the Black Cat costume and attempts a jail break – where she runs into Spider-Man.

In the comics, Black Cat had the power of “bad luck,” often jinxing her opponents (and sometimes her friends, too). This “power” started out as a farce – elaborate tricks and traps meant to throw an enemy off-balance – but when Cat ended up in the clutches of the Kingpin, he used enhancement technology (same he used to create The Scorpion) to give Black Cat a “bad luck aura.” Since then, Cat and Spider have gone from hot and heavy to cold, ultimately becoming friends with an extra spark of attraction running between them.

Black Cat (if you can’t tell from the pics above) is sexy, flirty, wild, smart, crafty, and pretty kick ass. The character could’ve come and gone as a “knock-off Catwoman,” yet has remained a revered part of the Spider-Man universe for decades – which should speak to how much she’s distinguished herself as a character. Whenever the comics got too heavy with the whole Peter / MJ soap opera, Black Cat was there to break up the monotony. For readers like me, it was like having a wonderful affair without any long term consequence (and who doesn’t love that?).

Best part of all, Black Cat was an exciting rival of Spider-Man, not just another hurdle in the (often-annoying) romantic life of Peter Parker.

But who should play Black Cat? Here are my recommendations…

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Spider-Man 4: McAdams Denies Black Cat Rumor

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:41:50 +0000

Ouch. The blogosphere takes another jab on the chin as our in-print counterparts over at Entertainment Weekly have confirmed that actress Rachel McAdams has NOT been cast as Black Cat in Spider-Man 4. The rumor was originally started by Mania.com, who exclusively revealed last week that Black Cat would be the villain in Spider-Man 4, and that McAdams was a “top contender” for the role.

Well, either Mania’s source on this exclusive was doing a little wishful thinking or McAdams’ name was being tossed out in some very early (read: unofficial) talks, because neither the actress nor Sony were aware of the alleged casting when questioned.

Here’s what McAdams had to say to EW:

“That’s a total rumor, I have to say…I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you’re doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!’ It’s not true.”

And to finish the rumor off for good, a rep for Sony added this:

“It’s an Internet rumor, as so many things are these days.”

Sigh… Usually I’m one to defend my site and a lot of my “colleague sites” (what’s up guys!) but this kind of thing just makes it hard to legitimize our beloved blogosphere as the next era of (online) journalism. Gotta double and triple-check those facts…

For now, at least the first half of Mania’s “exclusive” remains intact: Black Cat is still apparently the villain for Spider-Man 4. And, if there is any silver lining to all of this, it’s that we can now do posts fantasy-casting our top picks for actresses to play the silver-haired, feisty feline, Felicia Hardy. A recent poll over at MTV has Kate Beckinsale pegged as fans’ top choice to play Catwoman in Batman 3 – but that’s just crazy, IMHO. Maybe Mrs. Beckinsale’s “talents” would be more suited for the tongue-in-cheek universe of Spider-Man? I’ll let the speculation build from there…

Click artwork for source.

Are you sorry to hear that Rachel McAdams isn’t playing Black Cat? Do you think Sony should try to turn rumor into fact and lure McAdams to the role?

For my part, I always thought that McAdams was too much of an “artsy actress” to “stoop” to the level of a comic book movie, but I guess that just sounds like know-it-all hindsight right about now…

Spider-Man 4 is slated to swing into theaters on May 5, 2011.

(You Rachel McAdams fans can next catch the actress in Sherlock Holmes, which opens on Christmas Day, 2009.)

Source: EW

Black Cat Art Source: Diablo2003 @ Deviant ARt

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Spider-Man 4 To Feature A Certain Red-Haired Baby…

Rob Keyes — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:52:54 +0000

I bet your Spidey sense is tingling from that headline and your first thought may be that Mary Jane and Peter Parker spawn a love-child in Sam Raimi’s fourth installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, SpoilerTV put up the casting call info for “toddler boy,” a two year old red-haired baby that will be a part of Spider-Man 4. Uh oh.

While that might be the case (I doubt it though), it is possible, as some fans have speculated, that the child is Cletus Kasady, who many will know as the popular villain Carnage. Whether this is being introduced for us to be used as plot thread in the interconnected Spider-Man 5 & 6 or it’s a look into Peter Parker’s future, or Mary Jane has a child with someone else… we don’t yet know.

Here’s the exact casting call:

2 or 3 year old boy to play 2 year old, Caucasian with RED HAIR, an adorable toddler with an engaging personality, on set experience preferred. IDENTICAL TWINS ONLY

We’ll let you know more as we hear it but at least we may have a better idea of who Spidey’s next villain will be with the recent Black Cat news.

What do you think about the possibility on big screen Spider-Babies?

Spider-Man 4 starts production next March and is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011, the year of the super hero.

Source: SpoilerTV

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Spider-Man 4 Villain Is… Black Cat? [Updated]

Anthony Ocasio — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:48:22 +0000

[Update: Rachel McAdams has debunked the rumor that she is playing Black Cat. Go HERE for details]

The past couple of weeks have been filled with a ton of Spider-Man talk with the majority of the chatter being focused on which villain fans can look forward to seeing our favorite web-slinger battle in Spider-man 4. Well, the speculation can subside (for the time being) as the folks over at Mania.com have heard from “reliable sources” that Sam Raimi is in the midst of casting the villains for the next installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

Some of the possibilities that we’ve heard were Bruce Campbell as Mysterio, Dr. Connors (Dylan Baker) as The Lizard and the possibility of William Defoe returning as Green Goblin.

With Sam Raimi receiving complete control over Spider-Man 4 (unlike Spider-Man 3) he has decided to go in a complete different direction than what was previously discussed and has allegedly chosen the formidable Felicia Hardy, known the fans around the world as the skilled cat burglar Black Cat as one of the villains for Spider-Man 4. (Yes, that’s right. I said “one of”).

Not only is Mania.com revealing that Black Cat is one of the villains, but it appears that they also have a major Hollywood actress as one of the top contenders for the role. Who is said actress? Well, Betty White fans may be disappointed that the Golden Girl star has been passed up, but hopefully the Time Travelers Wife, The Notebook and the upcoming Sherlock Holmes actress, Rachel McAdams, will be a suitable replacement [Update: Sorry, this rumor has been officially debunked. Go HERE for details].

Why Black Cat you ask? Well Black Cat and conversely Felicia Hardy fit perfect into the formula that Raimi uses when choosing his Spider-Man villains: they must not only pose a threat to Spider-Man alone, but must also be entwined with Peter Parker’s life. Fans of the comic series will remember that Black Cat has spent some time not only as girlfriend to the friendly neighborhood arachnoid, but also changing from a villain to an ally.

McAdams as Black Cat? Sorry, just a rumor..

With Raimi selecting Black Cat as villain number one and looking for someone intertwined in Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s live, does this mean Dylan Baker will get to spend some additional time in the make-up chair as Dr. Connors transforms into Lizard?

While reports seem to indicate that this will be a two-villain movie, sources are saying that Dr. Connors will not be appearing as Lizard because they’re currently casting a male for the other villain role, and since Dylan Baker has been cast since the second movie, Lizard is out of the running (confirming what Baker had previous stated).

How’s that for some nerd math?

While I know it’s a long-shot at this point, I’m still hoping for Mysterio to make an appearance. You never know, maybe Peter Parker will get a roommate that just so happens to be an aspiring special effects designer/stunt man. Maybe he’s hoping to get a role in the new film about the city’s superhero, but something horrible happens so now he hates Spider-Man?

Look at that… wrote the entire movie right there. Now, where did I put Sam Raimi’s email address?

How do you feel about Rachael McAdams playing Black Cat? I think she’s a good choice. Not overly obvious, but when you hear her name…. you think to yourself, “Yeah, I can see that!”

Also, Lizard is out. Who do you think the other male villain Raimi is going to go with?

Let’s hear it!

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more Spider-Man 4 news is revealed.

Source: Mania.com

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The Technology Of Science Fiction Is Here Now

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:10 +0000

Terminator Salvation came to theaters on May 21st. It sparked an idea in my head about technology in our society and if it’s really possible get to the point of what the Terminator franchise projects for our future.

When I presented the idea to a co-worker, he dissed it immediately. When a scientist or engineer starts to immediately diss the possibility of an idea, it’s a good clue that it might be a good idea for us to wrap our imaginations around. Hence, the birth of this article.

This was going to be a short piece… but unfortunately, like the technology in Terminator, the more I looked into the subject matter, the more the article grew on me. It got bigger than the original idea. It took me over and I found myself inexorably abducted into having to write it.

It became just a wee bit more than it’s original design. Huh? Where have we heard that before?

Technology In Science Fiction

When we watch our favorite Sci-Fi or fantasy movies, we love the idea of what could be compared to what is. Despite the science community who nit-picks the details of science fiction in movies, we’re starting to see more and more real technology or science premises coming out of our beloved movies. Odd isn’t it?

It’s not that odd. Writers are sparked by imagination and are not limited by budgets, funding sources or the hassle of having to actually discover the math that underlies the technologies or premises they pitch.

Generally speaking, the first sci-fi film that predicted something “impossible” was from the French visionary Georges Melies and his milestone 1902 silent sci-fi film, A Trip To The Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune). The general consensus was that it was silly. Well, as we know, it wasn’t, but he was daring enough to envision it and create it.

A popular theme we continue to see is humanity fighting against the odds and fighting against out of control computer programs. We love seeing our heroes prevailing over these obstacles to survive. It also helps that we have super cool stars and awesome music and futuristic ideas that are easily digestible to help us devour the magic of these movies.

And yet science fiction or the imagination of science fiction writers and movie makers seem to pre-echo our real technological achievements or nightmares. But really, give me a break. Perfectly animated humanoid robots standing up against humanity?

Hardware And Software Conjoined To Make Trouble

There are two components to this nightmare: Machines and the software that operates them. Software isn’t that hard to construct. It’s a collection of logic that when run, appears autonomous. Or as I see it, can be instilled pre-learned behavior.

Walk. See Wall, turn. If wall on right, turn left. Else, turn right.

That’s a silly and rudimentary example of software code for a walking robot. I could spend hours writing out all the different options and opportunities just for walking. Or better yet, I could just create logic that would ask the robot to write its own software. It isn’t hard. It’s just a bookkeeping nightmare to create and sort out conflicting code.

In Fritz Lang’s 1930’s science fiction film Metropolis we see one of the earliest imaginations of robots. We’ve seen the autonomous and independent Robby the Robot in one of my all time faves, Forbidden Planet. There was the incredible tale of robot self awareness and growth in I, Robot. On May 21st we saw the ultimate nightmare in Terminator Salvation, where they take 1983’s War Games just a step further with Skynet making it’s tools – machines in the form of different types of robots to kick our own butts.

But really, it’s pretty fantastic. Right?

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: May 17, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:49:46 +0000

This week:

Tom Hanks is the box office champion; Terry Gilliam kills Don Quixote…again; Spider-Man has a new Green Goblin (on stage); the Basterds are online; Toy Story 3 is moving Up; Ewan McGregor won’t be Trainspotting and who are the Six Suspects?

Box Office

Tom Hanks charged to the top of the box office with Angels and Demons. The sequel to The DaVinci Code grossed $48 million over the weekend, which is down from the $77 million opening for the first film. Having said that, reviews are better and the audience is more mature so it might have legs to make it profitable. Expect a third movie – but might they replace Hanks with someone younger and cheaper next time?

Star Trek showed great legs with a second weekend take of $42 million and a drop of less than 45% from its opening weekend. With a total gross of $147 million it looks like this installment of the long running science fiction franchise really does have phasers set for stun!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine clawed in another $15 million for a grand total of $151 million.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past pulled in another $4 million for a total of $40 million. Expect it to hit the $50 million mark.

Obsessed has now banked $62 million so expect to see Beyonce Knowles in more romantic comedies. 17 Again is also teetering around the $60 million mark while Monster Vs Aliens is closing in on $200 million.

Movie News

1. It looks like Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is looking like it’s going to finally hit the big screen. Although having said that I wouldn’t get too excited until I’ve bought my ticket.

Gilliam and Tony Grisoni (a very nice man) have rewritten the script where a filmmaker ends up in Don Quixote’s world.

Gilliam said:

“I’m not so much a filmmaker as someone who gets possessed by an idea and it doesn’t leave me until I make the film. I commit myself to it so fully.”

Johnny Depp was set to star in the original incarnation of the film and Gilliam is in talks with the star to return to the project, but Depp’s a busy man these days and he might not be able to fit it into his schedule.

Time will tell.

Source: Variety

2. X-Men 2 star Allan Cumming is in negotiations to star in Julie Taymor’s $40 million Broadway musical production of Spider-Man.

Cumming would play the Green Goblin in the play which will have music by U2.

Anybody else think that this is a crazy idea?

Source: New York Post

3. The official website to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds has been launched. Excited? Don’t be – there’s just a trailer there and some facebook and twitter links.

Expect more as we get closer to the August 21st release date.

Source: Inglourious Basterds

4. If you’ve been waiting 10 years for Toy Story 3 then wait no more. Well…you’ve got to wait a bit more. The trailer for the long awaited animated film will be attached to Pixar’s forthcoming UP.

Toy Story 3 will open on June 18th, 2010.

Source: Movieblog

5. With Slumdog Millionaire raking in Oscars and grossing millions it’s no surprise to learn that the author of the book on which the film was based – Vikas Swarup has become a hot commodity. The author’s next novel Six Suspects is being developed by BBC Films. The book which is billed as “Agatha Christie meets Elmore Leonard” is being adapted by John Hodge, who also wrote Slumdog director Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.

The film is due to shoot in Delhi next year.

Source: Screen Daily

6. Speaking of Trainspotting – it looks like Ewan McGregor won’t be slipping back into Renton’s tight jeans in a Trainspotting sequel.

Speaking to Moviefone McGregor said:

“I don’t think I would, for several reasons. The first one is that I didn’t think the book was very good. The novel of ‘Trainspotting’ was quite fantastic, it was beautiful, quite moving and disturbing writing, and then I find that the sequel … the book that Irvine Welsh wrote was called ‘Porno,’ and … it didn’t move me as much … He’d written a good sequel to the film as opposed to a sequel to his book. It’s also a similar story, you know, the betrayal of trust … Renton walks away with all the money at the end again. And I thought I don’t want to make the same story again. And, also, I think just the idea of getting the cast together again 10 to 15 years later isn’t good enough, you need more than that.”

Fair point – I think the fact that Boyle and McGregor had a huge falling out over Leonardo DiCapario being cast in The Beach might have something to do with it.

You might be angry Ewan – but he did do you a favor on that one.

Source: Moviefone

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

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Spider-Man 4 Villain Is A Vampire?

Rob Keyes — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:33:14 +0000

Sam Raimi, Director of all movies in the Spiderman franchise, spoke in the latest issue of Empire magazine and told them who he’d like to be the featured nemesis of Peter Parker’s alter ego in Spider-Man 4.

“I like it in the Marvel comics when Spider-Man fights Morbius,” said Raimi. “He’s really cool. A vampire! I like that combination of superhero plus supernatural.”

After Spider-Man 3, it was assumed by many that The Lizard would play a major role if there was to be another sequel as he was featured as an important secondary character in the movie playing a mentor-type role to Peter Parker in that film.

It would make sense to see The Lizard and Morbius as the two villains as they would work well together in the same film having had quite a bit of history together in the Spider-Man comics. On top of that, they share obvious similarities: Both are/were doctors, both work with different animals for their experiments and both achieved power from the same method.

Dr. Curt Connors (The Lizard) had his arm amputated due to an injury sustained by a blast while being a military surgeon. Later in life he studied the limb-regenerative capabilities of lizards and long story short, he turned into a humanoid-lizard hybrid.

Dr. Michael Morbius on the other hand, was a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who suffered from a rare blood disease. Using experiments involving vampire bats and electroshock therapy, he ended up with super strength some side-effects similar to that of Vampirism and now he must drink blood from his victims.

I think this is a great idea for the next Spider-Man movie and if done right, can make up for the mess that was Spider-Man 3. This time they can focus on two characters and the film can be darker-themed with the nature of the characters involved. That being said, I’m getting a little tired of all of the Spidey villains partly redeeming themselves at the end and not being truly bad. That applies for both of these characters who are not entirely bad guys.

We should also not forget that Vampirism is definitely a current hot topic with the success of the Twilight books and movie which is turning into a series of films as well as the True Blood HBO series which is pre-production for a second season.

What do you think of The Lizard and Morbius making their big screen debuts?

Spider-Man 4 brings together Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi yet again, and is expected to hit theatres in 2011.

Source: /Film

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Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – Oct. 23, 2008

Niall Browne — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:45:46 +0000

Yes, it’s that time of the week again.

This week:

Rob Reiner reads the Book of Shadows; 13 isn’t unlucky for Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham; we take a peek at Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino; will you see Saw V and Spider-Man makes sure that Sam Raimi doesn’t know Jack.

1. Rob Reiner will direct the action-adventure film Book of Shadows.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The story follows a young man who must embark on the perilous journey of first love and face many trials of maturity while on the dangerous quest to close a mythical tome called “Book of Shadows” in order to restore balance to the world.”

Sounds like it could bring the director back to his Princess Bride heyday.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. The poster for Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino is now online. When the film was first announced earlier in the year the internet went crazy over the idea that the film could be a new Dirty Harry film. While the film does not feature Harry Callaghan, Clint sure does look bad ass!

Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino

Source: USA Today

3. It’s almost Halloween and that can only mean one thing – there’s a new Saw movie on the way! Saw V (how odd for a film to use Roman numerals these days) opens Friday and you can check a batch of clips, interviews and trailers on Terror Feed.

Source: Terror Feed

4. Riding high on the crest of The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke has signed on to star with Jason Statham in 13. The film is a remake of the Franch language film 13 Tzameti.

According to Variety:

“(The film) centers on a man who steals a mysterious package that promises to pay out a fortune.”

50 Cent will co-star.

Source: Variety

5. Sam Raimi does not know Jack – Ryan that is. How many times can I make that joke?

Raimi is too busy with Spider-Man 4 to helm the reboot of Tom Clancy’s all American hero.

There was news a few moths ago was that Raimi was miffed that his Spider-Man star (you know what I mean) James Franco was turned down by Paramount.

Raimi said:

“I’m really excited about Spider-Man… Production [on more Spider-Man films] would start probably by March, I’m guessing of 2010. I loveTom Clancy, and I hope they’d keep me in mind… But because I’m committed to ‘Spider-Man and making that picture, I think it’s going to knock me out of the running for the Jack Ryan picture.”

Here’s a crazy idea Paramount – let Ben Affleck star and direct the new Jack Ryan. You never know…

Source: MTV

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

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Raimi and Maguire To Return For Spider-Man 4 (and 5)

Jamie Williams — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:56:32 +0000

[Update: E! Online's Ted Casablanca reports that all talk on Spider-Man 4, as well as 5, is "jumping the gun" according to his sources. He adds that Tobey Maguire has not signed on to return calling the earlier claims "premature." Although it appears Maguire will probably return. - Jamie.]

Despite the fact that it made $900 million, I’ve yet to meet a single person who actually liked Spider-Man 3. Hell, the audience I saw it with went full-on MST3K resulting in huge laughter during the midnight screening.

But since its release, there have been countless rumors regarding the future of the Spider-Man franchise. “Is Tobey Maguire going to stop playing Webhead?” and “What will Sam Raimi’s involvement be… if any?” were among the many questions asked by fanboys across the internet.

Now it looks like plans are under-way to get Webhead’s fourth cinematic outing to the silver screen ASAP.

According to Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, Sony has hammered out new deals for director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire to return for Spider-Man 4 among other things.

Even though most people would prefer her non-participation, Sony supposedly “would never recast” Kirsten Dunst as Spidey’s main-squeeze Mary Jane Watson. Although Finke was quick to point out no deal is in place for her yet – this despite the fact that her character will return.

“Once you find out who the villain is, you’ll know who’s playing it” says their source(s) regarding the identity of the next Spider villain. Um, okay. I would assume then they’re referring to Dylan Baker’s Dr. Conners. That’s the Lizard for all of you non-comic book readers out there!

And what about those rumors at the start of the summer of Spider-Man 4 and 5 being filmed concurrently? Apparently, Sony is considering it. While those God-awful Pirates of the Caribbean and Matrix sequels are not the best example of this, it did work for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Honestly, I find it hard to believe Sony is willing to fork all that money to Raimi and Maguire considering the reception of 3. I’m sorry, but this franchise needs new blood behind the camera. On the other hand, Jamie Vanderbilt is writing the script – the same guy who penned the most excellent Zodiac, which starred Robert Downey Jr.

Not to mention, Tobey’s getting on up there in years. He’ll be 36 years-old when its released in May 2011. You think he can still effectively play a character whose in his early-20s by then?

And what’s with the sudden “sacred cow” of keeping Kirsten Dunst around when damn-near nobody wants her (or her character) to come back?

I’m pretty iffy about this news, folks. Personally, I’d take it with a grain of salt until we hear something official from Sony.

Spider-Man 4 is currently aiming for a May 2011 release.

Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily

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Marvel Is Going Anime

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:19:57 +0000

Marvel Comics has done a bang-up job expanding their brand over the course of the last decade. After many stalled attempts to break into the realm of television, with bland animated show (Spider-Man), after bland animated show (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk), all throughout the 90’s, Marvel decided to leave the cartoon stuff to rival DC and start the Millennium off right by conquering the multiplex.

Thanks to that bold endeavor, we fanboys now live in an age where our beloved icons serve as tent-poles for the summer blockbuster season, and our years of ardent hero-worship has made us sages in the geek-chic world order.

But now, with Marvel having dominated the comic book industry and striking major blows in the battle for the box office, what’s left? Well, as an answer, Marvel has turned its focus East… FAR East… hoping to break into the last undiscovered country for comic book heroes: the world of anime.

According to MTV News, Marvel is joining forces with acclaimed Japanimation studio Madhouse, in an effort to re-imagine some of their headlining characters (Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron-Man) for a series of four anime feature films, to be released in 2010. Said Marvel International President, Simon Phillips:

“It will create an entire parallel universe for Marvel.”

These new anime films will essentially re-vamp the characters we know and love, giving their traditional costumes some anime influence, while re-tooling the characters and their origins to reflect Japenese culture. Those who have picked up any one of the Marvel Manga comic books should already have an idea of how this works (or doesn’t).

Anime version of Marvel Comics characters

While there’s been no official word on which heroes will get “anime-ted” first, word is that Madhouse President Jungo Maruta has been seen toting some manga-style sketches of Iron Man around the office. (Wouldn’t surprise me if ol’ Shellhead got the first flick, given his current popularity and the Japanese obsession with technology. I’ve always been surprised that Iron Man isn’t to Japan what Superman is to America.)

Finally, there is some light rumoring that the Marvel/Anime initiative will try to push the industry further into the realm of mobile-media, offering cellphone downloads, clips, and other mobile fare to help you bring the Marvel Mangaverse with you wherever you go.

We’ll keep an eye on this as 2010 an approaches. In the meantime, do you think Marvel should be going anime? Or did Batman: Gotham Knight make you want to keep your favorite comic book characters 100% made in the U.S.A.?

Source: MTV News

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Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors

Jamie Williams — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:01:15 +0000

So late last week, word leaked that Spider-Man 4 (along with Spider-Man 5 no less) was picking up steam.

[UPDATE: Sony has informed Coming Soon that Tobey Maguire is not being replaced for Spider-Man 4. - Jamie]

Now according to our buddies at Latino Review, a number of young, lesser-known actors are being considered to replace the departing Tobey Maguire to play Spiderman and his dorky alter-ego Peter Parker.

Although they were quick to say that “no offers have been made”, the top choices are Patrick Fugit (i.e. best known for Cameron Crowe’s masterpiece Almost Famous) and Michael Angarano (i.e. the lead in the suprisingly good Sky High from a few years back!)

I have absolutely nothing against either actor. Both certainly have the right look and are young enough to carry the series for a couple of installments.

However, if this nerd had a say in the casting, my vote would go to Bret Harrison – the lead of the insanely underrated television-series Reaper.

Not only can he act (which obviously matters) and physically play the part, but this guy has the perfect sense of humor to give Webhead his wise-cracks back on the silver screen.

But then again…maybe that’s just me…

For more details and pics of the possible actors head over to Latino Review at the link below.

Source: Latino Review

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Will Spider-Man 4 & 5 Be Filmed Together?

Jamie Williams — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:34:29 +0000

Ironically, I had just made a remark just this morning on the SuperHero Hype Forum about how we’d yet to hear anything from Sony, Marvel Films & Co. regarding Spider-Man 4.

In fact last we heard, James Vanderbilt (i.e. Zodiac screenwriter) was hired to write Webhead’s 4th cinematic adventure. And that was just a week or so before the WGA Strike started last year.

Since then, it’s been dead silence… until now.

Cinematical is reporting (via a trusted insider) that Vanderbilt turned his screenplay in just a few weeks back.

And according to their source:

“His story arc has encompassed two films, making Spider-Man 5 shootable at the same time. The studio saw dollar signs and is in the process of reworking his deal to snatch up the story arc.”

It should be worth-noting that similar rumors surfaced regarding Spider-Man 3 a few years back. If my memory is correct, said rumor was 3 would feature Sandman as the villain, and then segway into 4 which would showcase Venom.

Those “shoot multiple superhero sequels at once” rumors also applied to X-Men 3 back when Bryan Singer was still supposed to direct.

Even if this is true, it then becomes a question of whether or not Sam Raimi and Tobey Maquire return.

Neither are contractually bound to the series anymore. Not to mention both appear to be busy on other projects.

Raimi’s currently working on Drag Me to Hell for next year and a Jack Ryan reboot for Paramount aiming for summer 2010 release, while Maguire is attached to produce and possibly star in Robotech for Warner Brothers.

So for the moment, take this rumor with a grain of salt…

Source: Cinematical

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Only YOU Can Prevent Bad Sequels: Spider-Man 4

Jamie Williams — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 01:16:02 +0000

OK, so most of us hated and/or were insanely let-down by Spider-Man 3. We know it’s a huge question mark as to whether or not Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi show up for Spider-Man 4 while James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) is currently typing away at the script.

I’m not even going to bring up Kirsten Dunst because honestly, no one cares.

So here’s an idea, true-believer (sorry I couldn’t help but unleash my inner Stan “The Man” Lee!) If you called the shots on Spider-Man 4, what would you do? Would you bring back Maguire, Raimi & Co. or flat-out replace them?

By the way, this is for everyone who wants to add their $.02: Readers and my fellow Screen Rant writers. So please, let’s hear your ideas. And there will be a test on this later, boys and girls.

I’ll go first (obviously, since I’m the schmuck who started this discussion).

Although I’m not the first to suggest him (IGN Filmforce), Edgar Wright (from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) would be the perfect guy to take over for Sam Raimi. He’s obviously talented in terms of visual flair (check out the action sequences from Hot Fuzz). Not to mention, he has the right comedic sensibilities – any and every thing involving Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together equals comic gold!

Heck, Wright could be the guy to give Webhead the classic wise-cracks we’ve been missing outta the previous films. If for no other reason, having him direct Spider-Man 4 could mean Pegg and Frost show up in some fashion. And the thought of them sharing a scene with Bruce Campbell is enough to make my head explode (in a good way).

As for Webhead himself, I’d love to say “Just get Tobey again!” But the truth of the matter is that Peter Parker is supposed to around 22-24 years old. By the time Spider-Man 4 graces the silver screen (summer 2010), Maguire will be 35. To be fair, if he can effectively play that age, then we’re in good shape. But… there’s too much fear of another “Roger Moore” situation (i.e. being so old that it becomes laughable and a distraction from said film).

With that in mind, I would say go for a flat-out unknown actor (in the vein of Chris Pine and Brandon Routh) and get him down for 3 Spidey adventures just to be safe.

For me, the villain is obvious: The Lizard. Dylan Baker (Fido) has been solid (albeit under-used) as Dr. Connors, and it’sabout time we get to see the Lizard roaming the sewers of Manhattan. If there has to be more than one villain in this film, I’d say go for Electro for no other reason than he’s one of the all-time great classic Spidey villains.

Alrighty then. Who’s next?

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Big Change Of Direction For Spider-Man 4?

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:39:09 +0000

A writer has been hired to pen the screenplay for Spider-Man 4: James Vanderbilt.

Who’s that? He’s the guy who wrote the screenplay for Zodiac, the movie that dramatized the Zodiac killer mystery from the 60’s and 70’s. It received excellent reviews, but not too many people turned out to see it (admittedly, myself included… guess I’ll have to rent it).

In addition the studio is targeting 2009 (no doubt, summer) as the release date for the movie.

No word on whether any of the principal actors (Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, etc.) will be in the fourth film, but I’d be very happy to see Mary Jane relegated to a very minor part of the story.

Source: Cinematical

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Poster For New Spider-Man Animated Series

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:54:00 +0000

A poster is out for the new Spectacular Spider-Man animated series coming to the WB network.

It looks like Marvel may finally be taking a hint from DC in the animation department, at least based on the drawing style depicted in the poster (click on the image for a larger view).

Up until recently the animation style of Marvel Universe characters brought to the small screen has been shall we say, not that great. To their credit they did come out with that brief CGI Spidey show on MTV a while back, which while different, was kind of creepy looking. They also tried for a more stylized look with the new Fantastic Four animated series, but personally I find it offensive to see the venerable FF drawn in an overtly anime style.

However I’m liking what I see in this pic and will tune in to see how it turns out.

Source: ToonZone

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Big Honking Spiderman 3 Preview

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:02:43 +0000

Update: You can now see the preview right here!

For the next 24 hours only you can go to NBC.com and catch a seven minute preview of Spiderman 3. Personally I fast forwarded through the first half because what I wanted to see was some ACTION.

I hate to admit it, but although I found James Franco’s portrayal of Harry Osborne kind of weepy in the first couple of films, his scenes in the preview as (correct me if I’m wrong) Hobgoblin are really excellent. He seems absolutely ferocious and it works great. And gone is that silly Power Rangers version of the costume, replaced with a more Ninja-like outfit.

Here are a few more images from the preview:

There was so much action in the preview I had trouble finding non-blurry screen grabs, but I liked it so much I’ll even forgive the snowboard-style glider.

Spiderman 3 opens on May 4, 2007.

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