FROM MTV.COM: Monday's shocking announcement that one of the decade's most successful film franchises has thrown in the towel on a fourth installment hit fans as hard as a Sandman punch to the face. Now, Raimi and Tobey and Kirsten and everyone else are going to move on to other projects, and all we can do is miss them — and, of course, look back on the better days.

Remembering back to the 2001 press conference in a wrestling ring that started it all — yep, I was there! — all the way up to Monday's sad goodbye, it somehow seems like "Spider-Man 4" was the most dramatic movie in the series, simply through its production twists and turns. And so, it is with great affection that we look back on the roller-coaster ride of the Spidey movie we'll never see.

Continue reading 'Spider-Man 4': What A Tangled Web It Wove at Movies.MTV.com.

"Spider-Man 4" is dead. Long live the new "Spider-Man" movie franchise!

Okay, so maybe popular sentiment isn't quite that positive regarding the recent news that Sony will reboot the "Spider-Man" franchise in 2012 with a new movie, director and star. But why should it be?

While reports from the "Spider-Man 4" front have included no small amount of obstacles to production, yesterday's announcement still came as a surprise to most fans. And now many of the Spider-Man faithful are left wondering what's in store for Peter Parker and his surrounding cast — and more importantly, whether his big-screen future is in good hands.

With that in mind, here are the five burning questions the studio should answer soon (either directly or by way of "Spider-Man" movie news) if they're hoping to keep fans excited about the wall-crawler's future in theaters. Read more...

FROM MTV.COM: Now that Sam Raimi has left the "Spider-Man" franchise over creative differences, it's time for the filmmaker to find a new phase in his career. Will he follow his last film "Drag Me to Hell" with further returns to the horror genre he's well known for? Or will he move on to other big Hollywood blockbusters? Here are some of the projects Raimi has lined up, either as director, producer or both:

"Warcraft": Certain to be Raimi's next directorial effort, this adaptation of the enormously popular video game franchise could be an even bigger deal than the "Spider-Man" series. The movie has an expected budget of more than $220 million ("Spider-Man 3" cost $258 million), Raimi told MTV News last October that it will be as faithful as possible to the mythology of the game. "Saving Private Ryan" screenwriter Robert Rodat is currently crafting an original story based on the "World of Warcraft" universe. Raimi was set to helm this after wrapping on "Spider-Man 4," but perhaps production on "Warcraft" will be moved up now that Raimi has left the superhero sequel.

Continue reading What's Next For 'Spider-Man' Director Sam Raimi? at Movies.MTV.com.

Sony's decision to reboot their Spider-Man franchise instead of making "Spider-Man 4" means that moviegoers will see an entirely new Peter Parker in theaters for 2012. Not just anyone can play Spidey, though. The part demands an actor who can play a socially maladjusted teenager while still being able to slip into spandex and wisecrack like it's going out of style.

Since the only details Sony has released indicate that their new Spider-Man film will take place during Peter's teenage years, we can only assume that whoever gets the part will need to walk and talk like a high school student.

Here are five actors we think could handle the great power and great responsibility of the role. Read more...

Now that Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire have officially departed the "Spider-Man" franchise, it's well worth pondering who the next director and lead actor to join the property are going to be.

While "Spider-Man 3" certainly suffered its fair share of criticism, the combination of Raimi and Maguire won over the majority of fans in the initial two installments. Finding adequate replacements isn't good enough — Sony needs to find the best of the best.

For now, let's focus on the director's chair. Raimi's shoes are big ones to fill — he brought the indie sensibilities of his "Evil Dead" days to "Spider-Man," offering a unique take on the character and his world that no other director could replicate. Given that, a drastically different approach is a must, but not one lacking in the same kind of quality. These five directors could go a long way towards taking the "Spider-Man" franchise in a bold new direction. Read more...

"Spider-Man 4" is no longer. The franchise that was defined by star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi is in for a dramatic overhaul now that the two creative forces are no longer involved in the Marvel Comics property.

Some fans might point towards continuity deviations, an overabundance of villains and excessive dance sequences as reasons to look forward to the new direction of "Spider-Man." But if we're being honest with each other — was it really all bad?

I have a lot of fondness for the original "Spider-Man" trilogy, and I doubt that I'm alone. While I'm certainly curious about the franchise's future, I can't help feeling some nostalgia for the old movies as they're on their way out. Here are a few of the things that I'll miss the most. Read more...

Face it, Tiger — your franchise just hit a wall.

Sony has curtailed plans for "Spider-Man 4" and opted to reboot Peter Parker's big-screen adventures without director Sam Raimi, star Tobey Maguire or the rest of the film's cast, according to a report that first broke on Deadline Hollywood Daily earlier today. The site reported that Raimi and the studio parted ways after script disagreements proved so insurmountable that the planned summer 2012 release date was in danger.

The studio later confirmed the report in an official announcement (posted in full below) that, along with outlining plans to start over with a teenage Peter Parker, indicated that a new "Spider-Man" movie was still planned for 2012. Read more...

What started out as a bizarre casting rumor might actually turn out to hold some weight, as "Jonah Hex" actor John Malkovich has apparently confessed to his pending casting as The Vulture in "Spider-Man 4."

Malkovich apparently owned up to his involvement in the fourth "Spider-Man" film during an appearance on Italian sports show "Quelli Che il Calcio," which was witnessed by a reader at Bad Taste.

According to an English translation of the report, Malkovich not only didn't deny his involvement when directly asked about "Spider-Man 4," he even said that he's currently awaiting a final script and hopes to begin shooting soon. Read more...

There's no shortage of questions these days about what the heck is going on with "Spider-Man 4." With production stalled and rumors circulating regarding exactly who's at fault in keeping the webslinger grounded, it's difficult to determine what the real problem with the project is right now — and more importantly, how to solve it.

Fortunately, a set of "Spider-Man 4" script notes have appeared online that could provide some hints. Okay, so they're not real script notes, just a clever column by Mark Lisanti over at MovieLine, but they're pretty hilarious all the same.

From "Avatar" tie-ins and musical numbers to questions about the correct phrasing of Twitter terms, there's something in this fictional script for every Spider-fan to hate. If nothing else, they provide a great example of the worst-case scenario for "Spider-Man 4." Read more...

While the villains of "Spider-Man 4" have yet to be determined, there's no shortage of adversaries in the way of Peter Parker's big screen return, including a production delay due to script troubles and the new competitive release date for "Thor." Luckily, Parker still has one friendly neighbor he can rely on — none other than Tobey Maguire.

Maguire recently participated in a webcam chat with The Envelope (transcribed by Superhero Hype), during which the "Spider-Man" actor downplayed the mounting reports about the film's delay.

Read more...