SAM RAIMI UNSURE OF SPIDER-MAN FUTURE

At an appearance at the Los Angeles Film Festival, director Sam Raimi spoke candidly about the future of the Spider-Man franchise and his role in it.  “Sony Pictures is going to be making many more Spider-Man pictures,” said Raimi.  “I just don’t know what [my] future holds yet.”

One major factor in his decision to helm a fourth Spider-Man would be finding the right story.  “If I can’t find the right story that would work for me and that I could tell really well, I would like someone else to tell that story,” explained Raimi.  ”But if it’s a great story and Sony will bring me back to the screen, I would love to.”

Whether or not Sony will offer Raimi to direct a fourth film is yet to be seen.  Raimi had previously stated that he would only direct a fourth film if stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst returned as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson.  “It would be really hard for me to make a movie without Tobey and Kirsten playing the two leads,” said Raimi.  ”I would seriously think about James [Franco] too, but he bit the dust in this last one.”  The question remains if Sony will want to pay to have their lead actors return for a fourth film or if they prefer to start fresh with a new cast and possibly new director.

“I would still hope that Sony would offer it to me [to direct] first,” Raimi explained.  ”But that is not my place to say; it would be more about if Sony decided not to go with me.  If not, it would be really up to them to come to a solution [for me to still be involved as a producer].”

And if Sony does decide to bring Raimi back for a fourth film, what villains would the director like to see in the film?  “I would love to see Electro, Vulture, maybe the Sinister Six as a team,” he said.  And what of Dylan Baker, the actor who has portrays Dr. Curt Conners, Peter Parker’s professor who eventually becomes Lizard?  “I love Dylan Baker as a person, and I really like the character he is developing,” expained Raimi.  “The Lizard is probably one of my favorite characters.  But [Spider-Man 4] will probably have to start with the central journey of the main character to arrive at the proper villain.”

SPIDER-MAN 3 NAMED NUMBER TWO MOVIE OF THE YEAR…SO FAR

The Reno Gazette-Journal has named Spider-Man 3 the second best movie of the year (thus far) behind Zodiac.  “Spider-Man 3 has as many exciting fight sequences as the previous films and even more emotional resonance,” writes Forrest Hartman.

Check out the entire list here.

Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series Ad

Photo from the movie Spider-Man 3. Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series Ad

HASBRO TO LAUNCH STAN LEE ACTION FIGURE

Hasbro has announced they will release a 6-inch action figure of Spider-Man creator Stan Lee as part of its Marvel Legends line.  “We feel it’s long overdue that Stan Lee be immortalized as an action figure, much like the dozens of marvelous characters that he has created for years and years,” said Hasbro’s vice president of marketing Eric Nyman.  “And it couldn’t be more fitting than to create him as a `Marvel Legends’ figure.”  The limited-edition figure, which depicts a modern day Lee in khaki pants, blue windbreaker, glasses and signature gray hair will retail for $14.99 and debut next month at Comic-Con in San Diego.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN COMING TO THE CW

PRESS RELEASE:

“The Spectacular Spider-Man” is the official title of the super hero’s new animated series coming to the Kids’ WB! on The CW, it was announced today by Kids’ WB! Senior Vice President and General Manager Betsy McGowen.

“The use of the “Spectacular” title is an homage to Marvel’s wildly popular series of Spider-Man comics, and is very reflective of the enthusiasm and high regard we have for the production,” McGowen said. “This promises to be a stand-out animated series that will perfectly complement both Sony Entertainment’s box office-shattering films and the amped-up action on Kids’WB! every Saturday.”

Riding the crest of Sony’s blockbuster “Spider-Man 3,” the new animated series — slated to premiere on Kids’ WB! in early 2008 — picks up the world-renowned web-slinger’s mythology at the beginning of his hero’s journey as a not-so-typical 16-year-old with new-found powers engaging the multi-leveled pressures of teenage life while combating bigger, badder super-villains in the real world.

Greg Weisman (”Gargoyles,” “The Batman) is supervising producer on “The Spectacular Spider-Man.” Victor Cook (”Hellboy: Blood and Iron”) is producer/supervising director. The series is produced by Culver Entertainment.