Vulture’s Claude Brodesser-Akner had the earliest confirmation that (500) DAYS OF SUMMER director Marc Webbhas been signed on for the Spider-Man reboot, which is expected to “focus far more on the private life of Peter Parker” — not only that but he’s wayyyyy cheaper than the Raimi team.
Webb, whose (500) Days scored a Golden Globe nomination and whose name seems to have predestined him for this job, has long been a favorite of Columbia chairman Amy Pascal. We’re told that last year she very nearly hired him to direct the adaptation of Michael Lewis’s Moneyball after she pulled the plug on Steven Soderbergh three days before shooting. She ultimately chose Bennett Miller (Capote), thinking that Moneyball might be hurt by Webb’s whimsical style, but she views him as a latter-day Cameron Crowe for the economically and socially angsty Generation Y, and thinks he’d be perfect to explore the conflict within Parker.
Splash Page caught Webb on the Golden Globes carpet, holding an umbrella as is this year’s fashion, and Webb, whose background is in videos for bands such as Green Day, waxed enthusiastic about Ultimate Spidey, so he’s quickly learning the territory. Deadline has the PR:
Webb said, “This is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi’s virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I’m here because there’s an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”
Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, “I’m excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can’t wait to see what Marc comes up with next.”
As Deadline commenters point out, it’s another studio attempt to put a young director with a few indie-ish successes on a superhero, as they did with Bryan Singer on the X-franchise, which worked out great, and Gavin Hood on the Wolverine movie, which didn’t.
That was fast.
“Spidey’s Webb Spins Anew”
“The Webb of Spider-Man”
“Raimi’s Spidey Weaves Tangled Webb”
“(500) Days of Spider-Man”
Why the headlines practically write themselves! Not as eloquent as the legendary New York Post front-page headline “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” but they’ll do, Spider-Pig…they’ll do.
Spidey’s private life is not what I go to those movies to see. As much as I like Spider-Man 2, there’s a stretch after he quits being Spider-Man which went on so long I started looking at my watch, wondering how long it would take before we saw Spider-Man again. The Ditko comics managed to strike a good balance between his private life and his Spider-Man life. In a Hulk movie do you really go to see Bruce Banner or do you go to see the Hulk? A Spider-Man movie should be about Spider-Man, not about Peter Parker’s love life and school homework.
There is no Spider-Man, though. There is only Peter Parker and whatever clothes he happens to have on. He’s the same person, with the same personality, and the things he wants are the things he wants.
The 80 million dollar budget bandied about elsewhere sounds el-oh-dubya, though. I’ve probably done the sum wrong, but if I haven’t? That’s about half what the original one cost, adjusted for inflation.
(repeat disclaimer: probably messed up the sum)
//Oo/\
heh, what?
could be wrong, but it sounds like a snore fest. i’m all for the soap opera of peter parker’s life playing itself out in the story, but without equal parts spider-man in the mix, then really, who cares?