There will be a Spider-man 4, and Raimi, Maguire, and Dunst will return

[Skywalker]

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/20081031/122544306700.html

Pulitzer pen crafts "Spidey 4"
Friday October 31 1:51 AM ET


Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire got out of a rabbit hole, only to be ensnared by a spider's web.

Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama "Rabbit Hole," is in final negotiations to write "Spider-Man 4" for Columbia.

Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character.

Plot details are under lock and key. Producer Laura Ziskin had said she would like to aim for a May 2011 release for "Spider-Man 4," nine years after the original movie's debut.

Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the "Spider-Man" movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's "Paper Moon" and 1980's "Ordinary People," served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on "Spider-Man 2."

James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of "Spider-Man 4."

Lindsay-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole," which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play "Fuddy Meers."

Lindsay-Abaire has said in interviews that his plays tend to be "peopled with outsiders in search of clarity," which would put his work on sympathetic terms with Peter Parker, who in his classic incarnation is the perpetual outsider.

The choice of scribe also signals that that filmmakers are intent to focus on character, something that critics said got lost in the third installment.

Lindsay-Abaire, now writing the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical adaptation of "Shrek," has dipped his toe in Tinseltown before, with his adaptation of "Inkheart" due in January. He is also adapting "Rabbit" for 20th Century Fox and Nicole Kidman.

Hopefully its better than the 3rd one.

I'm glad Maguire and Dunst are returning, I hate it when they have to re-cast characters

[Freestyle]

I say this time they should try to get 9 villians into this movie.

[xX-Bronco-Xx]

If they have Peter Parker dancing and singing in this one again I swear I will leave the theater screaming. :hammer:

[SBboundBRONCOS]

each sequel has gotten considerably worse . . . . .i laughed the whole time in the 3rd while talking about wasting my time in better ways . . . it was terrible

if this pattern holds true i will NOT go see this movie

[RealBronco]

I say this time they should try to get 9 villians into this movie.

I say Raimi should give the reigns to someone who actually has a grasp of how to function a camera, tell a story, and direct actors.

Also if he's gonna have multiple villains, he should take lessons from Nolan.

Spiderman 3 only had 3 villains and they still couldn't do it. not to mention if you don't agree or like the hero's main nemesis, you shouldn't direct the movie.

See, in TDK we had The Joker, Two-Face (two MAJOR Batman villains in one film), Maroni, Scarecrow, Lau, Ramirez, and the Chechen. You might even count Reese. That's eight villains. Six plot-important villains.

Batman Begins also had six.

Basically Raimi sucks.

Also it's not a sure thing that Dunst is coming back. There was another article yesterday saying they'd like to have her back but weren't sure...

[Southstander]

The way both Batman films pull of having multipul villians is for the most part there was not a scene where the main vilian was created, for the most part they already exited in the back story. Like Carmine Flaconi, he was operating in Gotham before their was a Batman. He wasn't not droped in just to have a villian to fight.

[xX-Bronco-Xx]

The bad thing is they already killed off Venom so now one of my favorite Spiderman villains is gone.

[getlynched47]

I hope one of the villians is the Shocker

[Southstander]

The bad thing is they already killed off Venom so now one of my favorite Spiderman villains is gone.

From what I've heard Vemon could return.

[underrated29]

a pirates 4 too, but no orlando bloom.

[Southstander]

Or Keria Knightingly

[Skywalker]

Or Keria Knightingly

Which sucks, because Elizabeth is my favorite character.

[Southstander]

Which sucks, because Elizabeth is my favorite character.

Mine to, GIGGITY!!!!

[Skywalker]

Mine to, GIGGITY!!!!

Yeah, of course she yours. That isn't why she's my favorite though, obviously.

[RealBronco]

The way both Batman films pull of having multipul villians is for the most part there was not a scene where the main vilian was created, for the most part they already exited in the back story. Like Carmine Flaconi, he was operating in Gotham before their was a Batman. He wasn't not droped in just to have a villian to fight.

nicely stated. it's true.

sometimes it's nice and fun to see the creation of your favorite villain, but other times it just works better if they're already there, as if they'd been operating for years before our hero came along.

I'm so glad they did not try to tackle the origin of The Joker in The Dark Knight. And, they pretty much introduced his character in Batman Begins, as if he were just another thug robbing banks, and then we get to see that in action as TDK opens.

and then we get to see the escalation Gordon warned Batman about:

"we buy weapons, they buy automatic weapons. we buy kevlar, they buy armor piercing rounds... you're wearing a mask, jumping off rooftops..."

for such a hero escalates a worthy villain, and none fit the bill better than The Joker.

that's exactly how Nolan and Co. pulled it off, and they didn't just throw someone in because he was famous to the character or because people wanted him. No, The Joker had a purpose... where Venom was just there because Raimi wanted to please the fans.

"Why so Serious...[Raimi!]"