Sony Pictures is taking the Spider-Man franchise away from director Sam Raimi and rebooting it from scratch. The studio has confirmed that it will dispense with Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire and instead focus on a new script, written by Jamie Vanderbilt, with a new director and a new cast.
Sony is reportedly unhappy that Raimi is unable to commit to a summer 2012 release for the tentpole franchise and has grown frustrated to the point were they are willing to cut their losses. The new movie will once again focus on the high-school life of Peter Parker and his transformation into the web-slinging hero.
Star Maguire is said to be relatively unfazed by the news having starred in all 3 previous movies.
“Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.”
One thing that all this will accomplish is to leave Raimi to pursue a new World of Warcraft franchise which he has been circling for some time. But it’s truly a shocking piece of news.