Sony Pictures Taps Into the Spider-Man Universe and Finds Three More Films

I knew there was a reason I couldn’t sleep last night. And now, this morning I know why. It’s because Sony Pictures was issuing a late night press release for my favorite comic book character of all-time and his universe: Spider-Man! Seems like Sony took another hard look at…ummm….certain other comic book movies that have “assembled” and figured they can do the same. They should since Sony has the rights to the Web Slinger, they means they have an abundant well of material they can dig into that should make fans go crazy. Here’s the lowdown:

• Sony and Marvel are developing several new projects for the Spider-Man franchise, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard collaborating on overseeing the developing story over several films that will be produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. They, along with Marc Webb, have formed the team that will expand the universe for the brand and develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films. (Excited yet? Keep reading…)
• Kurtzman, Orci, and Pinkner are writing the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which the studio hopes Webb will return to direct. The film will go into production next fall for release on June 10, 2016.
• Kurtzman, Orci and Solomon are writing the screenplay for a Venom movie, which Kurtzman will direct.
• And finally…..what we have been expecting……Drew Goddard will write, with an eye to direct, The Sinister Six film that will focus on the villains in the franchise.

I don’t know about you but I really feel like Christmas came just a little bit early with this great news! With Spider-Man being my favorite character, and I know he probably is for a lot of other comic book fans out there, I’m hoping they do the Wall-crawler justice. That shouldn’t be too hard since Sony did a great job with character’s reboot for the first film and the second looks like it might even top that one.

Here’s the press release below via Collider –

CULVER CITY, Calif., December 12, 2013 – In a move to forge a new legacy in the story of Peter Parker on screen, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in association with Marvel Entertainment, is developing several new projects in the Spider-Man franchise, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard to collaborate on overseeing the developing story over several films that will be produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad,president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.

 

The five writers, along with the two producers and Marc Webb, have formed a franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films. Under the deals, the studio announced that Kurtzman & Orci & Pinkner are writing the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which the studio hopes Webb will return to direct; the film will go into production next fall for release on June 10, 2016. In addition, the team will build on the cinematic foundation laid by Webb, Arad, and Tolmach in the first two movies. They will expand the franchise as Kurtzman & Orci & Solomon will write the screenplay for Venom, which Kurtzman will direct; also, Goddard will write, with an eye to direct, The Sinister Six, focusing on the villains in the franchise. Hannah Minghella and Rachel O’Connor will oversee the development and production of these films for the studio.

 

In tapping these five writers, the studio and the producers are guiding the future of the franchise with the writer/producers who have each played significant and key roles in developing such highly successful franchises, films, and series as Star Trek, Transformers, “Alias,” “Fringe,” Men in Black, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, World War Z, “Lost,” Cloverfield, The Cabin in the Woods, and Marvel’s upcoming “Daredevil” series.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, “The Spider-Man film franchise is one of our studio’s greatest assets. We are thrilled with the creative team we have assembled to delve more deeply into the world that Marc, Avi and Matt have begun to explore in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. We believe that Marc, Alex, and Drew have uniquely exciting visions for how to expand the Spider-Man universe in each of these upcoming films.” Arad and Tolmach added, “This collaboration was born out of the great experience we and Marc had working with Alex, Bob, and Jeff on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With more than fifty years’ wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless; in addition, the Spider-Man comics have the greatest rogues gallery of any series, and to have the chance to explore that on film is truly thrilling. Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story. That is what Alex, Bob, Jeff, Ed, and Drew will do in this unprecedented collaboration, and we’re excited about the directions they are taking the character and the world.”