What Happened To 'Spider-Man'?

It has been confirmed that the Spider-Man series will be continuing with a Spider-Man 4, Spider-Man 5, and Spider-Man 6. But so far, all we know about the movie is that Sam Raimi is directing, and Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are returning as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, respectively.

This is shocking because this is so basic. The "threequel" in the series was released over two years ago, and all the information we have is the most basic of all. No villians have been confirmed, though rumors strongly hint toward The Lizard and/or Carnage, and the rest of the minor characters (such as J. Jonah Jameson) haven't even been confirmed for the film.

Currently, the movie has a set release date of 2011, which is, in my opinion, laughable. Without a script, villain, or even cast beyond two people, there is no way a movie with such a large amount of special effects will be complete by 2011. If progress continues the way it

has been, they won't even start production by then.

I used to be very interested in the development of the fourth Spider-Man movie, enough that I actually started writing a script of my own. I never completed it, though it contains some basic ideas fans are asking for: bring back the entire cast, or at least as much of it as possible, have Dylan Baker (who plays Dr. Connors) transform into The Lizard, and cast someone as Carnage. But who would fit that role?

My opinion: Ryan Reynolds. He's definitely funny enough to play Carnage, and his role as Deadpool proved he could make a foray into the superhero world - in f

act, he has expressed great interest in the genre, and has even been cast in the upcoming Green Lantern as the titular character.

Meanwhile, fans have been picking their own would-be Carnages, and one actor that appears more than most is Robert Knepper, whose film history includes movies such as Transporter 3 and Hitman. While he isn't my first choice, there is no doubt that he could fit the role, and would likely be my second choice.

But enough speculation. Right now, we need some cold, hard facts about the upcoming movie. We need villains confirmed, the cast signed back on, and an actual script. Unfortunately, if these trends continue, Spider-Man 4 might get stuck in development hell - which could mean the end of Spider-Man's film career for some time.

Image credit: SonyPictures (here), Flixster (here).

Sequel-itis

Movie makers aren't always fans of creativity. That's why, when a movies sells well (or even if it doesn't), you can bet that a sequel is on the way. And while these sequels are often a fulfilling continuation of a great movie, there is also the possibility that a sequel might be a cheap, shallow movie that was thrown together in a pathetic attempt at your dollars. To help you with all these sequels, I'll show you which ones will be blockbuster hits, and which ones will fall in the dust.

Super Sequels: Chances are you've seen at least one superhero blockbuster in the last one or two years. And if you're like me, you're excited for a sequel. Here's a little info on these super sequels.

Here Comes the Spider-Man: A new movie featuring everyone's favorite spider-themed superhero is in the works, and if it's any indication I'm excited. Although Sam Raimi didn't do his best with Spider-Man 3, a fourth movie featuring (hopefully) The Lizard and Carnage could bring the series back with a bang.


The Knight Returns: You may remember my previous post where I spoke of a sequel to the Dark Knight. While not much has changed, we can be sure that this series, still "young", will give us another smash hit that will leave us dazzled once more.

I Am Iron Man 2: While The Avengers is coming up, there are still plans to make a sequel to Iron Man. With two realistic villains already casted (see below), this movie certainly isn't going to fly under the radar, and we will definitely gets some more news on it before it's release next May.

Whiplash (top), played my Michael Rourke, and Black Widow (bottom), played by Scarlett Johansson (who will also play Black Widow in the upcoming Avengers movie)

The (Hopefully) Even More Incredible Hulk: Although this movie hasn't actually been confirmed, there is really no doubt - a sequel is happening. In the movie, Dr. Samuel Sterns is affected by gamma radiation, and his head is seen bulging... upon just a few seconds of investigation on the internet (or known by comic geeks), you can tell that he will become a supervillain known as "The Leader". Once more info is known on this sequel, it will be posted immediately.

The Not-So-Exciting Sequels: Unfortunately, amongst all these potential block-busters, there are a few planned sequels that just aren't going to be able to hit the popularity or sales of others. I'll show you just a few to stay away from.

Shrek Goes Too Far: I loved Shrek. It was a great movie - well done, an original type of humor, it had everything. In fact, it could have gone done as an animated classic. Unfortunately, it was just too good - they had to make a sequel. So, they threw together something they thought could work. Shrek 2 was ridiculous. It lost it's original, fairy-tale parody humor, and opted for cultural humor (as seen in TV shows like The Simpsons). Then came Shrek The Third and that hurt the series even farther. It seems pretty obvious to me that Shrek Goes Fourth will be the final nail in the coffin.


Somewhere in Africa: Is where every copy of this movie series should end up. Okay, so maybe the first one wasn't bad. But there was really no reason to continue it - the animals ended up in Madagascar, and that should have been it. And really - did the "Move it Move it" thing have to be used so heavily in the sequel? It was a little funny thing in the first movie, but they used that too much, and quickly destroyed it's humor. Now that a third movie is planned for 2012, it seems obvious what will cause the end of the world.

Jeepers Creepers! Another Jeepers Creepers!: Ridiculous. I'll admit, the first movie wasn't bad - I'd even go as far as to say it was "enjoyable". However, the second movie just wasn't that scary, and was poorly done, especially compared to the first one. If this trend continues, Jeepers Creepers 3 will end up being the worst of all. We can, however, be thankful that this is a direct-to-DVD movie, so it won't be being projected anywhere (I hear the projection of terrible sequels can cause cancer).


Some Other Sequels To Watch: Although it seems like most movie sequels end up being terrible, there are a few that aren't superhero movies that deserve being watched. You should definitely see these upcoming sequels, as they might be blockbusters in themselves.

Untouchable Blockbuster: Okay, so it's not a sequel, but still; this prequel to 1987 classic The Untouchables is definitely on my watch-list. It will tell the story of Al Capone's arrival in Chicago and his rise to power. It will also tell the story of whether or not you can build on a classic movie made over 20 years ago, and I'm hoping that it can.

It's Raining... Sequels: You may have seen the movie Cats & Dogs (2001). Well, it wasn't a blockbuster, but something about is stuck with me, and I was very excited to hear that a sequel was coming out. And although it was a children's movies, I was 7 when the first one came out. And even though the sequel might not be the best, I'm still happy. You might not know this, but this movie starred (through voice only) Tobey Maguire, best known for playing Spider-Man. However, he will not be returning for the sequel.

I... am... Spider-Man!

Roll Out: Yes, it's almost time. Just a few months away, the sequel to the smash hit Transformers will be released, and it's almost assured that this movie will be adored by all, assuming Michael Bay has fulfilled his promise of fixing the problems with the first one. For more info on my thoughts about this movie, click here.