Love or hate it, while the Amazing Spider-Man may not have made Avatar levels of cash, it certainly did generate quite a bit of green, enough to justify the Sony plans to continue developing the new trilogy.
Lead actor Andrew Garfield is a lock to return, as his first love Emma Stone, who’ll be donning the black hair band as Gwen Stacey once more. But you know who most likely won’t return?
Director Marc Webb. Which is a shame, because we’re dying to use some new puns regarding him doing a sequel.
With the film being given a quick cut and re-edit faster than a back-alley sex xhange operation, a few weeks before it was due for release, tempers most certainly did flare in the production camp between Webb and Sony.
According to Columbia Pictures chief Doug Belgrad, this loss of the “untold story”, might be what keeps Webb from filming a sequel, as he explained to THR, regarding those problem areas with the film:
The section where Rhys Ifans’ character turns irrevocably into the Lizard. It took several months to figure out, and the filmmakers cut a bunch of scenes. In software parlance, it required a patch.
Well that’s some info at least, but as for Webb returning? Foster wasn’t exactly confident on that;
We’d really like him back, but there are obstacles. He has an obligation to Fox. [Webb owes Fox a post-(500) Days of Summer film.]
Kinda sounds like a polite “No”, to us. But in the film industry these days, when a director commits himself to a project, the studios are usually quick to announce that news with trumpets and fanfare, instead of dancing around the issue.
Honestly, I liked what Webb did with the character. Sure, Parker being ridiculously introverted began to wear thin after a while, even though it juxtaposed perfectly with his flippant, Spidery side, but if the film on its own was a springboard for two better sequels, I’d be more than happy to see Webb return to weave his plans (Sorry, held that in for far too long).
But once again, a case of studio meddling has ruined a film that could have truly been spectacular.
Last Updated: July 20, 2012
Kervyn Cloete
July 22, 2012 at 08:49
So there was studio meddling after all? That sounds to me like the whole “Untold story” angle was dropped instead of just delayed for the sequels, which is a pity.
And despite my lukewarm reception to the film, I’d also have liked Webb to return. His character work was amazingly strong, and would have loved to have seen what he could do now that he was untethered from the origin story.