Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was Released 20 Years Ago Today

 

One of the most important movies in the history of superhero films and cinema was released exactly two decades ago today! The very first Spider-Man film directed by Sam Raimi opened in theaters on May 3, 2002 - introducing the world to Tobey Maguire’s version of the wallcrawler as well as Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/ Green Goblin.

Nothing short of AMAZING and SPECTACULAR, Spider-Man would go on to become a box office success - spawning two sequels also directed by Raimi and two rebooted franchises that would continue the legacy of the webslinger in the big screen. Eventually those versions would meet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” - bringing back Maguire and seeing Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland team up with him for a multiversal adventure like no other! Sam Raimi would also get to return to Marvel movies with this year’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”!

Happy 20th, Spider-Man!

Benedict Cumberbatch talks working with Sam Raimi in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

 

As Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe closed one chapter with the end of WandaVision last week, all eyes are turned to the future and the inevitable return of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Master of the Mystic Arts himself, Doctor Stephen Strange. We know Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch will be appearing alongside the good doctor in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" next year, and Stephen himself has been confirmed to appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" at the end of this year.

While details are definitely being kept mum, Collider was able to speak with actor Benedict Cumberbatch during an online interview, and while the English actor didn't reveal anything he did speak highly about working with the director of the Doctor Strange sequel, former Spider-Man Trilogy director Sam Raimi!

"Sam, amazing. He's so collaborative. God, he comes with the baggage of an icon. He's an incredible force, especially in this genre. But he's so humble, he's so nice, he's so appreciative, you really wanna serve him. And boy, when he's happy, you know you've done something right. He's so good at getting you there and getting it there. It's been a very, very collaborative process, this one. Our origin stories, I guess, and obviously the beasts that were the Avengers films to be a part of were a thrill, but you're kind of just along for the ride. You do the best with what you've already got given to do. The second time around, there's a bit more of, 'So, what do you want to do, and how do we go about solving this?' So it feels very creative. Scarily so, sometimes."

You can check out the video interview below:

'Doctor Strange 2': Benedict Cumberbatch Says Director Sam Raimi Is an "Incredible Force"

Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Doctor Strange starting with Spider-Man: No Way Home this December, and then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on March 2022.

Spider-Man 2 was released this time 16 years ago

Fans of a certain friendly neighborhood wallcrawling superhero will always hold July in high regard, as 16 years ago around this time - Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Marvel, and director Sam Raimi released "Spider-Man 2" into theaters. As the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2002 "Spider-Man" film - the sequel featured the return of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man, as well as Kirsten Dunst and James Franco as love interest Mary Jane Watson and best friend turned bitter Spidey hater Harry Osborn respectively. Opposing the webhead as the main antagonist of the film is Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius, who through a freak science experiment gone wrong bond four mechanical arms into his body and turns him into the dreaded Doctor Octopus, or "Doc Ock" for short.

Spider-Man 2 Trailer
Widely regarded as one of the Best Superhero Movies ever made if not the BEST Spider-Man Movie still to this day, Spider-Man 2 was the perfect sequel and follow-up that featured everything that a wallcrawler fan could ask for - action, romance, Parker Luck problems, and a stellar cast and crew making the film such a rich experience to enjoy. Even after 16 years, it's still very much watchable, and acts as the centerpiece to Raimi's "Spider-Man Trilogy" and an inspiration to what future Spidey films have taken after.

The very first Spider-Man was released 17 years ago today

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally on its Endgame with the release and global domination of "Avengers: Endgame" on the box office, let's remember that before the Marvel Cinematic Universe began and Iron Man was introduced, there were a couple of Marvel Movies that helped pave the way for Marvel Studios to take on the grand ambitious journey - and one of these movies was the very first Spider-Man movie starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi!


Spider-Man Official Trailer (2002)
Yes before Andrew Garfield's turn in "The Amazing Spider-Man" films and of course Tom Holland as the current webslinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was Tobey's Spidey - still a fan favorite and one who starred in the most standalone films alongside co-stars Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and James Franco as Harry Osborn. Also the big baddie in the Green Goblin is played by the talented Willem Dafoe, and J. Jonah Jameson by J.K. Simmons!

Without these films, we wouldn't be getting the superhero movies we have today, and we have to pay our respects to our friendly neighborhood wallcrawler's first solo adventure! Happy 17 years, Spider-Man!

Happy Birthday Tobey Maguire, aka Spider-Man!

It's been over seven years since he last appeared in the familiar red and blue outfit of a certain amazing wallcrawler superhero, but Hollywood star Tobey Maguire will always be remembered as the first big screen Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's trilogy of films, and today marks the actor's 41st birthday!

Starting out in the original 2002 Spider-Man film as the webslinging superhero, Maguire became a household name instantly when he took on the role of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man and starred alongside Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and James Franco as Harry Osborn. All three would reprise their roles in 2004 for Spider-Man 2 and finally for Spider-Man 3 in 2007, then Sony Pictures would reboot the franchise with 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man" with Andrew Garfield taking over the main role. Now Spidey's joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the wallcrawler is now played by young British actor Tom Holland.


City Montage (Extended/Alternate Scene) - Spider-Man
Despite being done playing Marvel's iconic superhero, Maguire's tenure as Spidey will always be remembered by a generation of fans who wanted to see the hero come to life... And he certainly delivered tenfold. Happy Birthday, Tobey Maguire!

Ash Vs Evil Dead: First Four Minutes released online

Set to premiere on Halloween Night and remind us how "Groovy" he can be against the undead, Bruce Campbell is back and ready to reprise his role as Ash in the new TV series that continues Sam Raimi's epic "Evil Dead" film saga with "Ash Vs Evil Dead"!

To promote, here's the first four minutes of the show released online by the makers. Enjoy!


Ash vs Evil Dead First 4 Minutes
Ash Vs Evil Dead premieres at Starz on October 31st.

Marvel Movies: Spider-Man film franchise will "Never Ever Ever" leave Sony's hands

With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 currently in production, you'd think that the web-slinger would slowly but surely join his brethren in Marvel Studios once filming was complete. Rumors persisted that Sony Pictures was considering selling the rights back to the House of Ideas and Walt Disney Pictures, thereby setting the wall-crawler alongside his fellow superheroes.

Well, looks like that isn't happening anytime soon, as Ain't It Cool confirmed in a conversation with Sony Pictures Co-Chairman Amy Pascal regarding the rumor. She confirms that Sony will "never ever ever" let the rights to Spidey go away, and why would they? Given Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy and the Marc Webb reboot in 2012 and it's upcoming sequel next year, that's a money-generating hero for the studio that'll keep them happy as well as viewers themselves. They've done a terrific job with both interpretations thus far, and while The Amazing Spider-Man rebooted things to a slow start, the sequel may pave the way for something greater.

For more information, visit the source post at Ain't It Cool and Bleeding Cool.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters on May 2, 2014.

Evil Dead Remake: First poster hits online

Following the release of the first teaser trailer a couple of weeks ago, Sony Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Ghost House Pictures, and FilmDistrict have released the very first poster to "Evil Dead". A remake of the 1981 cult horror classic Sam Raimi film "The Evil Dead", the new adaptation is directed by Fede Alvarez, and will feature a female protagonist as the main hero instead of the original series' main hero, Ash Williams.

Oz: The Great and Powerful: Theatrical Poster and Trailer debut

Long awaited and finally revealed this week, the very first trailer and theatrical poster grace the interwebz for Sam Raimi's new upcoming flick for Disney - "Oz: The Great and Powerful". Reuniting with his Spider-Man Trilogy star James Franco and also casting Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams, the film acts as a prequel to the original Wizard of Oz story.

SDCC '11: The Amazing Spider-Man poster!

After the debut of the trailer yesterday, Sony Pictures and Marvel Entertainment have released the first official poster of Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man"! Via Enewsi, here's a clear look at it above! If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here's a repost of it below:



The Amazing Spider-Man trailer

I still find this a bit underwhelming when compared to the teaser trailer for Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man movie, but I'll keep an open mind and still see this one. It's a reboot after all, and it's completely different from the first trilogy of films.

The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters on July 3, 2012!

Spider-Man Reboot Update: The Uncle Ben Death Scene filmed!

Movie news sites Screen Rant and SuperHeroHype have posted news and pics from the latest scene to be filmed for the movie "The Amazing Spider-Man" - The "Uncle Ben Death Scene"! This isn't much of a spoiler and comes across as common knowledge to anyone with an inkling of knowledge about the Spider-Man mythos, but consider this a SPOILER still, especially to those who want to remain "spoiler-free" for Marc Webb's Spider-Man film reboot!

The scene plays out pretty much like that in the comics and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man - Uncle Ben, played by veteran actor Martin Sheen, meets his demise at the hands of a burglar. This propels Peter Parker (played by Andrew Garfield) to hunt down the burglar as his alter ego Spider-Man, and when he eventually catches him, he finds out in horror that it's the same thief he had to opportunity to stop during a wrestling gig he entered earlier. This tragic incident teaches Peter a lifelong and valuable lesson; "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility".

That pretty much sums up the entire nature of this scene. For more pics and info, visit the source posts at Screen Rant and SHH!

The Amazing Spider-Man swings into theaters on July 3, 2012!

Spider-Man Reboot Update: First pic of Andrew Garfield in costume!

This has been posted almost everywhere, but what the heck, here it is... The first shot of Andrew Garfield dressed up as Spider-Man!

Of course, this is just the promotional shot featuring Garfield in costume. It's an obvious and total redesign; leaner, slimmer, and gives off the hint that he'll be sporting traditional webshooters instead of the organic ones used by Tobey Maguire in the Sam Raimi films. Marc Webb has got everyone curious so far, so we'll just have to wait and see how all this turns out. For more info, visit i09 and GeekMatic!

The Spider-Man reboot swings into theaters on July 3, 2012!

The Dark Knight Rises Update: Christian Bale says it will be his last film as Batman

This is an unsurprising reaction from the man who defined the role these past few years.

In an interview conducted with Total Film, English performer and Batman actor Christian Bale says that "The Dark Knight Rises" will be the last film in which he will play Bruce Wayne and don the cape and cowl, unless director Christopher Nolan says otherwise. This is reminiscent of the commitment and promise Tobey Maguire made about his role in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, in which the young actor promised he wouldn't don the webs again unless the director was involved. In that light, I guess we'll be seeing Bale suit up and fight crime for the last time as Batman unless something causes Nolan to extend his Batfilms forward outside of his promised "Trilogy". For more on the scoop plus the interview itself, visit Slash Film and Total Film!

The Dark Knight Rises will be released on July 20, 2012.

Sam Raimi to direct Oz: The Great and Powerful!

Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi has a new directing job on his hands, and it's a prequel to the classic tale - The Wizard Of Oz! He is currently attached to direct "Oz: The Great and Powerful", a tale that takes place before Dorothy's visit and sees the man who would become "The Wizard" end up in Oz, hailed as a powerful being but in truth a con artist who gets mixed up in a Civil War between three girls who would end up becoming the three witches Dorothy interacts with in the following story. Raimi's directorial style would fit the concept indeed, and if rumors prove true that Robert Downey Jr. may star as the titular Wizard, then we got an interesting upcoming flick on our hands! For more info, check out the source article over at Screen Rant!

Spider-Man Reboot Update: Meet The New Movie Spider-Man

Since Sam Raimi left the project and Marc Webb took over the directorial reigns for the Spider-Man reboot, speculation has been around and about as to who the new Peter Parker would be. Rumors and buzz circulated over and over, with actors Jamie Bell, Anton Yelchin, and Josh Hutcherson rumored to be in the short list to play the new version of Peter Parker. Finally, last Thursday in US saw the confirmation and announcement that we have a new Spider-Man. Who is it? Well, take a look at the picture below.

Boys and and girls, this here's the new Peter Parker.

26 year old Andrew Garfield, known for starring in Heath Ledger's last movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, was selected and cast to be the new guy who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and become the webslinging hero everybody knows from Marvel Comics. Garfield is also set to appear in this fall's flick about the origins of Facebook in The Social Network. For more info on the reveal and Garfield, check out the Newsarama post.

So, do you approve of the new Peter Parker/ Spider-Man? The Spider-Man reboot is set for a May 2012 release.