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Sam Raimi Wants Spider-Man 4 "To Get Back To The Basics"

Sam Raimi wants to make it up to the fans for what happened in Spider-Man 3 by getting back to the basics.
For fans and renowned film critics alike, the Spider-Man franchise took a slight detour in "Spider-Man 3" for several reasons. "Spider-Man 3" earned a whopping $891 million at the box office but that was not enough to overshadow the chaos depicted throughout the film. The biggest pitfall seems to stem from the collection of too many villains as opposed to focusing on developing a solid story with a particular villain. Well, Sam Raimi has heard the voices and will correct on the mistake with his release of "Spider-Man 4."

When recently asked about having three villains in the third movie, he replied, "I think having so many villains detracted from the experience. I would agree with the criticism."

This could mean anything...possibly having the same number of villains but this time around concentrating on a particular enemy? Or it could mean Spider-Man this time around will have only one foe to battle against.

On May 29, 2009, Raimi released a much lower budget film by the name of "Drag Me to Hell," which earned $42 million domestically and $40 million overseas, on a budget of $30 million. Apparently it was a humbling experience because compared to the three Spider-Man films where the budget exceeded $100 million, working on "Drag Me to Hell" was a more intimate process.

"I think I've learned about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations, and I'm hoping to take that into a production where I'm actually allowed to explore with more of the tools to pull it off with a little more splendour. I hope I don't lose that edge that I've just found. That would be my approach to Spider-Man 4: to get back to the basics," he said.

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Whispers68: When he says "get back to the basics," hopefully he is referring to "Spider-Man 1 and 2." I applaud the director for listening to the voices of consumers when he decided to go a bit left with his creative control on "Spider-Man 3." I'm personally not a fan of the entire series but I've seen them all and will definitely check out part 4, 5, and 6 when they're released.
8 Yes
0 No
Whispers68
10/15/2009
blogs.coventrytelegraph.net

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54 Comments

My thoughts exactly Mr. Raimi. There was way too many sub-plots in Spidey 3, it needed to be more focused.

Lizard and Kraven, Raimi.
InTylerWeTrust82 - 10/15/2009, 5:55 PM
WHISPERS @ [frick]ing cool teaser poster there man, great article!!

And i totally agree with TYLER! Back to the bacics; LIZARD & KRAVEN Mr Raimi!! ; )
LEEE777 - 10/15/2009, 6:08 PM
Heck yeah!!



LEEE777 - 10/15/2009, 6:12 PM
It really seems Raimi learned from Spider-Man 3, judging from the way he talks about his plans for the next installment(s) and how he's learned the importance of "getting to the point and the importance of having limitations." Especially the limitations aspect, since it seemed like Spidey 3 was trying to do too much at the same time.

This gives me more faith that we'll see a return to the greatness of the first 2 films in the next one.
InTylerWeTrust82 - 10/15/2009, 6:18 PM
Amen guys, I cant wait for Sam's return to form
dancingmonkey08 - 10/15/2009, 6:29 PM
kraven and lizard would be awesome villans to have, they can play off eachother really well
Cape - 10/15/2009, 7:12 PM
i applaud raimi for admitting what his faults were i for one believe spidy 4 is gonna be a great movie raimi knows how to make a good movie, hiccups happen and if u can admit to them then it just shows that he understands his mistakes
jimthefan - 10/15/2009, 7:35 PM
Like the way you think Sam! Show us what a good superhero movie is!
antz1104 - 10/15/2009, 7:37 PM
raimi has already shown us two good superhero movies. i pray that the next set will reach for the term AWESOME!!!!!!
i am also glad that he is a humble director. he doesn't blindly defend them but explains his reasons for doing so. and then talks about how those problems will be fixed.
unlike another director COUGH!(Ratner!)COUGH!
Wadey09 - 10/15/2009, 8:10 PM
very good news! finally a guy that listens to the fanboys:-D
like i said so many times before duel villians SUCK! remember batman 3 & 4 anyone? duel villians is hard to do but can happen, batman returns was pretty good from my view but the only one who got it right was the dark knight, very very good stroy development with 2 villians.
shadowboxer - 10/15/2009, 8:39 PM
He's JUST NOW learning "...about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations..."?! WTF, people! It sounds like Raimi has run out of ideas on his own in terms of a coherent plot and is setting himself up to pull a Schmacher! I think this engine has DEFINATELY run out of steam - stick a fork in him, he's DONE!
loganoneil - 10/15/2009, 9:49 PM
I never thought about kravin being in a movie but know that you mentioned it him and lizard would be really cool...i dont think carnage should be in spiderman 4 we just got venom it might be 2 much of the same
Purphaze - 10/15/2009, 10:12 PM
Raimi has given us THREE good CBM's Spidey 1,2 and Darkman.....he is a great director and i think he allowed other peoples opinions take over Spidey 3...when he says back to basics and intimate experiances hopefuly he means HE is in control...in which case we have nothing to worry about :P
teabag - 10/16/2009, 7:43 AM
I wish he would have come to his senses earlier. Venom never should have been in the last one.
BmanHall - 10/16/2009, 8:03 AM
Great News!
NightAvenger4 - 10/16/2009, 8:11 AM
I never doubted Raimi, besides Spidey 3, his record is pretty decent. I think this time around though, less Peter being a little bitch, more smart ass Spider-Man.
Stumblin - 10/16/2009, 8:24 AM
I SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, 1 IN 3 OF THE FILMS ARE BAD? THATS GOOD ODDS! I AM HOPING THAT THE NEXT 3 FILMS ARE ALL AMAZING THOUGH. 1 IN 6 BEING BAD? I LIKE THOSE ODDS TOO LOL I FORGIVE THE "POWER RANGER" GOBLIN, JUST DONT THROW AN "S" ANY MORE RAIMI
dellamorte1872 - 10/16/2009, 8:33 AM
I think...more than one villain would work better if the villain had ALREADY been in a movie.

For example, if it was the Lizard, and they brought back Doc Ock, well they don't have a lot of set up for Doc Ock, since they did that in SM2, and Doc Conner has been in all three. Not saying they SHOULD just that it would be easier.
Movies with multiple villains always seem to bring in all new characters...why? In comics it's not a new villain every issue? (Not nowadays, at least.)

I'm thinking Raimi will do justice to SM4.
Bamf7 - 10/16/2009, 8:42 AM


SANDMAN I THINK WILL BE BACK...BUT OTHER THAN THAT I THINK THEY WILL BRING IN....

4 - KRAVEN
THE LIZARD
5 - THE SCORPION
ELECTRO
6 - THE VULTURE
SANDMAN
TO BRING ON THE SINISTER 6

SO WE WILL GET 4 NEW VILLIANS AND 2 REACCURING CHARACTERS/VILLIANS
dellamorte1872 - 10/16/2009, 8:47 AM
Spider-Man 2 was my favorite CBM til Iron Man came out. #3 could have done without venom and whatever Harry was... I have faith that Raimi will do justice to SM4, am looking forward to it. How about bring in Fantastic Four in #6???
Number21 - 10/16/2009, 8:54 AM
Stop blaming Raimi for Venom, he didn't want him in it.
MetalHead - 10/16/2009, 8:55 AM
I dont think the idea of having more than one villain is a bad idea, as long as they connect.Like The Lizard and Kraven. They go together.Im pretty sure everyone else could agree.
FilmGuy91 - 10/16/2009, 9:12 AM
BmanHall - 10/16/2009, 9:12 AM
Raimi, thanks for coming to your senses. Now, more input from the Peanut Gallery:

ENOUGH of pug-faced whats-her-name Mary Jane Watson being jealous of Spiderman! We HATE the casting, we HATE the constant meme of MJW menaced by the bad guy at the end of the movie!

I know a lot of folks are screaming from the rooftops for Kraven and Lizard, which would be good, but frankly, I'd like to see you redeem yourself with Venom and perhaps bring in Carnage. If you do go with the Kraven/Lizard angle I'll still see the movie, but Spidey is gonna have to move beyond Uncle Ben.

I trust you will do the next 3 movies well, and am looking forward to all three.
bropous - 10/16/2009, 9:12 AM
MetalHead: yeah, but he was still the director! He's to blame for how poorly the character was portrayed!

Hopefully this just means that we're going to get something a little more like the first two good movies. But please, no more crying whiney Peter!!!
joshw24 - 10/16/2009, 9:12 AM
Raimi may not have wanted Venom in it, but he was the dude in charge and allowed it. But, he has accepted responsibility for whatever SM3 was, good or bad. It wasn't as awful as most people made it to be...but should have been waaaaaaaay better. And personally, I found the Sandman to be too whiny in it. And I didn't like him being giant sized either.
Bamf7 - 10/16/2009, 9:12 AM
Go Raimi!!!!
Inohaku - 10/16/2009, 9:13 AM
spidey fan fic guys...check me out
Anil Rickly - 10/16/2009, 9:46 AM
See how a little common sense goes a long way, Spiderman 2 is a great blue print to use for any comic related film.
ASSASSIN666 - 10/16/2009, 9:48 AM
Guys, seriously, I like you but you sound foolish blaming Raimi for any part of the Venom disaster. His hand was forced by the studios to include "Venom" after the fact and he was crammed in and rushed. From what I understand, Raimi's intention was to set him up for #4 (in which case, that would be a solid white eye and a tongue with green slime all over it looking through that "4" in the teaser poster). You can't blame Raimi for that. And as you know, I absolutely HATED their "Venom" so it's not like I'm defending what they did to him, I'm just defending Raimi. He did great with the first 2 movies so I think we have to take his word that it wasn't what he wanted to do.
MetalHead - 10/16/2009, 10:45 AM
What MetalHead said :)
teabag - 10/16/2009, 10:47 AM
THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH SPIDER-MAN 3 A LOT OF CRYING YES BUT THAT WAS A GREAT MOVIE
MrAnonymous - 10/16/2009, 10:54 AM
the way 3's trailer was it looked awesome though...its a shame. yes i hated the giant SANDMAN too only b.c they made it too "GODZILLA" like. i thought SANDMAN WAS CAST WELL AND WAS GOOD UNTIL SPIDEY "KILLED" HIM IN THE SEWERS. WHEN HE RETURNED HE SUCKED FROM THERE ON OUT
dellamorte1872 - 10/16/2009, 11:18 AM
@dellamorte1872

movie trailers are made to trick you into seeing the movie.
SHHH - 10/16/2009, 11:24 AM
OF COURSE, SO? @SHHH
dellamorte1872 - 10/16/2009, 11:35 AM
i don't think its fair to blame raimi for spidey 3. the studio made him change the story and include venom, a character that raimi didn't like from the get go.

if you aren't passionate about the characters your making a movie about, then more often than not, it will be shit.

and they made him change what he WANTED to do. so you can't place blame on raimi. if they would have left him alone and let it just be sandman, it probably would have been great. but we'll never know
CorndogBurglar - 10/16/2009, 11:37 AM
You can't have the sinister six, not if everyone thinks 3 villains was too much in Spider-Man 3
SoulAllFlush - 10/16/2009, 11:42 AM
TOBEY MAGUIRE IS A TERRIBLE PETER PARKER!
Makiveli21 - 10/16/2009, 11:58 AM
TOBEY MAGUIRE IS A TERRIBLE PETER PARKER!
Makiveli21 - 10/16/2009, 11:58 AM
Like many CBM users have already said, a Sinister 6 would be great for Spider-Man 6. Besides, you can use the argument that the Sinister 6 function as a single antagonist in the sense that they are a group.

At least Raimi doesn't bitch at the comic book fans when his movie is critisized.
6of13 - 10/16/2009, 11:58 AM
Imagine how much better "Spider-Man 3" would've been if it went like this:

Eddie Brock is a secondary character, played by someone who actually LOOKED LIKE Eddie Brock! At some point towards the middle of the movie Spider-Man does something to accidentally spoil one of Brock's stories. I know they wouldn't go into the whole "Sin-Eater" thing but they could've done something where Brock thinks he's interviewing The Green Goblin, and the Bugle-- which he didn't actually work for in the comics-- finds out that who he was interviewing is an imposter.

The movie would've centered around Sandman, who WOULDN'T HAVE killed Uncle Ben, and around Peter trying to get rid of the symbiote-- which WOULDN'T HAVE been clothing, and I suppose Harry as the Green Goblin. Oh, and MJ wouldn't have been a freaking opera singer.

After the final scene with the climax resolution, which would be whatever route they decided to go with the Sandman/Goblin 2 plot, we cut to a scene where a distraught Eddie Brock is at a church, praying for his sins to be forgiven (the fact that he is about to commit suicide). Enter: the symbiote. We see Eddie covered in what appears to be a cloud of darkness, the shot cuts to outside the church and we hear a loud "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" End of movie. Awesome.
MetalHead - 10/16/2009, 12:36 PM
And remember, Venom or no Venom - Raimi directed that awful dance scene and the crap with peter walking down the street like the [frick]ing fonz!!!
joshw24 - 10/16/2009, 12:43 PM
@Josh:

I liked those scenes. I thought it really exemplified how the symbiote was causing Peter's hubris to get the better of him.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/16/2009, 12:51 PM
@6of13

He feels our PASSION for good spiderman movies. Comic book movies should never fail. There is alot of history and stories to tell comics have been around since the 50's.
SHHH - 10/16/2009, 12:53 PM
MovieTheaterLad: What!?! Have you ever read a comic book with Peter and the symbiote? Suffice to say the effect didnt involve dancing like an idiot!!!
joshw24 - 10/16/2009, 1:21 PM
Josh@ you realy let that scene get to you dont ya my friend!!...for every dance scene Raimi has done ten great scenes.....Raimi is 2-1 up in my books...he doesnt bitch either..great director :)
teabag - 10/16/2009, 1:51 PM
@MetalHead. i love it.i think i copy and paste ur ending to my Spiderman3(shamefully admittted) dvd and just read ur ending instead.
Kes - 10/16/2009, 3:03 PM
I like the fan edit of spiderman 3, they cut out all the bullsh#t.
SHHH - 10/16/2009, 3:06 PM
Bamf7-- good point on both your comments.
Betty - 10/16/2009, 3:07 PM
Please Sam no more Peter dancing and Mary jane singing in Spider-man 4. That was terrible terrible idea. I bet Stan Lee can sing and dance better than them two
Gatcha01 - 10/16/2009, 4:42 PM
spiderman 3 was faglicious
kenji540 - 10/16/2009, 5:08 PM
Raimi, make a black cat cameo in the begin of the movie, than throw it the Lizard and kraven, i would also like to see what happen to JJ JAMESON son, the wolf-man
brazilianbatman - 10/17/2009, 3:59 PM
@Josh:

You really have to get over the fact that the movies are a separate community than the comics.

Because if it's just the exact same story over and over, it gets really boring really fast.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/17/2009, 10:36 PM
Sorry i was late to post, been sick for the past few days...

SoulAllFlush - The problem wasn't having three villains, it was having three UNCONNECTED villains with entirely different agendas! To feature each of them properly, they would have needed to have one film apiece focusing solely on each of them!

To illustrate the point that Venom was FORCED: Curt Connors hasn't yet become the Lizard in three movies, but Brock was introduced, became Venom and killed off in less than an hour and a half?! That to me is proof that he was shoe-horned in!!

The way to properly execute SpM3, had Raimi not had Venom forced on him, would have been to feature the Sandman as the main antagonist, Harry as a minor subplot, and Eddie Brock as a side character that developed into a main antagonist over the next few pictures! That way, anticipation would have built to see Venom and Venom fans would've gotten their picture, leaving everyone happy!
JonF - 10/19/2009, 2:50 PM

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