Below, director Marc Webb discusses The Amazing Spider-Man in great detail. If you want to avoid spoilers then click away now.
On recreating specific panels from the comics---
Marc Webb: Not really. Because we invented a lot of the set pieces, there were moments from the comics that were poses [that we copied]. And a lot of esthetic things from Gwen Stacy's in The Amazing Spider-Man, to a lot of the postures and the body type from the Ultimates. Those were things that I remember being very specific about. Because we're trying to create a story that has a longer arc than an issue of a comic, you had to really reinvent those things. Although there are moments — there's a great panel in the comics where Spider-Man and the Lizard are engaged in this death embrace. I tried to use a little bit of that at a different angle, but that interaction was very much an inspiration for the scene in the sewer.
Peter's creation of his webshooters is straight out of the comics---
Marc Webb: You know, that's interesting like in the Ultimates where he's got the goggles on, you're 100% right. That was from the Ultimates. Him in his Aunt and Uncle's basement with the webshooters, and dancing in his briefs. I remember that. We didn't put him in his briefs.
On briefly showcasing The Lizard in his classic lab coat---
Marc Webb: That was a tricky thing, realistically how would that happen? And it gets torn off of him. But I had to, I wanted to at least acknowledge that, that piece of work from the comics. Which was so much fun and makes him, in a way, much more human.
Other fan nods in the film---
Marc Webb: Well, [Peter Parker] falls through the floor into the wrestling ring. Which is of course a nod [to Spidey's wrestling career in the comics], because we're re-navigating those waters I wanted to at least acknowledge that. There are little bits and pieces. When Spider-Man jumps off the bridge for the first time to go pursue the Lizard, there's this pose that came from the comics. There are a few other things here and there, that I don't want to ruin for the audience.
Extreme spoiler about [Highlight to read]the citizens of NYC coming to the aid of Spider-Man:
Marc Webb: I really loved that in the first movies. Those have always got me misty. I think there's something very profoundly passionate between Peter Parker and the city of New York. I love the idea of New York coming to his aid, and that was a way to demonstrate and dramatize that.
Running Time: 2 hrs 16 min
Release Date: July 3, 2012 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Emma Stone, Sally Field and Martin Sheen.
Directed by: Marc Webb
Written by: James Vanderbilt (initial screenplay),Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves (revised draft)
The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film directed by Marc Webb, based on the comic book of the same name and starring Andrew Garfield as the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film that portrays Spider-Man in film and is a reboot of the film series that stars the superhero. The cast includes Garfield as Peter Parker and his alter ego, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors. The film will portray Parker as his super powers are evolving in high school.
The film's development began simultaneously with Sony announcing the cancellation of Spider-Man 4. Opting for a reboot with the same production team rather than another sequel, the studio announced a July 2012 release date for what was now titled The Amazing Spider-Man. James Vanderbilt was hired to write the script while Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves helped fine-tune the script. Filming started in December 2010 in Los Angeles before moving to New York City with the help of RED Epic camera. The film entered post-production in April 2011.
Sony Entertainment has focused its marketing campaign with a promotional website with released images, 2 theatrical trailers, a prologue screening in certain cities and a video game tie-in being developed by Beenox among other products. The Amazing Spider-Man is scheduled to be released in 3D and IMAX 3D on July 3, 2012. A sequel of the film is being planned for release in 2014 with James Vanderbilt hired to again write the screenplay.