On the eve of what is expected to be the biggest Spider-Man yet, Entertainment Weekly learns that director Sam Raimi is seriously interested in directing The Hobbit, a choice that could potentially leave Spidey 4 without a director.
If Sam Raimi were to take on a complex, intense project like "The Hobbit" the rights to which New Line/MGM only has for a limited amount of time it could force Columbia to either push back its production schedule for Spider-Man 4 or find a new director for the franchise.
Kirsten Dunst says she hadn't heard any rumors about Raimi and "The Hobbit" until Entertainment Weekly raised the subject in an interview. She says she can't imagine returning for Part 4 without both her director and her co-star: ''It's disrespectful to the whole team, I think, to do that. And audiences aren't stupid. It'd be a big flop without me, Tobey, or Sam. That would really not be the smartest move. But they know that already. [Sony chief] Amy Pascal would never do that.''
Tobey Maguire has already expressed his positive feelings about returning for another sequel.
Sony's President of Production Matt Tolmach told Entertainment Weekly that the studio is cautiously optimistic about retaining the team that launched the Spidey franchise so spectacularly: ''Listen, we're making Spider-Man 4. Our hope, dream, and intention is to do it with Sam. But I don't have a crystal ball.''
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