I feel like I have this long checklist of cast and crew that we're slowly crossing off for this theoretical film. Now, you can put Bryce Dallas Howard on the "would sign tomorrow" list, thanks to MTV. "I would love to be apart of any continuation of the franchise. But, I also really understand that there's so many different story lines that the fans are really excited to see, and the studio, and the producers, and the filmmakers really need to appease everyone," the actress said. "Whether or not Gwen Stacy comes back, I mean, I wish it was up to me, but it's not. But yes, if they'd call me, I'd be there in a heart beat."

I'm not sure how they can really fit Gwen Stacy in -- is there a point in having a romantic rival when Spider-Man is never ever going to leave Mary Jane onscreen? I remember when we all thought (or maybe it was just my corner of the Internet) that they would reverse comic book history, and kill off Mary Jane and hook Mr. Parker up with Gwen. (If House of M is to be believed, and it probably isn't, that's who he really wanted anyway.) Is there even any emotional impact if they kill off Captain George Stacy in a fourth film, as James Cromwell once said they planned on doing? Is the subplot of "I'm really sorry your dad died, my one-time love interest" really worth exploring? I could probably think more clearly if I could get the breakdancing scene out of my head.

Of course, this is all idle speculation when no official announcements have been made. And as for Sam Raimi he's now playing coy with MTV about returning to the director's chair, and says he wants to wear the Spidey suit instead. That's one way to cut the budget.

We've been waiting for some more official Spider-Man news for awhile now, ever since we told you there was a chance they might shoot both Spider-Man 4 and 5 at the same time. Good news is producer Laura Ziskin has chimed in, telling theater owners in California and Nevada that they expect Spider-Man 4 to hit theaters in May 2011. According to Ziskin (from an article in the Los Angeles Times), the script still isn't finished, yet they hope a fourth installment will be ready in three years.

However, when (and if) Spidey returns in May 2011, he'll have to square off against another Marvel flick in The First Avenger: Captain America (May 6), as well as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. All I'm sayin' is it should be an interesting month. Still no word on what (if any) involvement Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will have in the making of future Spider-Man films. Three years is a long time to wait, so whaddya think: Is the long break a good thing for the franchise or will people forget and not care by the time Pete Parker swings back into theaters?

Spider-Man 4 is picking up more steam by the week. Maybe it is just me, but it seems to have gone from a point of "not happening any time soon" to "any day now." I'm already feeling worn out thinking about it.

For now, at least, the man behind the camera is on board. Sam Raimi talked to ComingSoon.net about his possible return to the franchise. "James Vanderbilt is writing the script and I'm excited to read it. I think it's going to be done in a few months. I'm hoping it's as great as our discussions were about it and I'm hoping it feels right for me because I love Spider-Man. I'm hoping I'm well-rested enough to embrace it and I'm hoping Sony wants me to do it. If all of those things come together, I would love to do it. There are a lot of unknowns about the future."

A few days ago, Latino Review broke the news that Patrick Fugit was being considered as the heir to the Spider-Man throne. His suitability was hotly debated, but apparently all for nothing if the Internet is to be believed.

CHUD happened to be on set of Cirque du Freak, which Fugit has just finished filming, and one of the producers sent off an inquiry as to the truth of the casting rumor. The e-mail was the first Fugit had heard about it -- which means little in the world of "insider scoops," as Fugit could still quite possibly be on a "to be considered" list. Every 20-something male in the world could be on it. Maybe there's a Cinematical reader just waiting to be plucked from obscurity!

Or not. According to sources over at IESB.net, which included everyone from CAA to Marvel, no actor has been approached. Not even Maguire. But so worried has Sony been about the rumor that they have supposedly been scrambling to have the Fugit story taken off the sites, down to every link and reference. A Sony rep also told IESB that the Fugit story is completely false. "No one is being considered for the role but Tobey. Period."

As you're already aware, talk of a new Spider-Man film has heated up lately. First came the news that Spider-Man 4 and 5 might be filmed at the same time (based on a new story arc introduced by current screenwriter James Vanderbilt), which you heard first right here on Cinematical. Then came word that Sony re-upped their deal with Marvel to make Spider-Man 4. Now, Latino Review reports on who the studio might be looking at to replace Tobey Maguire as Spidey ... and it's definitely NOT who everyone thought it could've been (does that sentence make sense?).

They're saying Patrick Fugit, who first broke out as little William Miller in Almost Famous (and recently starred in the indie hit Wristcutters), is at the top of the "potential Spidey list," alongside Michael Angarano (who just starred in The Forbidden Kingdom). Coincidentally (or not), Angarano played the younger version of William Miller in Almost Famous before they leaped ahead a few years and Fugit took over.

Just the fact that such a wish-list exists means chances are not good that Maguire and crew will return for a fourth installment. For more, head on over to LR -- in the meantime, whaddya think about this one?

Now that Jake Gyllenhaal has officially signed to star in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, that basically means we can take his name off the table with regards to all future comic properties (at least until after Persia comes out, because that may turn into a franchise if the first makes loads of duckets). While we still have no idea whether Tobey Maguire will return to play Spidey in a Spider-Man 4, we do know that Sony is prepping something. They just re-upped their deal for a fourth installment (fact) and they may be looking to get more bang for their buck by shooting two sequels at the same time with a story arc that stretches across both films. However, it all comes down to negotiations -- and if parties (be them studios, actors, writers or directors) can't decide on a fair enough deal, things could potentially fall apart rather quickly and go in a completely different direction.

Here's the question: Has enough time passed for Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst? Do they miss the roles? The characters? How much would it take to get them back? And do we want them back? I think it's pretty clear we all still want Spider-Man in our big-screen lives, even though the third film was what it was. But are Maguire and Dunst still the right actors for the job? Or would some new blood do an old franchise some good?

For awhile, lots of people were looking at Jake Gyllenhaal to replace Maguire if a decision like that had to be made. With Jake G. out of the picture, who else could you see filling Maguire's Spidey tights?

Things are definitely afoot with Peter Parker. First, we brought you the exclusive news that Spider-Man 4 and 5 might shoot at the same time. Now Marvel's Vice President Peter Cuneo has confirmed that Sony has made their payment to Marvel to renew their rights.

According to Cuneo, "As far as Spider-Man 4, it's really up to Sony and it up to them, most likely scenario is 2010 or 2011 but we can't speak for them and I think that we don't know. They have given us their re-up payment for that film so you know they're going to make it within a reasonable timeframe. Sony may be looking at some issues with the cast and so on, I think they have to make some decisions."

IESB.net, who brought us this news (and have a bunch more, including stuff on the Spidey musical), argues that the tone of Cuneo's voice suggests that it all hinges on casting, and there's still no word yet on whether Sam Raimi will return to helm. Disappointment was rampant with Spider-Man 3, but I think it's safe to say most people want the old team. (Well, except Kirsten Dunst -- it seems like everyone wants her recast, and despite her complaints, I bet she would come back.) Certainly, Sony re-staking the property means there won't be any Marvel crossovers with this hero any time soon.

Cinematical just received a tasty little scoop from one of our trusty top secret super delegate Hollywood insiders, and it's purty interesting (all you Spidey fans might want to listen up): Apparently, in the last few weeks, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) has turned in a working draft of Spider-Man 4 to the studio. However, according to our source, "his story arc has encompassed two films, making Spider-Man 5 shootable at the same time. The studio saw dollar signs and is in the process of reworking his deal to snatch up the story arc." Don't expect anything immediately, though, since we've been told both sides are still trying to negotiate the deal.

Right now we have no word on what that arc is or where Vanderbilt is taking his script, but it's interesting to know that they're looking to spread the next Spidey storyline across two films, instead of shooting one more and taking it from there. Obviously Sony has wiped away the bad buzz from Spidey 3 and is interested in stretching this franchise as far as they can. After three flicks, I can't see Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst returning to shoot two Spider-Man films together (would be a lot to take on), but you never know. In the meantime, here's what we know: Looks like Vanderbilt is writing Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5, and the studio might look to shoot both flicks at the same time. As of right now, the studio has no comment. We'll update this post should we hear more ...

Whaddya think?

Just got back from the Sony offices here in New York, where Cinematical managed to sit down with Jim Sturgess (star of 21), as well as Ben Mezrich (author of Bringing Down the House, the book 21 is based on) and Jeff Ma (who Sturgess' character is based on). I have to say we all had a pretty damn cool conversation, which we'll post on the site at some point before the weekend, but in the meantime check out what Sturgess had to say about Spidey.

Now, remember back when we told you how Across the Universe director Julie Taymor was directing a Spider-Man: The Musical, with music and lyrics from U2's Bono and the Edge? Well, at the time, Taymor said she was interested in Sturgess playing Spider-Man, with Evan Rachel Wood playing Mary Jane. Not only is that true, but apparently Sturgess and Wood have already performed the roles. He says, "We actually have done a workshop for it, which is how this all kind of started. [Taymor] asked me and Evan to come down and do this workshop that she was doing, so it was a chance to work with Julie again and Evan again and, yeah, at that point I didn't know much more about it. We just did two weeks, and we kind of hung out with Bono and the Edge and sung songs about Spider-Man. As a young actor and musician, it was an incredible experience to be involved in that."

He continued, "We then sort of did a rough performance of the play -- like a read through where we sang through the songs and stuff. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's going to be an incredible piece of work." Cinematical asked Sturgess whether that meant he would be starring in the musical, to which he replied: "Um, I don't know. I haven't spoken to Julie since, and I don't know when she plans to do it. It's a timing thing, I guess. I don't know how long it's going to be before it comes to the surface."

More Spidey after the jump ...

With the announcement today that Paramount is attempting to lure Sam Raimi into developing and directing several films based on the popular Jack Ryan character, it would certainly appear as if the man is officially done with Spidey. Of course, there's always a chance he'd stay on as producer, but will that be enough to bring back his original cast? Probably not. Paramount is targeting the summer of 2010 for their first Ryan flick, which -- from what we hear -- is right around the same time Spider-Man 4 would hit theaters (if all things stay as planned). The next Superman flick is also supposed to touch down that same summer, so it will be interesting to see a re-vamped Spidey go head-to-head against a sequel they really can't f*ck up.

Variety claims Raimi is not out of the running to direct another Spider-Man film, but since he's in the middle of helming Drag Me to Hell, it would be near impossible for the man to deliver both a new Spidey film and a Jack Ryan film at the same time. Both franchises are in need of some serious work, and it will take time to develop. There's been no word on the current Spidey script, other than it's being worked on -- so for all we know, that could be just about ready to go. Of course, the strike probably didn't help much. What do you think?

I pity the fool who doesn't want a Hobbit film!

I did not see I Am Legend this past weekend, but apparently there was a poster planted in the film's fictional Times Square for a Batman vs. Superman movie, due out on May 15, 2010. (Check out a screen grab above, courtesy of Slashfilm.) Folks immediately began speculating -- was this a secret teaser poster for Justice League? Had they changed the name (as previously rumored) to Batman vs. Superman? No such luck fanboys (and girls); seems it was only a gag dreamed up by screenwriter/producer Akiva Goldsman, who, long ago, was attached to write a Batman vs. Superman film. But it's still pretty cool, and a neat little Easter Egg if you ask me.

We know John Singleton has signed on to direct a big-screen A-Team movie, and that casting is currently underway, but what's the script look like? Moviehole got their hands on the script, and there's some "interesting" stuff in there. Like, B.A. Baracas (played by Mr. T on the TV show) is listed as a "22-year-old walking steel with two-percent body fat." Yup, expect Tyrese Gibson in this role. Here's a bit more from their synopsis: "I'll be honest - it's not that tantalizing. The whole action of the movie revolves around some vases and stolen art. At one point there's a scene that takes place on a yacht - and it's an art auction. It's just not that interesting." Head on over to Moviehole to read their full review of the 118-page script.

This morning it was announced that Peter Jackson and New Line had kissed and made up, and are moving ahead on the long-planned Hobbit adaptation. However, Jackson is only listed as an executive producer, which means they still need to seek out a director to helm the picture. I'd expect Sam Raimi to be the first one they call, but if Sam takes on this monstrous double-feature, don't expect the guy to be back in the director's chair for Spider-Man 4. Which will also likely mean that Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will opt out. Would you gladly take Raimi on Hobbit, or could Jackson get real nutty and somehow convince Guillermo del Toro to give up all 300 of his current projects to direct two Hobbit films? Where do you stand? Who do you want directing these movies, if not Jackson?

Director Sam Raimi is asked once again about Spider-Man 4 ... and he literally beats a reporter to near death. Read all about right here on Cinematical!

No, he didn't hurt anyone (please, Raimi wouldn't hurt a fly), but Comic Book Resources did ask him again about Spidey 4 ... and they somehow managed to spin his answer into something that's just slightly different from what we already know. He did say that as soon as the strike is over, he'll begin working with a writer on the screenplay -- but that it will be up to the writer whether they'll continue the same storyline or mix things up a bit. What's most important to Raimi? "I'd very much like to see Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, so I have a personal interest in that, but certainly anything's possible." Oohh, Kirsten Dunst just got bitch-slapped! Check out the full interview here.

Director Lexi Alexander's new and (hopefully) improved Punisher flick has nabbed an interesting release date. Apparently, Lionsgate has scheduled Punisher: War Zone to be released on September 12, 2008 -- a month that's been kind as of late to genre pics like Underworld and Resident Evil. Rome's Ray Stevenson stars as FBI agent Frank Castle, who arrives in New York to take on an underworld boss who plots to take over -- wait for it -- the underworld. Oh yes, they're saving the aboveworld for the sequel. Julie Benz, Dominic West and Doug Hutchinson co-star. [via JoBlo]

Finally, for those who have always wanted to watch Shia LaBeouf hug another guy for an uncomfortably long time, new video and pics from the set of Eagle Eye have made their way online. JFX Online has a batch of LaBeouf stills, as well as video of the Spielberg apprentice shooting a few scenes while he frolics around the set. Disturbia director D.J. Caruso once again teams up with LaBeouf on a film about a young slacker and a single mom (Michelle Monaghan) who get all mixed up in a terrorist cell plotting a political assassination. Add to that the fact that LaBeouf really hugs a dude ("It's okay Shia, it's not your fault they signed you up for seventeen Transformers flicks") ... and you have the recipe for a delightful little thriller heading our way this August 8.

While we await word on the eventual Spider-Man 4, news regarding the planned Spider-Man musical has hit the net. The Daily Mail apparently spoke with Julie Taymor (who will direct the production) recently, and she let loose the names of the two people she desperately wants as her stars: Jim Sturgess as Peter Parker and Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane. If all three of those names are familiar to you, that's because Taymore recently directed Sturgess and Wood in Across the Universe. When asked about the pairing, Taymore said, "Jim's certainly interested, but his film career has taken off, so I have to nab him between movies. Same with Evan. They'd be my ideal pairing, though, if they're free."

With music and lyrics from U2's Bono and the Edge, Spider-Man: The Musical is still a good year away from becoming a reality. Taymor described the show as being "a cross between a play, rock n' roll and circus. The movies with Tobey Maguire worked on their terms, but the show will be very different. In fact, it's based more on the original comic books than the movies." Taymor plans to add trapeze artists, giant puppets and incredible costumes into the show. Personally, I think both are fine choices for each role, and while I've never thought about it before, Rachel Wood could make an excellent Mary Jane. Here's the big question: If the Spidey musical is a huge hit and both Maguire and Dunst opt out of a fourth flick, would you be down for Sturgess and Wood? Are they big enough names?

[via Slashfilm]

A while back, we told you that Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt has been hired to pen the script for Spidey 4, but as of right now, the leads -- Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco -- haven't been confirmed yet to star in the film (though something tells me Franco won't be returning for "certain" reasons). That got us thinking ... what if Tobey Maguire decided to move on from playing the Webbed One? Who else could fill that Spidey-suit? Would it be best to go for someone close to Maguire in physical type, or try something completely different? From High School Musical hottie Zac Efron, to boy-wizard-and-more Daniel Radcliffe, from the "superbad" Michael Cera to the multi-talented Elijah Kelley ... who could you see taking on the role of Spider-Man if Maguire decided to retire from the role?

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With Spider-Man 3 arriving on DVD today, it's fitting that we should receive a major announcement regarding Spider-Man 4. Entertainment Weekly reports that James Vanderbilt (who penned the very awesome Zodiac) has been hired to write the script for Spidey 4, and Sony plans to swing the fourquel into theaters in 2009 (most likely early summer). Whether or not Vanderbilt will be the only writer to take on the project is not known; I wouldn't be surprised if this thing passes through the hands of at least two more writers before it moves ahead. Personally, I don't see the impending writer's strike lasting too long (if it happens at all), and so Vanderbilt should start plugging away almost immediately ... if he hasn't already done so. Most likely he pitched his idea to Sony with a full outline, and so I can't see it taking that long to punch out a draft or two.

What we don't know at this moment is whether Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Sam Raimi will return to the franchise. Raimi has already stated that he wants to be involved in some capacity (most likely as producer), and after taking a critical lashing following Spider-Man 3, it'll be interesting to see if Raimi decides to direct one more. Of course, it probably depends on Maguire and Dunst to a certain degree, but if you ask me, I'd like to see them start from scratch with a new cast and director. Feel free to continue the storyline, but this franchise could use some new blood. There's a writer. There's a potential release year. What say you?

[Thanks Steve]