Spider-Man 3

By Karl Schneider     July 17, 2006

Last Updated: July 17, 2006

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Production Company: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, Laura Ziskin Productions
Distributors: Sony Pictures
Project Phase: Post-Production
Budget: 300,000,000 [IMDB]
Who's In It: Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), James Franco (Harry Osborn), Thomas Haden Church (Flint Marko/Sandman), Topher Grace (Eddie Brock), Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy)
Who's Making It: Sam Raimi (Director, Story), Stan Lee (Characters), Alvin Sargent (Screenplay), Avi Arad (Producer), Grant Curtis (Producer), Laura Ziskin (Producer)
Premise: A specimen from the moon gives Spider-man new powers and a black suit, while Spider-man must battle the Hobgoblin, Sandman, Venom, and other dangers.
Comments: The second sequel to one of the most popular franchises in existence.
Updates:
March 28, 2006 - The teaser trailer for the upcoming movie SPIDER-MAN 3 is now online and can be found here.

March 28, 2006 - MTV talked with Elizabeth Banks, who dished a little on SPIDER-MAN 3. Banks told MTV, "I do definitely sort of explore a little bit more of my relationship with Peter Parker." She noted the groundwork is being laid for a Peter-Betty relationship much like the office romance they shared in the comics. "Peter Parker he actually is Hugh Hefner," she jokingly added. Banks also noted, "They're really exploring the dark side of power, the power a superhero has. Do you use it all for good? That's the question. That's the main theme of the movie." [MTV]

March 12, 2006 - Cliff Robertson told the Palm Beach Post that he received a call to tell him his character, Uncle Ben, would return in SPIDER-MAN 3. Robertson will be back as the "ghostly personae of the murdered Ben Parker," when his part is shot this May. [Palm Beach Post]

January 24, 2006 Theresa Russell has signed to join the cast of SPIDER-MAN 3. She will play the wife of Flint Marko, aka the Sandman. [Hollywood Reporter]

January 19, 2006 Columbia Pictures is in talks with Bryce Dallas Howard to play Peter Parker's love interest Gwen Stacy in SPIDER-MAN 3. The character will be part of a love triangle and she does survive in the story the studio is reporting. [Hollywood Reporter]

May 20, 2005 - Topher Grace has been signed to play one of two villains in the upcoming SPIDER-MAN 3. Grace will be joining the cast which already includes Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Thomas Haden Church. [Sony]

March 21, 2005 - Thomas Haden Church, who was most recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Sideways, has been cast as Spider-Man's new archenemy in the next chapter of the Spider-Man® adventure, it was announced by director Sam Raimi and producers Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad.

Production on Spider-Man 3 is scheduled to begin early next year.

"In addition to the on-going relationship between Peter Parker and M.J., these films are driven by the great actors who have brought our villains to life," said Raimi. "Thomas Haden Church will be a fantastic and challenging new nemesis and we all look forward to working with him." The identity of the new villain is being kept secret and while speculation is rampant about which character is being called into action, the studio will not comment on the casting beyond confirming Church. [Sony]

January 13, 2005 - Alvin Sargeant will earn a seven-figure paycheck for writing the screenplay for SPIDER-MAN 3. Columbia Pictures has closed a contract with the writer, who had sole screenwriting credit for SPIDER-MAN 2 and also contributed (but received no on-screen credit) to the first film's script.

Sargeant will now shape the story concept idea for SM3 that director Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan have come up with into a working screenplay. So far no details concerning the third movie's storyline or even who the main villain will be have surfaced.

SPIDER-MAN 3 hits theaters May 4, 2007. [Variety]

May 25, 2004 - At this year's ShoWest convention, Sony Pictures made an announcement stating that stars Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst and director Sam Raimi would all be returning to work on SPIDER-MAN 3, and that the film (which hasn't even got a script yet) will be released on May 4, 2007. Nothing like planning ahead for getting your tickets, right?