Sony Ponys Up for 'Spider-Man 4'

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13049.html

During a conference call with market analysts Marvel Entertainment’s CFO Kenneth West confirmed that “During this quarter, we did receive the $5 million advance associated with Spider-Man 4.” According to West, “That keeps Sony in line with actually releasing this picture within the normal time period.” As previously noted by ICv2 (see “Sony Targets 2011 for Spidey 4”), Sony is projecting an early May 2011 release date for Spider-Man 4 though the studio does not yet have a final script and has not signed either cast or crew.

One of the analysts raised the same question that ICv2 did in its Spider-Man 4 article, namely, with both Marvel Studio’s Captain America movie and Spidey 4 tentatively set for the same early May weekend in 2011, which studio is going to flinch first in this game of “debut date chicken?” David Maisel, the head of Marvel Studios, deftly dodged the question: “Well, we always have a lot of options now that we control green light and our destiny with these films. Obviously we can’t respond to hypotheticals and what we would do with various either competitive moves or partner moves, like Sony with Spider-Man. So at this point, I’d just have to say once a move like that happens, we’ll obviously let our response be made publicly but it wouldn’t be constructive to respond to a hypothetical.”

But of course if it comes down to Spider-Man vs. Captain America the outcome is a real no-brainer. Spider-Man is a proven franchise and Spider-Man licensing, even though it is shared with Sony, is a major component of Marvel’s high margin (82%) licensing sector. In the most recent quarter licensing sales from Marvel’s Spider-Man joint venture with Sony amounted to $13 million, bringing the total amount of Spider-Man 3 licensing sales recognized by Marvel over the past six quarters to $165 million.

During the conference call Maisel also made veiled references to potential moves that Marvel Studios might make to improve its movie distribution and financing deals—given the success of Marvel Studios’ first two releases. Upon direct questioning Maisel said that Iron Man 2, which like the first Iron Man film will be released by Paramount, is the only Marvel Studios’ film with a definite distributor at this time.

The two direct-to-DVD Marvel/Lionsgate animated features for 2009 will be Hulk Vs., which is due to be released in January of 2009 and Thor: Son of Asgard, which is slated for a September 2009 debut.

Spider-man goes to a fourth movie. I wonder if it'll mean a new trilogy in the end or if they'll just keep making them until they're unprofitable?

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

If they cast new characters, they should make it a new trilogy. Use a different style and feel to the films. I'd like to see Mysterio and Kingpin in them.

[Kite 3,263]

spiderman has more enemies them most heroes, so they wont run out any time soon,

they just need a better script,

they also need to portray peter parker better.

replace toby maguire wouldnt hurt it at all IMO,

he did a ok job, but tbh, i think he looks too old for the role, spiderman was originally portrayed as a teen, and with it came a different perspective of being a hero

this whole, ima hero, but dont want to be crap is so old.

also, no one likes spiderman, WTH was that parade in spiderman 3.

they would just do a batman begins on the original spiderman trilogy, ---> new cast. new director, hell up the ante and get robert rodreguiz (spelling)

and Mary Jane????????? why does he love her again? she had no attraction other then being ''pretty'', but no personality, and please stop her being kidnaped

every villian knew spidermans identity, he identified with them all somehow.

they were fun film,s but really need to be made more intelligent, and a revamp wont hurt