The Amazing Spider-Man Spidey guy Raimi says `Dark Knight' has upped ante (AP)

[Raiden]

Yahoo! Article

CANNES, France - Like other superhero fans, Sam Raimi agrees that "The Dark Knight" raised the bar for every comic-book movie to come.

Raimi figures it can only benefit the next chapter in his "Spider-Man" franchise, the first installment of which had been the top-grossing superhero flick until "The Dark Knight" blew it out of the record books last year.

"`The Dark Knight' was brilliant, and the audience seemed to love it, and I think it rightfully raises expectations for the other superhero pictures," Raimi said in an interview at the Cannes Film Festival, where his horror tale "Drag Me to Hell" played. "Which is a great thing for everybody. For the filmmakers, for the audience."

Raimi said he expects to have the script for "Spider-Man 4" in hand within a few weeks. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is writing the screenplay for the film, due in theaters in May 2011.

The director said he has discussed the story with Tobey Maguire, who stars as Peter Parker and his alter ego Spidey.

"I'm interested in making the best of the `Spider-Man' movies ever, and Tobey's really excited," Raimi said. "I'm really looking forward to that collaboration."

A part has been written for Kirsten Dunst, and Raimi said he hopes she will return as the love of Peter's life, Mary Jane Watson.

After glowing reaction for the first two movies, critical response for "Spider-Man 3" was so-so. Right after the third movie came out, Raimi was undecided about returning for more, but he said he did not like "thinking about a world where somebody else was making the Peter Parker story. I love that character."

Raimi said the break he took to make the smaller "Drag Me to Hell" has refreshed him for the return to Spidey, adding that he wanted to "take some of the more modest approach I've learned from this film into the `Spider-Man' film. I think it's exactly what it needs."

He also said he was game for the challenge of satisfying fans clamoring for bigger and better after "The Dark Knight."

"Yes, they have higher expectations," Raimi said. "The best thing I can do is be true to my character and work harder to bring him to the screen with as much truth and drama and a real conflict that means something to me. And have him grow in a realistic way to either overcome that conflict or be swallowed by it.

"I'm glad those expectations are up. I'm excited about that."

I wish the director for X-Men Origin: Wolverine had the same attitude when he was making that film; it might not have turned out as underwhelming as it did.

 

[American_Hobo]

Like many other people are saying, Dark Knight made it worse for the comic book movies.
Now people are expecting all the superhero movies to be extremely good.
In my opinion, Dark Knight made doom to the superhero movies.

 

[The Joker]

Oh I predict great fun from this thread

Raimi is right, TDK did raise the bar. Spider-Man 2 did the same thing back in 2004. Every comic book movie was compared to SM-2 back then.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

^Yup.

So what's the over/under on the life of this thread? Should become very entertaining. I'm ready.

 

[Spider-Ranger]

This is very interesting:

The director said he has discussed the story with Tobey Maguire, who stars as Peter Parker and his alter ego Spidey.

So Raimi definitely has a rough story outline.

 

[FaT_tONle]

Yeah I don't want to hear people complaining about "Stop comparing everything to TDK" when every director in the genre is pretty much using that film as the measuring stick.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Wow, great read. Sam TRULY seems to nkow what he wants to do, and it's great to know he wants to bring alot of story and just overall things that will make it fantastic.

 

[spider-neil]

sam seems very humble to me, he WANTS to do better, he isn't closed minded like some other directors who almost couldn't care less if the audience liked the movie as long as THEY like the movie.

fingers crossed sam knocks it out of the park like SM2 which I thought was THE best superhero movie ever until that pesky dark knight came along.

 

[Cosmic]

Can't imagine a world where someone else is telling Peter Parker's story? He's already done 3 blockbuster franchise pics spanning nearly a decade. How often do people get opportunities like that? Spider-Man 3 was a total mess. I'd prefer to see a different vision from a different director.

 

[spider-neil]

Can't imagine a world where someone else is telling Peter Parker's story? He's already done 3 blockbuster franchise pics spanning nearly a decade. How often do people get opportunities like that? Spider-Man 3 was a total mess. I'd prefer to see a different vision from a different director.

I'd personally rather give sam another chance to deliver another movie as good as SM2. I can't tell you how elated I was when I left he cinema after watching that movie. I saw it five times at the cinema and I watch it about 1 every three months on blu ray. I'll give sam the benefit of the doubt, he's made to great spidey movies and one poor spidey movie he deserves another shot.

 

[Adrian89]

I hope Peter won't be a wimp again!

 

[bunk]

The problem is that his cast doesn't have the same talent as Nolan's. I don't know how likely it is the performances from Maguire and Dunst will really be able to rival that of TDK.

 

[mclay18]

That's pretty much moot if everything else is pretty strong.

What Raimi is trying to say that TDK raised the bar in terms of storytelling and characters in a superhero/comic book film and that's what he wants to do for SM-4. Period.

 

[bunk]

All he indicates is that he wants to increase the drama and conflict, which can mean anything. It's impossible to know at this point what he really took away from TDK or how it will alter his thinking on SM4.

 

[mclay18]

I hope he took away from TDK is that he should focus on plot development and giving the characters room to develop. Drama and conflict doesn't have as powerful an impact if the plot and characters aren't up to par.

 

[GoldGoblin]

Instead of Raimi using "The Dark Knight" as a template for SM4,Raimi should use "The Spectacular Spider-Man" tv show as a template instead.

 

[Dragon]

Instead of Raimi using "The Dark Knight" as a template for SM4,Raimi should use "The Spectacular Spider-Man" tv show as a template instead.

No. A thousand times no.

Raimi should use TDK as a template, not from te perspective of the "darkness" end per se, or trtying to write Spidey like Bsbman or the villain like The Joker, but from the end of complexity of the characters. The characters in the Spidey films have been too one-note thus far.

 

[venom892]

No. A thousand times no.

Raimi should use TDK as a template, not from te perspective of the "darkness" end per se, or trtying to write Spidey like Bsbman or the villain like The Joker, but from the end of complexity of the characters. The characters in the Spidey films have been too one-note thus far.

As much as I love the Spectacular Spider-man cartoon It's a different format from a movie,The SSM cartoon has several episodes to expand on things and tell a story.A movie has 120-150 mins.Different storytelling meduims.The Dark Knight is what every CB should aspire to be.As someone stated before SM2 had the crown.I hope SM4 can take the crown back for the franchise.

 

[DACrowe]

Interesting, I hope he does produce a great Spidey movie that surpasses SM2 and brings the fans and general audience back in favor to the franchise. It'd be a great grace note for his series.

 

[weezerspider]

And now there can officially be no more "STOP COMPARING IT TO TDK" comments because Sam Raimi himself has been thinking about how to use TDK and its success to better his Spiderman films. This really is great news. I loved the first two films. I love the fact that Raimi realizes they messed up on the third. I love how Raimi realizes that his franchise has even higher expectations, as does every comic book film, after TDK. He really sounds like he knows what he's doing. I'm certainly not the #1 Raimi fan, but bashing aside, its hard to argue that the first two films aren't some of the few really well made comic book films. He has made many mistakes, but he also has done some really great things in this franchise. I hope that Spiderman 4 will bring the franchise back up to par with the first two films.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Character development should be a priority. Especially if you're having two villians.

 

[venom892]

I think Rami much like Nolan has been doing should take a break after each Spider-man film.After BB we got The Prestige and now after TDK he is making Inception.Maybe if Rami hadn't done three Spidey movies in a row we would have had a good part 3.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Character development should be a priority.

That's what Sam seems to be focusing on right now, if you ask me.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

That's what Sam seems to be focusing on right now, if you ask me.

I'm glad to see Sam working more towards the characters. The development for Flint Marko and Eddie Brock was dissapointing. I have faith Raimi can make a great movie. I'm still a little upset that this movie might have Morbius. I'm willing to give him a chance to WOW me, though.

 

[dsfjr1190]

Blah blah blah.

Screw Spider-Man, Raimi. Get off your ass and make Evil Dead IV!