Comic-Book Movie Round-up: December 2014

So, there's been quite a bit of comic book movie news recently, with massive announcements from both Warner Bros and Marvel Studios over their respective slates for the next five years. There's also been some great casting news announced. 

THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

2015 will still be dominated by Marvel Studios with both Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Ant-Man (and the first of the new Fantastic Four films) but, from 2016, Warner Bros and DC Entertainment throw their hat into the ring with the start of their cinematic universe, opening with the utter doozy of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and then moving on to Suicide Squad.

Casting was announced this week for Suicide Squad, which is to be written and directed by David Ayer (End Of Watch, Fury).

Will Smith will play Deadshot, whilst recent Oscar-winner Jared Leto will play The Joker and The Wolf Of Wall Street's Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn. Tom Hardy will play Rick Flagg whilst A Good Day To Die Hard's Jai Courtney is Captain Boomerang. Finally, model Cara Delevingne  will play Enchantress. There's also a rumour that Jesse Eisenberg may make an appearance, reprising his role as Lex Luthor from Batman V Superman. 

Fans may notice that there's one piece of casting that has yet to be announced, and that's of the Suicide Squad's head honcho, Amanda Waller. Whilst no casting has been announced, it's been reported that Oprah Winfrey, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis are all under consideration.

In 2017, there'll be a standalone Wonder Woman movie, presumably with Gal Gadot reprising her role. Michelle MacLaren (who has done sterling TV work on episodes of Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad) will direct and the screenplay will be written by Jason Fuchs. 

Also in late 2017, there'll be the first part of a Justice League movie to be directed by Zack Snyder (Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman). Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Amy Adams are already signed on to reprise their roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Lois Lane. The second part will hit screens in 2019.

In 2018, The Flash will make his big-screen debut played by Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), as will Aquaman with Game Of Thrones' Jason Momoa in the lead role. No doubt Miller and Momoa will also appear in the Justice League movies. 

In 2019, along with the second part of the Justice League movie, Shazam will hit the screens. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has already announced he will be playing Black Adam but no other casting has been confirmed as yet.

Finally in 2020, a Cyborg movie (starring Ray Fisher as Victor Stone, who will also appear in other movies) and a reboot of Green Lantern completes DC's ambitious slate. Considering that the 2011 Green Lantern movie is generally considered to be a bit of a turkey (losing millions at the box office), it's no surprise they've decided to leave the reboot until last. 

Plans have also been announced for standalone Batman and Superman movies but these have not formed part of this plan as yet.

THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

I did a quick blog when the Marvel slate for 2016-2019 was announced but there have been a few new bits of information since (most notably a major piece of casting)

Captain America 3 was slated for May 2016 (US date), and was originally opening on the same day as Batman V Superman. Were Marvel afraid? Nope. Their date remained unchanged and now it's clear why: the third Captain America film will adapt the highly esteemed Civil War storyline.

Essentially, Civil War pits Cap against Tony Stark over a government bill aimed at forcing superheroes to register themselves and reveal their identities. Cap is against it, Stark is for. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans will reprise their roles, and this will also be the debut for Chadwick Boseman who was announced as playing Black Panther. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will also return from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Also in 2016, Marvel takes a dip into the more supernatural side of things with Doctor Strange. It was confirmed this week that Benedict Cumberbatch would take the role of the Sorceror Supreme after weeks of speculation. Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister) will direct with a script being rewritten by Jon Spaihts.

2017 is going to be a bumper year for Marvel with no less than 3 movies expected for release (at the moment). First of these is Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, which should see the original cast reteam under returning director James Gunn. Next up is Thor: Ragnarok, which will see Asgard under threat from the end of all things. At the moment, Chris Hemsworth will be returning and (it is expected) Tom Hiddleston. Less certain would be Natalie Portman or Anthony Hopkins' involvement, but as no story details have emerged so far, it's difficult to say. Marvel finish the year off with the standalone film for Black Panther.

In 2018, cinemas will get the first part of Avengers: Infinity War which is a very exciting prospect. Josh Brolin is expected to reprise his role as Thanos, as the plot focuses on Thanos' use of the Infinity Stones to terrorise the universe. Summer 2018 will see Marvel's first female-led superhero movie with Captain Marvel, which has been confirmed as being Carol Danvers. There's been a longstanding rumour that Katee Sackhoff is linked with the role but this is just idle gossip at the moment (although I think she'd be kickass). 2018 tounds off with Inhumans.

2019 sees the release of the second part of Avengers: Infinity War. Nothing else has been announced after that. 

20TH CENTURY FOX

Whilst Marvel and DC are the big hitters, Fox have a decent slate of superhero movies due out with reboots of one property and a few sequels to others.

2015 sees the release of the rebooted Fantastic Four, with Miles Teller (Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic), Kate Mara (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) and Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm/The Thing) in the lead roles. British actor Toby Kebbell will take the role of Dr. Doom, and Chronicle director Josh Trank will oversee the project.

In early 2016, the Deadpool spin-off will be released, with Ryan Reynolds appearing to be close to reprising his role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (he's been dropping a few less-than-subtle hints on social media this week). Tim Miller will make his directorial debut.

Also in 2016, X-Men: Apocalypse will hit the screens with Bryan Singer back in the director's chair. The action moves to the 1980s and rumour has it that it will tie up the First Class trilogy. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) has been cast as Apocalypse. 

Early 2017 currenly sees the sequel to The Wolverine. The only information available so far is that James Mangold, who directed The Wolverine, is attached to direct and that Hugh Jackman will star. No clue on plot or other casting as yet.

Summer 2017 will also see The Fantastic Four 2. The four main cast are expected to return, but that's all we know so far. Josh Trank's involvement is uncertain due to his commitments for a standalone Star Wars film.

There's an untitled X-Men movie rumoured for 2018, and Channing Tatum has seemingly been confirmed as playing Gambit (in an interview with producer Laura Shulde Donner), but whether Gambit will appear in this one or maybe even appear in X-Men: Apocalypse is uncertain. 

SONY AND SPIDEY

Currently, Sony have four comic book projects slated- Sinister Six, Venom, a female-led Spider-Man spin-off and The Amazing Spider-Man 3. However, given the fact that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't exactly set the box office alight, it looks as if plans may be altered slightly. 

Currently, Drew Goddard's Sinister Six movie is still slated for late 2016 although there's been zip in the way of either casting or even which of the Spidey supervillains will make up the Sinister Six. 

As for the female led Spider-Man movie, the best bet would be Black Cat (as the character was hinted at in The Amazing Spider-Man 2) but there are absolutely no details about this project, apart from the concept and a vague release date of 2017. Similarly, the Venom project hasn't progressed either- again, a vague release date of 2017 is the only thing to say, but rumours are that the project has been canned and the character may appear in the Sinister Six instead.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is provisionally down for release in 2018, having been moved back from 2016 (thus removing a previously-earmarked Amazing Spider-Man 4). However, there are rumours of yet another reboot in the works or even Sony entering talks with Marvel to allow Spider-Man to join The Avengers (which would be awesome but a logistical nightmare, one would imagine). 

Other studios have provisionally or fully set their rosters and publicised at least some of their films. Sony is the only one with a major comic-book franchise that hasn't. Make of that what you will. 



So, as you can see, there's a lot to go see in the next few years. Here's a handy calendar of what to expect when (please note, this may be schedule to change- let's face it, we are talking some longterm planning here!)


2015

April 24 (UK)/May 1 (US): Avengers: Age Of Ultron

July 17: Ant-Man

August 6 (UK)/August 7 (US): The Fantastic Four


2016

February 12: Deadpool

March 25: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

April 29 (UK)/May 6 (US): Captain America: Civil War

May 19 (UK)/May 27 (US): X-Men: Apocalypse

August 5: Suicide Squad

November 6: Doctor Strange

November 11: Sinister Six


2017

March 2 (UK)/March 3 (US): The Wolverine sequel

April 28 (UK)/May 5 (US): Guardians Of The Galaxy 2

June 23: Wonder Woman

July 14: The Fantastic Four 2

July 28: Thor: Ragnarok

October 27 (UK)/November 2 (US): Black Panther

November 23: Justice League Part One


2018

March 23 - The Flash

April 27 (UK)/May 4 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part One

July 6 - Captain Marvel

July 13 - untitled X-Men movie

July 27 - Aquaman

October 26 (UK)/November 2 (US): Inhumans


2019

April 5 - Shazam

April 26 (UK)/May 3 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part Two

June 14 - Justice League Part Two


2020

April 3 - Cyborg

June 19 - Green Lantern


Busy time ahead!

Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (UK Cert 12A)

 SPOILER WARNING! This review discusses and/or mentions a few important plot points. If you would prefer not to have these spoiled, please stop reading now and come back once you've seen the film.  

Are you sitting comfortably? Good, because you'll need to be. There is so much going on in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that, even at a bum-numbing 142 minutes, a few things are left hanging. The knowledge that a third and fourth instalment, plus two spin-off films, are in the works gives screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner the luxury of not having to tie everything up. Thank heavens, because if they'd had to, the final edit could have easily given The Lord Of The Rings a run for its money.

The story starts with Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) loving life and loving being Spider-Man and keeping New York safe. After a dust-up with Russian mobster Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti, earning his 'with' credit with a total of about five minutes' screen-time) on the morning of his graduation, Peter and girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) are looking forward to life after college. However, besides the usual relationship issues, there's still the mystery over what actually happened to Peter's parents, the return of Peter's old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) and a brand new threat to deal with: the formidable Electro (Jamie Foxx). Loyalties will be tested, alliances formed and hearts broken as the webslinger faces his toughest times.

Despite the fact that one of the marketing campaigns for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is 'enemies unite'- and you do get three of Spidey's best-known villains- the film manages to quite cannily sidestep the Spider-Man 3 trap of throwing too many villains at the screen and not giving them enough to do or not enough screentime.

There's so many different elements to the story that it does take a long time to get all the pieces in position. Throughout it all, Garfield is an engaging and powerful central presence. He can sell the quippy, wisecracking Spidey as much as he can sell the heartbroken and headstrong Peter and- even when the script is uneven- you believe in his performance. This is certainly helped by the fact that the chemistry between Garfield and on-(and off-)screen girlfriend Emma Stone is undeniable and absolutely palpable at some places. You believe in them as a couple and that really pulls at the heartstrings throughout when the relationship is thrown into choppy waters. The promise Peter made Gwen's late father still weighs heavily and it makes for a few sombre moments.

Stone is excellent again- Gwen's no shrinking wallflower, she's a gutsy young woman who can make her own decisions. She doesn't need rescuing and is an equal to Peter and to Spider-Man. Prior to editing, there were scenes filmed which would introduce Divergent star Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson, even one where Gwen and Mary Jane meet. I think it was a good move to remove these scenes (not least because of the already crammed storyline) but because the main love story here needs to be that of Peter and Gwen and everything that entails. Comic-book fans will know how that storyline pans out and the film remains true to it, even managing a stylish homage to one of the iconic comic book panels at the end. Even if you know what's going to happen, it's still an absolutely gutwrenching and emotional moment when it does come (again sold by Garfield's devastated performance). 

As for the other labyrinthine strands the story takes us in, some are more successful than others. For instance, Dane DeHaan brings more charisma, menace and emotion to his role of Harry Osborn in this one film than James Franco managed in three. Home to see his dying father Norman (a reptilian and uncredited Chris Cooper) and finding himself in charge of Oscorp, Harry becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the illness that killed his father and is killing him. It's a real shame that certain advertising campaigns chose to plant a massive spoiler signposting DeHaan's character progression because Harry's transition from ally to adversary would have carried more weight had it been kept under wraps.

Getting to see what ACTUALLY happened to Peter's parents and finding out more of their story is one of the more successful parts. Campbell Scott builds on his stoic and strong performance from the first film as his ethical dilemmas and the danger he faces start to build. There's the usual second-act misdirection as a few painful truths have to come out from Aunt May (Sally Field, superb as always) but the final resolution of that particular storyline (assuming it has now been put to bed) is emotionally satisfying.

The one bum note in all of this is the Electro storyline. Meek and mild Oscorp grunt Max Dillon, an invisible and unregarded man, gets involved in a terrible accident that leaves him with his superpowers. That's fine. All well and good. The first showdown between Electro and Spidey in Times Square is one of the film's set pieces and is a high-octane balls-to-the-wall everything-and-the-kitchen-sink battle which looks fantastic. My problem is Foxx's performance. It just didn't seem right. He didn't convince as the mousy Max (not helped by a slightly ridiculous cartoonesque soundtrack just before his hideous accident) and the hero-worship of Spidey which turns into an unhinged obsession wasn't handled right either. He's better when he is Electro but is disposed of pretty quickly in the final fight (another admittedly visually stunning set-piece). A stronger actor could have sold the pathos or the loneliness better but Foxx just didn't do it for me.

There are so many hints thrown in for later films. Two more of Spider-Man's most iconic villains are teased with background shots of mechanical equipment and the name of Felicity Jones' character may raise a few eyebrows. In places, this feels more like the start of a franchise than just another sequel but doesn't feel too blatant or cynical. The post-rendering to 3D was largely successful, giving some of the bigger setpieces a real depth. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 engaged me, engrossed me and I enjoyed it thoroughly. By the way, as has become standard with comic-book movies, I'd advise you stay for the mid-credits scene (there is only one). It's a jawdropping little teaser that opens up a few questions of its own.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Tez

Comic Book Movie Round-Up: March 2014

There has been a whole load of comic-book movie related news over the past few weeks, so here's a round-up of what's been going on.

* * * 

MARVEL VS DC

It was recently announced that DC's Batman Vs Superman movie had been postponed from 2015 to May 6 2016. This sets up a battle of the comic-book movies as it will now open on the same day as a Marvel film, expected to be Captain America 3 (although an official announcement has yet to be made). Marvel are 'certainly keeping the date', according to Kevin Feige, and aren't afraid of a clash. 

When asked by Access Hollywood to predict the winner of this clash of the titans, Sebastian Stan (who has a nine picture deal with Marvel) stated 'All you have to do to know the answer to that question is look at the track record of Marvel versus DC'. Meow!

We discussed the casting for Batman Vs Superman in Programme 36 where, it's safe to say, there were some strong opinions over the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jeremy Irons as Alfred. They will join Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman, with Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne reprising their roles from Man Of Steel. Irons has just revealed in an interview with Absolute Radio that "The script isn't entirely finished' although pre-production has begin in Michigan.

It's certainly an exciting piece of news and may cause a few headaches for comic book fans. See one? See them both? If you see them both, which order do you see them in? Either way, both studios will make a whole load of money off these movies.

* * *

FOX'S OPENING GAMBITS

20th Century Fox have announced opening dates for two upcoming films.

In addition to the Bryan-Singer-directed X-Men: Apocalypse which is lined up for release on May 27 2016, there will be a sequel to The Wolverine which set to hit screens on March 3 2017. This will see Hugh Jackman reprise his role as Logan/Wolverine for the eighth time and will be directed by James Mangold (who also directed The Wolverine) and will be written by David James Kelly (according to Deadline).

They've also given a date for the second instalment of the Fantastic Four reboot - even though filming hasn't even started on the first! This film is due on July 14 2017, whilst the first film is scheduled for release on June 19 2015. If you want to know what we think about the (potential) casting for this film, have a listen to Programme 36 where we discuss our thoughts.

* * *

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

This week saw the release of several pieces of concept art for Marvel's upcoming releases, including some for The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

Due in cinemas on May 1 2015 and directed by Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson will all reprise their roles from The Avengers/Avengers Assemble.

Scarlet Witch concept art

Quicksilver concept art

Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson join the cast as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver respectively. Due to a very unique and slightly complicated situation involving a quirk of publishing, they can appear in multiple (and rival) film franchises. They are the children of Magneto and can therefore appear in Fox's X-Men franchise (and will - Evan Peters is playing Quicksilver in X-Men: Days Of Future Past), but they are also linked to the Avengers franchise and can therefore appear in Marvel films as well. 

James Spader will play villain Ultron (despite Stan Lee admitting in an interview with Playboy 'I don't have any idea who the hell Ultron is'- Lee had finished working on The Avengers before Ultron was created) and Thomas Kreschmann will play the villainous Baron Von Strucker. Kretschmann also has a multi-film deal so expect to see the Baron popping up in other movies. 

* * *

MARVEL PHASE 3 NEWS

The recent documentary- Marvel Studios: Assembling A Universe- showed test footage from Ant-Man. Directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World), the film will kick off Marvel Studios' Phase 3 of movies. 

Test footage from Ant-Man

Paul Rudd has been cast as Scott Lang, with Michael Douglas playing Hank Pym. Patrick Wilson has confirmed his casting- stating he is playing an 'important' role in the film- but hasn't given any more details. Michael Pena has confirmed he is in discussions for a role but nothing is confirmed yet, whilst Gravity composer Steven Price will provide the score. Ant-Man is currently slated for July 17 2015.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, directors Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Sinister), Mark Andrews (Brave), and Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) are in the frame to direct Marvel's Doctor Strange project. However, Kevin Feige has dismissed rumours that Andrews and Levine were approached- stating 'we're meeting a lot of people now'- and has also quashed rumours that Johnny Depp is in line to take the title role.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo will return to direct Captain America 3, having just helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

Marvel Studios are developing ideas for a stand-alone Black Widow movie, to build on the exploration of her character shown in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Scarlett Johansson seems up for it, telling reporters at the premiere for Captain America: The Winter Soldier "If you want to see a Black Widow spin-off movie, then I want to see it. We'll see. We will put the request in to Marvel tomorrow."

Ant-Man, Captain America 3 and Doctor Strange are in line for Phase 3, with rumours of Thor 3 and a Black Panther movie also included, which would lead up to The Avengers 3 to finish the phase.

* * *

SONY'S AMAZING PLANS FOR SPIDER-MAN

With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 imminent, Sony are looking to expand their comic-book universe with spin-off movies based on some of Spidey's best known villains.

Variety quotes Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal as saying "We are expanding the Spider-Man universe into the Sinister Six and Venom, so that we have Spider-Man movies every year."

Venom will be written by Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci and Ed Solomon and may also be directed by Kurtzman. Venom has previously been seen on-screen in 2007's Spider-Man 3, played by Topher Grace.

The Sinister Six movie will be written by Drew Goddard, who may also direct. There are various iterations of the Sinister Six throughout the comic books so it will be interesting to see who they draw in. Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Vulture, Mysterio, Kraven The Hunter, the Hobgoblin, the Green Goblin, Venom and the Lizard have all- at one time or another- been members of the group, so Goddard's got plenty to play with. Considering the multiple villains in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, perhaps a few Marvel-style multi-picture deals have been signed?

There are currently no dates for the Venom or Sinister Six movies, but it might be a safe bet that we'll be looking at one in 2015 and the other in 2017.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is due for release on May 27 2016 in the UK and June 10 2016 in the US and will be Marc Webb's last time in the director's chair for a Spider-Man movie. The film will be written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner. It is unclear at the moment whether Shailene Woodley (who was due to play Mary Jane Watson and recorded scenes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2) will return due to her workload in the Divergent sequels.

There are also plans afoot for The Amazing Spider-Man 4, slated for May 4 2018. In an interview with Crave Online last year, Webb teased that: 'what we've discovered is there are so many ancillary characters, that have enormous, cinematic potential that there may be other ways to exploit those characters, in a way that is exciting and fun and worthwhile. It might not just be a Spider-Man movie."

Could we be looking at a Spider-Man vs... scenario? It will be interesting to see.

Comic Book Movie Round-Up #3: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

So, the third of our comic book movie round-ups is for the sequel to the highest-grossing movie reboot of all time (to date). It is...

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Director: Marc Webb
Writer: Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner from a story by James Vanderbilt
Provisional Release Date: April 18 2014 (UK); May 2 2014 (USA)

What We Know:

It was announced on July 5 2012 that The Amazing Spider-Man was the first in a new movie trilogy which would explore how Peter Parker's journey was 'shaped by the disappearance of his parents'.

The official synopsis for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released on February 6 2013:

"In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy - between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can't come quickly enough. Peter hasn't forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen's father to protect her by staying away - but that's a promise he just can't keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past."

Who's In?:

Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spiderman), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacey) and Sally Field (Aunt May) will all reprise their original roles from The Amazing Spider-Man, along with Martin Sheen (Uncle Ben) who confirmed his return in December 2012.

New cast members for this instalment include- as stated above- Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx who is playing Electro and Dane DeHaan (Lawless, The Place Beyond The Fines) as Harry Osborn.

The Descendants actress Shailene Woodley will appear in the film as Mary Jane Watson.

Another Oscar-winning actor, Chris Cooper, has been cast as Norman Osborn. Whether he will make the transition to the Green Goblin is unclear.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man) will also appear as The Rhino, another of Spider-Man's comic-book adversaries

The Office actor BJ Novak will appear as an Oscorp employee whilst Colm Feore (Thor, Chicago) and Felicity Jones (The Tempest, Like Crazy) are also rumoured to appear in as-yet unspecified roles.

Marton Csokas (The Lord Of The Rings) has been cast. IMDb has him listed as Dr. Kafka which, in the comic-books, is a female character and founder of the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane. It has not been officially confirmed who Csokas is playing.

Anything Else?

Sam Claflin (Snow White And The Huntsman), Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) and Douglas Booth (Christopher And His Kind) all screentested for the role of Harry Osborn before Dane DeHaan was confimed in the role in December 2012.

Writers Kurtzman and Orci have defended the use of multiple villains in the film, claiming that all are 'essential' to the film's plot. One of the main problems of Raimi's Spider-Man 3 was too many villains, not enough time. So long as they can be balanced and well-served by the script, I don't see a problem. However if they're just there 'just because' it's not going to work. We'll have to see what happens.

This will be the first Spider-Man film to be filmed entirely in New York State.

Filming started on February 4, 2013 (shooting on film rather than on digital) and several shots have been released, including those below:

Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn

Spider-Man in action

Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) meets Mary Jane Watson (Shailene Woodley)

Paul Giamatti as The Rhino

Jamie Foxx as Electro

Spider-Man's new suit

Several set photos that have emerged point to a major spoiler for the film's plot. Please click here to be redirected if you want to find out what it is.

Sony have recently denied rumours that they would sell the rights to the Spider-Man movie franchise to Marvel Studios; Sony co-chair Amy Pascal was quoted as saying it would 'never ever ever' happen. Spider-Man is the only Marvel creation whose movie rights are owned by Sony, so I can't see them wanting to relinquish them any time soon.

Footage from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be shown at this year's San Diego Comic-Con International in July.

Programme 17: The Amazing Spider-Man and What To Expect When You're Expecting

Programme 17 can be found here (and click here to view on VideoMajic.tv)!


We look at summer blockbuster The Amazing Spider-Man and comedy-drama What To Expect When You're Expecting. Plus Tez has an issue with an aspect of movie advertising...


Podcast versions can be found here and here


Enjoy!


P.S. Keep an eye out for Programme 18, which is due in a few weeks...  it's gonna be epic!

Programme 4: Review Of 2011

Our fourth show- and the last of 2011- was a review of the year: the films we liked, the films we didn't like, what we missed and what we're looking forward to in 2012.

For the podcast version, click here (or here for iTunes).