Tag: The Interview

MCU Spider-Man Confirmed As Peter Parker, Won’t Be An Origin Story!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Okay, so we were totally lying on April 1st when we said that Chandler Riggs was playing Spider-Man.

But, today Kevin Feige did drop some new info about the role.

Feige revealed to Collider today that the new Spider-Man will indeed be Peter Parker, and that he’ll be Ultimate style 15-16 years old:

“In terms of the age of an actor we’ll eventually to cast, I don’t know. In terms of the age of what we believe Peter Parker is, I’d say 15-16 is right.”

He continues, explaining just why they chose to go with a younger Spidey this time around (aside from the fact that an immediately older one didn’t work):

“We want to play with Spider-Man in the high school years because frankly there’ve been five Spider-Man films and the amazing thing about it is, even though there’ve been five Spider-Man films, there are so many things from the comics that haven’t been done yet. Not just characters or villains or supporting characters, but sides to his character. The most obvious being the ‘young, doesn’t quite fit in’ kid before his powers, and then the fella that puts on a mask and swings around and fights bad guys and doesn’t shut up, which is something we want to play with and we’re excited about.”

Feige also culled some of our fears in a conversation with CraveOnline, revealing that the next Spider-Man film that we see won’t be an origin story:

“In Spider-Man’s very specific case, where there have been two retellings of that origin in the last whatever it’s been – [thirteen] years – for us we are going to take it for granted that people know that, and the specifics. It will not be an origin story. But, with great power comes great responsibility. It is inherent to who his character is. But we want to reveal it in different ways and spend much more time focusing on this young high school kid in the MCU dealing with his powers. There is a young kid [already] running around New York City in a homemade version of the Spider-Man costume in the MCU, you just don’t know it yet,“

Phew, I really didn’t want to spend the first half of his solo film with him learning how to wall crawl and stand up for himself. So, who would you like to see suit up as Spidey now that Donald Glover is definitely out?

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‘The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs Cast As Our New Spider-Man

by Derek Kraneveldt

Breaking: Last month, Marvel and Sony announced a groundbreaking new partnership that would (again) see a reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, but more importantly, would officially allow the character to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It was quickly revealed that Andrew Garfield would not be reprising his Peter Parker role in the new series, and the internet has run rampant with speculation of who we’d next see don the blue and red suit ever since.

We can all stop that speculation now, as Sony has just revealed who they’ve chosen for the role. No, it’s not Donald Glover, and he won’t be playing Miles Morales. The Walking Dead star Chandler Riggs (Carl, duh) will play Peter Parker / Spider-Man beginning in Captain America: Civil War.

It’s certainly an interesting choice, and certainly not one I’d ever predict. He’s young (16), which I like, and he’s awkward as hell, so he’s already got a one-up on Andrew Garfield (at least as far as Peter Parker goes). I’ll admit that I was initially baffled at the decision, but then I remembered that we shouldn’t hate on this stuff until we actually see what it looks like. Peter Parker is an awkward teenage nerd who isn’t particularly good looking, and Chandler fits right into that description.

Here’s the press release:

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Chandler Riggs has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings into the Marvel Universe with the release of Captain America: Civil War on May 6th, 2016. Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and newly appointed chairman of Sony Pictures, Tom Rothman.

 

Today’s announcement culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the actor to play Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Riggs will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.

 

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios said, “Spider-Man is a classic superhero — a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Chandler Riggs. From the first time we saw him in The Walking Dead, to his glorious screen test which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker.”

 

Producer Avi Arad added, “I’m incredibly excited about Chandler Riggs. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”

 

Producer Laura Ziskin said, “We are thrilled to have Chandler Riggs for this new incarnation of Spider-Man. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men, and in the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Chandler had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen.”

 

Kevin Feige added “We cannot wait to show you where Marvel and Sony plan to take this beloved character, and we’re ecstatic to show you Chandler in costume, and in motion, later this year.”

Are you down with this announcement? Is there another actor you’d have rather seen cast? And what does this mean for Carl on The Walking Dead? Sound out below!

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Marvel Pushes Phase 3 Films To Make Room For Spider-Man

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re still reeling over last night’s news that Spider-Man will officially appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel has now clarified just how the web-head will affect its upcoming slate of films (or at least when we’ll be seeing them).

The new Spider-Man film will launch on July 28th, 2017. To make room for Marvel’s new pal, Thor: Ragnarok has been pushed to Black Panther‘s original release date on November 3rd, 2017, while Black Panther will now drop on July 6th, 2018.

The domino effect continues, and with Black Panther‘s move, Captain Marvel will now release on Inhumans’ November 2nd, 2018 date, and Inhumans will launch on July 12th, 2019.

Interestingly enough, both of the Avengers: Infinity War dates have not changed, and will still release on May 4th, 2018, and May 3rd, 2019 respectively.

Here’s the full list of Marvel’s currently slated projects:

– Avengers: Age of Ultron: May 1st, 2015
– Ant-Man: July 17th, 2015
– Captain America: Civil War: May 6th, 2016
– Doctor Strange: November 4th, 2016
– Guardians of the Galaxy 2: May 5th, 2017
– Spider-Man: July 28th, 2017
– Thor: Ragnarok: November 3rd, 2017
– Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1: May 4th, 2018
– Black Panther: July 6th, 2018
– Captain Marvel: November 2nd, 2018
– Avengers: Infinity War, Part 2: May 3rd, 2019
– Inhumans: July 12th, 2019

Are you excited to see Spider-Man make his MCU debut? Do you see another origin story coming, or will they realize that we’ve seen Uncle Ben die enough times by now? Sound out below!

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It’s Official: Spider-Man To Appear In The Marvel Cinematic Universe!

by Derek Kraneveldt

So, it’s been rumoured for what seems like forever (or at least since the Sony hack occurred late last year), but Marvel has just made it official: Spider-Man will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And that’s not all that’s happening. Marvel (and of course Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal) will co-produce Sony’s next Spider-Man film (though Sony will continue to finance, distribute, own, and have created control over the franchise).

The press release also notes that “the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film”. Hmm, ‘the new Spider-Man’? Does that mean that we’re done with Andrew Garfield? Can #DonaldforSpiderMan make a comeback? Does that mean another reboot is happening? Maybe we’re reading too far into it, but it’s certainly some interesting wording.

It’s also noted that MCU characters may appear in future Spider-Man films.

I’m excited for the prospect. After two less than stellar The Amazing Spider-Man films, having Marvel involved with the franchise can only be a good thing. I definitely agree with Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Michael Lynton, who stated that “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”

Take a look at the full press release below, and let us know if you’re happy about the news!

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

 

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

 

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

 

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”

 

“We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”

 

“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

 

“I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”

 

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

Source: Marvel

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Interview

by MCDave

By now the enormous controversy surrounding the Sony hack and the theatrical release of The Interview is old news, therefore, catching the latest effort from the team that brought us This Is the End was right at the top of my Christmas morning wish list. Yet, rather than mocking themselves like they did in their 2013 end of the world comedy hit, the trio of James Franco, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg set this new film’s focus on North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un. The rest is about as crazy and ridiculous as one might expect.

When producer Aaron Rapaport (Rogen) decides that he wants the face of his news show, David Skylark (Franco), to deliver more respectable news stories, the duo end up landing a coveted face-to-face interview with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un (Randall Park). After news of the upcoming interview begins to spread, Aaron and David are approached by the CIA to assassinate the U.S. enemy. However, with these two dimwits as the mission’s only hope of success, a disaster is all but inevitable.

interview 1

After the entire circus surrounding The Interview‘s release, needless to say, Sony Pictures must be thrilled over the publicity its film has received. And now that I’ve finally viewed the highly anticipated comedy with my own two eyes, this cash cow is a major letdown on just about every level imaginable. Outside of a sluggish second half that’s beyond far-fetched and over the top, The Interview is barely anything more than a tiresome compilation of “dick” jokes and Lord of the Rings references. The film’s R-rating is earned solely through raunchy humor that is neither clever nor developed. James Franco constantly spews such ridiculous nonsense, hence,  those rare instances where he actually makes a comical retort are quickly squandered by his next rapid fire of  clear “misses”. Randall Park has a few shining moments as Kim Jong-un, but still he and Seth Rogen are hardly bright spots to the film, making The Interview one of 2014’s biggest comedy duds.

interview 2

In fairness, The Interview is a tale of two halves. The first is an engaging precursor which does a commendable job of setting up an abomination of a second portion. And since this Christmas movie theaters are packed with plenty of other prominent titles to choose from, I highly suggest picking something different. But if you’re desperately seeking a legitimate source of laughs, then Chris Rock’s Top Five would be a much better option. Or if an Oscar-bound drama could do the trick, then I’d highly recommend checking out either Wild or The Imitation Game.

There’s no doubt that the media hype circulating The Interview will drive audiences to the limited number of theaters releasing the film as well as the streaming options all over the internet. Sony Pictures is in for a huge payday with this one. However, you’d be better served skipping on this over-extended and minimally funny effort from a usually reliable team of comedians and looking elsewhere for your holiday cheer.

GRADE: 2/5

Check out a list of the best Seth Rogen and/or James Franco movies at MCDAVE’s host site

Have Sony/Marvel Reached a ‘Spider-Man’ Deal?

by Eric Francisco

When the Sony hack attacks by North Korea evolved from a surreal, schadenfreude-filled incident to a watershed moment where the effects on the American psyche, speech, and capitalist practices will be measured in the years to come, my laptop gave me the middle finger and stopped working. It was like, totally the best time for me to not write.

Now that I have ol’ trusty back from Apple, I have some catching up to do. I’ll be writing about the coming hangover concerning this attack and what I personally believe may be the start of the world’s first Cyber War, but for now I can’t help but dwell on some actual movie business news coming from the Sony leaks. Thankfully this has nothing to do with insulting a celebrity.

According to Comic Book Resources, Marvel and Sony have reached or are inches away from finalizing a deal concerning New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Should they happen with these proposed plans, Spider-Man will be absorbed into the Marvel universe with a stand-alone movie with Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) eyed to direct. Spider-Man will then be involved fully with Captain America: Civil War and The Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1.

This news differs from earlier reports that Sony and Marvel were merely talking about getting Spider-Man involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, somehow it seems more and more like a possibility.

Here’s how it will go down. If the deal is reached — and this is an if — Sony will co-finance 25% of Captain America: Civil War. Marvel will then pony up 25% for the next solo Spider-Man film, and Sony will be allowed to use two (2!) Marvel Studios characters and continue the events of Civil War. From there, Spider-Man will appear in Infnity War — Part 1 in 2018 and a second solo film (would this be the fourth solo film in total?) in 2019.

From Comic Book Resources:

Sony asked for approval over the costume, script (but only the parts specifically involving Spider-Man), and casting, with said actor required to sign a three-picture deal or more. The way this part of the document is worded makes it sound very much like a collaboration rather than one studio having more control than the other. They do however point out that Kevin Feige must serve as a producer, and if for some reason he leaves Marvel, they would be allowed to select his replacement. They also want Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach to be given executive producer credits, and state that it would be pre-agreed that Drew Goddard both writes and directs the first movie.

There are some caveats too. Namely, if any Marvel movies using Spider-Man fail to make their projected release date, Sony would be paid a whopping $100 million and the deal terminated. That’s kind of harsh.

On the business side of things, if any of the Marvel movies Spider-Man is included in misses their release date, Sony would be paid damages of $100 million, and the deal would be terminated. Sony have only three years and nine months to start pre-production before the rights revert, and Captain America: Civil War would reset the clock on this period. Sony also asked for Marvel’s help in ensuring that the “D Machine” would have to be accessible for Spider-Man’s solo movies in regards to their TV channels, radio networks, theme parks, and more. The deal would be announced at a press event by both studios on a mutually agreed upon date.

I wish I could get away with calling more directors “__ Machine.” Quentin Tarantino the Q Machine. Spike Lee the S Machine. Jonathan London the J Machine. They all sound like bad ’70s villains. (Sorry, Jonathan!)

Comic Book Resources makes it clear this stuff comes from internal documents and appears to be more of a gameplan from Sony than any actual final deal. We of Geekscape reiterate that none of this is finalized or confirmed. Considering the level of international urgency Sony have found themselves in I doubt they’re thinking much about a teenaged superhero in red and blue spandex anyway.

What if Kim Jong-Un actually doesn’t care about The Interview and hacked Sony just to pressure them so Spider-Man can join The Avengers? I would, as kids today put it, can’t even.