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Sam Raimi to meet with Kirsten Dunst about Spider-Man 4
Spider-Man director Sam Raimi told reporters that he will meet with Kirsten Dunst soon to talk about her reprising the role of Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming fourth installment of the superhero franchise.
"I'm hoping that she is going to come aboard, and I've got a meeting coming up with her," Raimi said in a group interview last week in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his upcoming horror film Drag Me to Hell. "I think she would like to. But I don't want to speak on behalf of her."
Following is an edited version of our interview with Raimi, who also talked about a proposed new Evil Dead movie. Drag Me to Hell opens May 29. Spider-Man 4 is eyeing a May 6, 2011, release.
With the advent of The Dark Knight and Watchmen, do you expect that Spider-Man 4 will be a little darker and edgier, too?
Raimi: Whatever it is, I think will be a direct result of the best style to bring about our writer's screenplay. And as soon as I read that, I will know what that is. Edgy could be a direction, but I don't think it will be applied without really understanding the character's journey from the inside out first and then figuring out the best way to bring that about.
And then, as far as the other influences, making it different from the other films, ... I hope we don't react to these very good and sometimes bad superhero movies around us. I hope that we just [look] ever deeper into the truth of who Peter Parker really is—as a human being and the unique character, and that we celebrate that, which is a lot of the reason I want to make this next picture. I still believe I have an understanding of Peter Parker as the character that I have not quite put onto the screen yet.
I'm not talking about Tobey Maguire's performance, which I very much love; I'm talking about my understanding of the character. I feel like sometimes a kid at the piano recital. And I know this piece really well. I know it by heart. And I sometimes get it right, and sometimes I don't. But I want a chance to really play it the way I feel it. So I'm hoping it's a really good screenplay and I can express the character through that. I've got a really good writer [David Lindsay-Abaire]. ...
I heard that you wrote Drag Me to Hell [with brother Ivan Raimi] a long time ago, as a Bruce Campbell vehicle. ... If you ever make another Evil Dead movie with Bruce, will you keep it low-budget like those original films? And what would the story be?
Raimi: We wrote part one thinking that that was the end, I guess, kind of like that. I think this is the end where it was over, and because we couldn't get any other job in Hollywood, somehow, Bruce Campbell survived into the next Evil Dead 2. So we made Evil Dead 2, and that one was written with the knowledge that we would want to make a third one. So, I'm sorry, what was it that you are asking?
I was just wondering, what would be your storyline for the fourth one? Do you know what that is yet?
Raimi: I don't have that. I don't have just some ideas written down, but I said that last month, and there was a very negative reaction from the fans: "Why does he keep talking about that movie? Where is that movie?" It's just because people ask me, but I don't really have anything at all worked out right now.
What about the idea of limiting yourself to a lower budget for an Evil Dead movie, like on Drag Me to Hell, where you didn't have a lot of cranes, wires, CG and so on?
Raimi: It is it's much more viscerally exciting as a director to work on the lower-budget picture like this. This one particularly. I mean, everyone came at it with so much love and attention to detail, versus a much more professional, top-of-the-line, big-game approach. Which is great, because it's like conducting a big orchestra. On the Spider-Man pictures [we have] the best orchestra in the world, and this is like playing in a jazz band. Each has their own rewards.
By Pimenta at 8:37 AM ON 04/21/09
One of the worst casting decisions ever, this girl as Mary Jane.
By Agreeable at 10:38 AM ON 04/21/09
Agreed. If everyone else wasn't so good in the films she would ruin them all for me. Way to cast her as Mary Jane Watson, actress and model. BLEGH!
By Justo at 11:06 AM ON 04/21/09
yeah her casting never made any sense to me. That said, I accept her as part of the movie lore now, so recasting her wouldn't be a great idea, imo. They should just bring Gwen back, Bryce Dallas Howard is great and would have been a perfect Mary Jane.
By SJE at 2:45 PM ON 04/21/09
I did think they got the casting backwards. Bryce Howard would have made a great Mary Jane. I also think that Kirsten Dunst would have made a good Gwen Stacey. And Raimi would have saved a ton on hair color... (You know, have the natural redhead play the redheaded character, the natural blonde play the blonde character...)
By Gumbercules at 5:38 PM ON 04/21/09
It is impossible to call this the worst casting decision ever in a world in which Malin Ackerman played The Silk Spectre II and Matthew Goode played Ozymandias.
By Xerxes1979 at 8:41 PM ON 04/21/09
Spiderman 4 better be hella-good to make up for the disappointment that was Spiderman 3.
Judging by movie history the second film in any series is always the best regardless of whether you go trilogy(X-men) or quadrilogy(Superman).
The next Batman film will confirm or disprove my theory.
By vishanti at 9:06 PM ON 04/21/09
spot on xerxes!!!! i agree totally.......... although not true in the case of the matrix trilogy
By Raynor at 12:01 AM ON 04/22/09
its all this Dunst whining that makes her not want to return.
Since its established in the film and this is a sequel, replacing the actress would be terrible.
morale of the story? Stop whining, this casting decision happened 8-9 years ago. Time to move on
By totaly smooth at 1:56 AM ON 04/22/09
Where is Mary Elizabeth Winstead when we need her?? she is mary jane watson with out a doubt!!
By misteredj at 2:41 AM ON 04/22/09
At this point, I'd love a new person to play Mary Jane. Don't get me wrong, Dunst is pretty and all and was way hot in Crazy beautiful but in these films, she just is the not superstar model/party girl that she is in the comics.
After the mess of the last movie, I am hesitant to get overjoyed by the prospect of possibly another bad script/character mashup. I mean come on, you have an astronaut already scripted in the previous movie that could have brought down the symbiot instead of it just falling from outerspace crap. Never mind how it got around his spidey sense and up to the apartment. At least the effect get better and better with each movie.
NO MORE EMO PARKER!!!
By misteredj at 2:42 AM ON 04/22/09
At this point, I'd love a new person to play Mary Jane. Don't get me wrong, Dunst is pretty and all and was way hot in Crazy beautiful but in these films, she just is the not superstar model/party girl that she is in the comics.
After the mess of the last movie, I am hesitant to get overjoyed by the prospect of possibly another bad script/character mashup. I mean come on, you have an astronaut already scripted in the previous movie that could have brought down the symbiot instead of it just falling from outerspace crap. Never mind how it got around his spidey sense and up to the apartment. At least the effect get better and better with each movie.
NO MORE EMO PARKER!!!
By Joe ASAP at 5:13 AM ON 04/22/09
Raimi is awesome. I also Loved Darkman. Even though I think Kirsten Dunst is a mediocre choice as Mary Jane, It would be odd not to have her around. I just hope they do the storyline where she falls into that Time Portal thingy near the bridge & then Gwen is the next lady. Deal with Mary Jane in Spidey 6.
By Jack at 7:13 PM ON 04/22/09
I think all of you have no idea what a movie is or what casting is,
By J. at 8:55 PM ON 04/22/09
That much is true, re: Executive Meddling forcing Raimi to do certain things. I wonder if portraying the symbiote as comic relief and underusing Venom (not as bad, but similar to, what B&R did to Bane) was a sign of his frustration over this. Not the best thing to do for business, but what can you do?
Like I said, I don't HATE his movies, I'm, just honest about what I think are the flaws.
By joeblo at 12:36 PM ON 04/23/09
Unfortunately, when Tobey re-signed, it was only a matter of time before snaggletooth came back. too bad for us....another depressing, moody performance from the Kirsten "doesn't look anything close to a red-headed supermodel that the role calls for" Dunst.
By Hen Asraf at 1:18 AM ON 04/26/09
Oh, c'mon, you can't keep complaining about Dunst... I never saw anything wrong with her being MJ, and even if she really is not fit to be her, it's too late to make this decision and I think it would suck to switch actresses in the a SEQUEL.
By bigdawg at 4:07 PM ON 04/27/09
Really, let's quit obsessing about Dunst (what's done is dunst) and move on to obsessing about villains!!
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Kraven the Hunter, (Viggo Mortensen, Arnold Vosloo) maybe a good Kingpin, (James Gandolfini or Lawrence Tierney instead of the Daredevil crap) perhaps even a Scorpion (Josh Holloway). Bring in Black Cat (Sienna Miller).
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bigdawg:
Really, let's quit obsessing about Dunst (what's done is dunst) and move on to obsessing about villains!! I would L...More »