

Sam Raimi, who is developing Spider-Man 4, told reporters Monday that he is about four weeks away from reading a screenplay draft from writer David Lindsey-Abaire and added that he's taking fan concerns about the last installment seriously.
Raimi participated in a group interview in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his upcoming horror movie Drag Me to Hell. The following Q&A features edited excerpts of the interview. Drag Me to Hell opens May 29.
Spider-Man 3 took a lot of criticism even though it was successful. Do you take that into consideration when you're developing the fourth one?
Raimi: Do I take the criticism into consideration? Yeah, absolutely. I don't make an artistic type of picture that I can say to myself, "Even if this crowd doesn't like it, it stands as a work of art and will be appreciated years later or has meaning without the audience." I simply am an entertainer, and I make films for audience appreciation. When they don't like it, I don't have a leg to stand on. You really want to please people.
What did you particularly take to heart? Would you go back to a single villain?
Raimi: I'm still working on Spider-Man 4. More properly, the writer is writing the screenplay right now. David Lindsay-Abaire, a New York playwright, is in New York supposedly writing. We'll see. I gotta call that guy. He should be done with his script in about four weeks, I think. I think I'd be better prepared to answer that question once I've read that script and know what the movie is.
Have you exhausted Spider-Man 3 co-writer Alvin Sargent?
Raimi: No, I think that Alvin is inexhaustible. He has got so many great stories and characters and great humor and drama within him that it would be impossible. But I wanted to work in a new way and a new direction. I had just read this great play that David Lyndsay-Abaire had written called Rabbit Hole, and I just really wanted to work with him on Peter Parker.
Was a fourth film an easy call?
Raimi: I only wanted to do it with Tobey [Maguire] because my interest is in living the character with Tobey in a deeper way than we ever have lived it before. There comes with the familiarity a knowledge of a lot of the basics. I think it's really going to allow us to delve deeply into him as a human being, which is really why I'm into it this time.
By Vince7 at 4:21 PM ON 05/18/09
How many times is Spidey's girfriend going to abducted by the villan? She's 3 for 3 in the movies. Time for a new plot device.
By Blue247 at 4:48 PM ON 05/18/09
I would like to see them do the "Kraven" storyline, where he buries Peter alive, and he has to claw his way out of the grave. That would make an intense movie.
By Graham at 6:31 PM ON 05/18/09
It's about time we saw another hero working with Spidey. Bring in Chris Evans as the Human Torch. The Sinister Six would be a great group (rather than separate baddies) to fight against.
By lfhlaw at 6:37 PM ON 05/18/09
If he were to do a Sinister Six. I propose that he background introduce them (maybe a newspaper article, not headline, but beside a Spidey headline)
By Jeff at 6:42 PM ON 05/18/09
My complaint for all superhero movies except Superman is that the hero's secret identity is revealed in almost every single movie.But I actually liked Spiderman 3. It was moody and Sandman did a great job.
By shaun at 8:38 PM ON 05/18/09
Spiderman 3 was okay, but they tried to do too much. With both Venom and Sandman, AND Hobgoblin, there wasn't a lot of room for the strength of the first two movies. Namely, character development. Blade 3 and Hellboy 2 had the same problem.
By Tonei at 8:43 PM ON 05/18/09
The Spider-Man 3 Movie was crap! Tobey's Spidy had more camer time without the mask then with the mask. I hope that the new Spider-Man 4 has less music numbers then 3. I was thinking (as I was watching) that Spider-Man would start singing I'm swing on a cloud as he webbed his way to rip his mask off as he was deepy longing for Mary Jane.
By spideyfan at 10:27 PM ON 05/18/09
What they should do, instead of villain capturing MJ, have them grab Gwen Stacy and get her killed, like in the comics. Having someone die while he was trying a rescue while scar Peter Parker in many ways.
By crimsonblack at 10:30 PM ON 05/18/09
I enjoyed all three spiderman films. MJ doesn't need to get captured in every film or even be in every film as Parker works through his life, school and hanging as the webslinger. But all three films were completely and utterly entertaining and that means there's nothing more you can ask than being entertained with a movie based around a comic book character. It's not like some life altering realization masterpiece. Everyone isn't going to get what they want but as long as we get entertained in a postive way what more can any fan ask.
By craig at 11:02 PM ON 05/18/09
Spiderman 3 was ok not best compared to the last 2 which I revisited a couple times. I purchased it and fell asleep and never wanted to go back to it I actually watched it bored one night on Starz and never caught it again. They certainly tried way to much to top the previous movies and had an epic fail. The first 2nd movie has this build up for a Harry/Gobblin showed down in the works and because of all the extra B.S. they killed what they started out going for. Then Harry becomes good and helps Peter and Dies lame it should have focused on that storyline or actually keep it as a medium side story to build up in the Fourth. They even ruined the Venom Character Horrible, Venom is an awesome Villian how do you fumble such an awesome Character up like that.
By Ten Thousand Bears at 6:47 AM ON 05/19/09
Number three was an awful movie. Venom plummets to earth right beside Peter? That's a pretty staggering coincidence! And how many times can Mary Jane slowly plummet to her death? Twice in the first movie, once in number two and again in number three. If I was her I wouldn't leave the house without a parachute.
My big problem with the movies has always been that Spiderman is such an inoffensive dude. It seems ridiculous that all these villains want nothing more than out of life than to kill the poor prick/his girlfriend/his aunt. Jesus, get a hobby guys!
By BryanH at 8:13 AM ON 05/19/09
Tonei - Don't be an idiot, stay in schoo,l and pay particular attention when in English class.
By MetalPause at 12:05 PM ON 05/19/09
Bring on The Lizard. Also, don't let Spidey's mask get blow half off YET AGAIN. Thank you for your time.
By Dr. Malcolm Long at 7:03 PM ON 05/19/09
I like the Kraven/buried alive story-line as well, though they might not want to "go dark" since they tried that with the black costume storyline and failed. Failed, failed, failed. I enjoyed Spiderman 3 riiigght up until the jazz club scene and it turned into "Mask."
By Artifex at 10:06 AM ON 05/20/09
A fourth installment has to have a bomb dropped on it to be viable. What's the biggest bomb you could possibly lob at a Spiderman script? My opinion, touched on partially by someone else here, is to get someone close to him killed, and have it be even more his fault than his Uncle. That person needs to be Mary Jane Watson. Instant plot interest.
By Artifex at 10:10 AM ON 05/20/09
Oh, and I agree Kraven needs to be the next villain, and it needs to be just him. Even the Dark Knight had to run well over two hours to properly fit in two villains. Have Kraven collecting super-powered DNA to invent his own creatures that he hunts to amuse himself. Endless possibilities.
By farscape29 at 4:43 PM ON 05/20/09
Spidey 3 was disappointing. First off, NO MORE CRYING. Good gravy, every damned character in the movie cried about one thing or another.
Good point, focus on 1 really great villain. Do the Lizard, do Kraven, but just do 1. I'd prefer they leave Kirsten Dunst out of it. I never really liked her as MJ. MJ is supposed to be blazingly hot, why out of Pete's league. Dunst is tepid on her best days.
To sum up: 1) No more crying, 2) Only 1 villain, 3) Less Dunst
By human_man at 10:41 AM ON 06/03/09
Well, I must say the only times I enjoyed any of the three movies was in the 3rd when Peter Parker was being "bad". It was the only time I truly enjoyed watching his character, because the rest of the time he's too much of a boy scout for my liking. I like a hero who isn't afraid to actually kick ass. Peter/Spidey in the movies seemed too concerned with hurting anyone, and was just too nerdy, weak and uptight for my liking. But having said that.. if the fans enjoy that more, then lets hope that doesn't change for them. I prefer heros more like Ironman's character. He doesn't mind having fun, playing, getting revenge etc. Now if Spiderman could toughen up a bit and be more like that, I would GREATLY enjoy the movies.
By human_man at 11:02 AM ON 06/03/09
If anyone is wondering what I mean about Spiderman being too weak or uptight. Well..
When spiderman was in the black suit and being "bad", he:
- Went to a jazz club and danced. Why can't he do that when he's being good? Why can't peter parker wear a nice suit when he's being good? Why can't he have some balls to stand up for himself all the time?
- He demanded the landlord fix his broken doornob, which the landlord is required to fix! and then sayes sorry for demanding it later on. Why?! The guy needs to fix it, that's what Peter is paying rent for! The landlord tells peter, a poor underpaid college student that he can buy him a pizza to make up for it! Why is peter parker a doormat?
- The character is displayed as being bad when tries to kill a villian. That could work for a kids movie, like an early harry potter, but come on, for an adult that's a bit too weak
- How does Spiderman defeat villians?
Green Goblin: Let him kill himself accidently, because spidey can't be seen killing anyone.
Dr Oct: Talked to him. And got Dr Oct to kill himself.
Venom: Tried talking to him. To save Eric, and then blew up the alien (woo! Finally actually fighting a bad guy!), but Eric had to kill himself, because again, Spiderman can't be seen killing anyone.
Sandman: Talked to him, and forgave him. Then Sandman disappears into sand and floats away. Forgave him? The guy was stealing money from armored cars! Yea, he has a sick daughter. OK. We all have problems, how does his give him the right steal money and try killing people?
These styles of battle endings are just too anti climatic for me..
Having said that, the action and fight scenes that were there, were very nicely made, I just felt myself wanting to reach for the fast forward button on the remote control through the rest of the movies.
By marvled360 at 9:11 PM ON 06/11/09
He should really do 6 movies, the others are great, so why stop now? If he wants to please people, then he should def do 6 movies for the major spider-man fans
By oooooooooooo at 11:25 PM ON 06/16/09
i think he should do as many movies as possible. if possible, then why stop at 6, huh.
By Hope at 10:28 AM ON 07/01/09
I hope the actors spiderman spiderman 4 the same as the previous one. do not feel if suddenly replaced Peter and MJ role by others. I wait for this movie. spiderman is my hero.
stop dreaming start action
By Kellen at 2:49 AM ON 11/19/09
Ok....im new but i have a such a big issue with Spiderman 3! Spiderman 3 was a money maker and not a real story telling movie. The story was wrong, too many characters, and it was crying FINANZA!! So i think they should RE-DO Spiderman 3 and call it idk Spiderman 3.0( 3 point O) idk. I just think Raimi is doing a NO NO!
Anyways, i thought Spiderman 3 should b more depicted as a tragic fall for Spiderman. Like how finally Spiderman has gained all this publicity and fame, he MARRIED MJ( just to end that whole BF and GF story), and etc. The villian should have Venom( better actor and stick with the story about Venom) but have Harry become the Hobgoblin( kinda like in Ultimate Spiderman) and make him a supporting villian( kinda like The Dark Knight and Two-Face). Then in Spiderman 4 focus on Hobglobin but dont kill Venom cause that could lead into a Great duo between Venom and Carnage!!! Well anyways, thats just my ideas and i know there r hella ppl who argue and want to argue with my ideas but i just want everyone to c my ideas.
By Tek at 10:22 AM ON 11/20/09
@ human_man
have you ever read a comic book in your life? specifically a spiderman comic? peter parker is a timid college student. hes a nerd really. how many socially inept nerds do you know that go out dancing and demanding things of their landlords. NONE. that is the point. they were trying to make a drastic departure from peters normal self. but apparently that was a little too much for less educated people. try educating yourself before you just run you mouth.
By bbqicecream at 10:37 PM ON 12/01/09
Most of these are valid criticisms of the third film, and I do agree with most of them. One thing to keep in mind however is that rumors of a second trilogy have floated about, and so we're looking at three more films. This opens villainous possibilities, allowing for more villains while only focusing on one at a time. The Lizard should be next, as we've gotten a glimpse of Connor, but I feel that we may need more hype to get newer fans interested. And so, the villain for four should be Kraven, as he would add an interesting savage nature to the franchise. The fourth film could also establish a backstory and cliffhanger for the Lizard, who could be the main villain for number five. And then to top it all off and go out in a blaze of glory, have Mysterio as the sixth and final movie villain. With modern movie making technology, Mysterio could be done amazingly well.
Also, in terms of character development, I would agree that the Mary Jane character was not done particularly well, both in acting and in writing. Perhaps, since it's clear the movie timeline differs from that of the comics, why not bring in Felicia Hardy/Black Cat as a new love interest for Peter? If they've already ruined MJ beyond salvage, maybe she needs to be written out, or at least greatly diminished in role, and replaced as Peter's flame by another Spider-Man classic.
I just hope and pray that this franchise doesn't go the way of the Superman movie franchise and fizzle out after a monumental opening. If they really do want to make movies 5 and 6 of the franchise, 4 had better make up for 3 and begin a whole new story arc that fixes what problems the first trilogy had and can carry an entirely new one. Thank you for reading!
By Angel54321 at 4:15 AM ON 12/18/09
I was really dissapointed Harry was killed off in SP3. I would like to see them keep MJ as a character and love interest and have her marry Peter. Maybe I'm just sappy but I'd like to see a happy ending there,
Angel54321:
I was really dissapointed Harry was killed off in SP3. I would like to see them keep MJ as a character and love int...More »