New director confirmed for Spiderman reboot

As we discussed early last week, the rumour mill has been working overtime as to who would replace Sam Rami and Tobey Maguire since they jumped the Spiderman 4 ship. One of the names that was getting bounced around was Mark Webb (500 Days of Summer) was going to helm a reboot of the franchise.

Well, it’s now been confirmed that is indeed the case. Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures president Matt Tolmach confirmed in a press release:

“At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker’s life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter’s shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man’s adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.”

Producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin also added, “Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.”

Webb himself added (whilst thinking about the new house he’s going to buy) “This is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi’s virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I’m here because there’s an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”

The film is scheduled for a Summer 2012 release.