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After raking in an estimated $7.5 million during its midnight screening, The Amazing Spider-Man is predicted by many to take in between $100 and $150 million in its first six days in theaters — not taking into account international ticket sales, which already account for an estimated $50 million thanks to its earlier release overseas — which puts director Marc Webb's reboot at least on par with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, if not a contender for the title of superhero movie champ currently held by The Avengers.
Whatever the final numbers turn out to be, Sony knows that the Marvel Comics character is as good as gold and the studio has plans to roll out Spider-Man movies for years to come. In fact, producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach recently revealed to SuperHeroHype that "at the very least three" more movies in the current continuity are planned, with as many as five more movies possible. They even suggested that they might follow the model used by Marvel Studios leading up to The Avengers — releasing a series of solo movies to introduce characters and then have them team up in one movie — but flip it on its head by building toward a supervillain team-up movie featuring the Sinister Six.
a supervillain team-up in spidey's future?! >> Posted 07.05.12 by BrentJS -
The first trailer for the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man debuted last July, but Sony has yet to release another. Impatient fans have had to be content with posters, set photos and official photos in the meantime. While Sony has yet to reveal new footage from the movie, the press tour has officially begun, with actors Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (who play Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, respectively), and producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach attending a Japan-based press conference for the movie. THR reports that Garfield discussed the pressure he felt in taking over as the iconic title character for the first time since the successful trilogy of Spider-Man movies ended in 2007 with Spider-Man 3.
warning: possible spoilers >> Posted 01.21.12 by Ryan -
The wildly popular, award-winning video game franchise Mass Effect is being prepped for the big screen. In a statement released by Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA) yesterday, it was announced that Legendary Pictures had acquired the theatrical rights to the franchise. Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce the movie adaptation along with Ari and Avi Arad. Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend) is in discussions to pen the screenplay.
more about the Mass Effect game and movie >> Posted 05.25.10 by BrentJS -
It was first mentioned back in September, almost as an after-thought in an article about the development of Ghost Rider 2, that super-producer Avi Arad had acquired the rights to Popeye with the intention of bringing the venerable spinach-eating sailor to the big screen as a CGI feature. Now, Variety reports that Sony Pictures Animation is moving forward with plans to produce a CGI Popeye feature and it will be in 3-D.
Arad is the man credited by many with rescuing Marvel Comics from bankruptcy and ushering in the current superhero movie craze by producing the popular Blade, Spider-Man, and X-Men movie franchises. Arad continues to produce Marvel properties such as Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk, and he has plans for as many as a dozen other Marvel character adaptations, not to mention his interest in adapting video game, anime and cartoon characters like Popeye. Arad grew up watching Popeye shorts, and said that he was so happy after securing the rights from King Features Syndicate that he burst into song.
I literally started singing the famous Popeye song. What always blew me away is the level of the animation. It was so beautiful and unbelievably detailed.
Mike Jones, the writer of the screenplay The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, which is currently in development at the Gotham Group, is in negotiations to adapt the script. Jones said that he is "an unabashed, lifelong Popeye fan."
Introducing this squinty-eyed sailor to a new generation also means reintroducing him to those who, like me, grew up with him.
Plot details are sketchy, but classic Popeye characters Olive Oyl, Swee'Pea, and Bluto are confirmed to appear in the movie (what, no Wimpy?). The movie is said to "cover the themes of friendship, love, greed, and life, and focus on human strengths and human frailties."
Posted 03.25.10 by BrentJS -
Forget all that you knew about Spider-Man 4. There's no rewrite on the way. John Malkovich won't be playing The Vulture, and no one will play The Black Cat because there won't another Spider-Man movie made with director Sam Raimi or Tobey Maguire in the lead role.
Deadline Hollywood reported earlier this morning that Raimi left Spider-Man 4, citing that he could not make the movie in the timetable that Sony required. Once Raimi left, Sony decide to scrap Spider-Man 4 and start over. Sony released a press release that explained the change.
Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) — Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.
The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.
"Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, thestudio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job," said Sam Raimi.
According to the report, Maguire learned of the news through a phone call and was not upset, but would have continued with the project had Raimi stayed on board. Meanwhile, Raimi could start work on his World of Warcraft adaptation.
More news of the Spider-Man reboot will arrive in the coming weeks as production begins on the movie.
Posted 01.11.10 by Ryan -
In an article primarily focusing on a Ghost Rider sequel and other Marvel Comics movies currently in development, Variety reports that a CGI Popeye movie might be heading to the big screen.
Avi Arad, the man credited for dragging Marvel out of bankruptcy and setting it up to become a producer of its own film properties, left the company in 2007, but he hasn't left the characters behind. Arad, who is producing the Ghost Rider and Spider-Man franchises at Columbia, said that Marvel characters can be mined for movie ideas for decades.
I had this poster of the Marvel universe, with these beautifully drawn characters, and we used to say you could throw a dart, hit a character and make a hit movie under the Marvel brand. There is [a] long list yet to be unleashed.
According to the article, Arad is separately developing an adaptation of the popular Japanese anime property Ghost in the Shell for DreamWorks, and has secured the rights to Popeye, which is expected to be made as a CGI-animated feature, rather than a live-action movie like Robin Williams' 1980 box office disaster.
Posted 09.24.09 by BrentJS -
As the uber-lucrative Harry Potter saga nears its end, Hollywood execs continue to search for the next Potter-esque franchise to adapt for the big screen.
In an exclusive interview with Reelz.com, former Marvel honcho Avi Arad announced today that he's optioned the film rights to Fablehaven, a series of fantasy novels penned by Mormon writer Brandon Mull. "It's a totally magical thing and it's gonna be a big deal," said Arad. "I think it'll be an amazing movie."
Arad stopped short of comparisons to J.K. Rowling's work, however. "It's very different than that," he noted. "Harry Potter is Harry Potter; I wouldn't want to make another one."
Credited by many with rescuing Marvel from the brink of bankruptcy with his successful film adaptations of the X-Men and Spider-Man comics, Arad continues to diversify beyond the world of comic book-related properties. His latest project, Bratz, is based on MGA Entertainment's popular line of dolls.
Posted 07.21.07 by reelz