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Spider-Man is an Academy Award-nominated 2002 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, who becomes Spider-Man. Kirsten Dunst also stars as Parker's love interest, Mary Jane Watson, with Willem Dafoe opposite Spider-Man as the villainous Green Goblin. The film was released on May 3, 2002. Spider-Man has spawned two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.
DevelopmentIn 1985, the bankrupt company Marvel Comics auctioned rights to the comic book superhero Spider-Man to the independent film studio Cannon Films, run by producer Menahem Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, for $225,000.[1] The film rights would revert back to Marvel if a film was not made by April 1990.[2] Golan sought a script for the film adaptation, which was estimated to have a $15 million budget, and spent $2 million on ten different scripts.[1] At one point, Golan had offered Spider-Man to Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper as part of a series of film projects.[3]
Litigation over the film rights began in 1993 when Golan's 21st Century sued Carolco for disavowing its obligation to give Golan a producer credit if the studio ever made Spider-Man.[2] Eventually, Carolco sued Viacom and Columbia for the television and home video rights, and the two studios countersued.[1] The studio 20th Century Fox, though not part of the litigation, contested rights to the film indirectly by presenting an exclusive contract with director Cameron, having transferred from Carolco.[4] In 1996, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel went bankrupt. The studio MGM acquired 21st Century's position during its bankruptcy and also purchased Carolco's rights to Spider-Man, entitling itself to them under Marvel's previous agreements with 21st Century and Carolco. MGM also sued 21st Century, Viacom, and Marvel Comics, alleging fraud in the original deal between Cannon Pictures and Marvel. In 1998, Marvel re-emerged from bankruptcy with a new reorganization plan that merged the company with Toy Biz.[2] The courts determined that the original contract of Marvel's rights to Golan had expired, returning the rights to Marvel. Marvel settled its lawsuits with MGM and Viacom, and in 1999, the company sold Spider-Man rights to Sony in a merchandising joint venture for a reported $7 million.[1] ProductionIn April 1999, Sony Pictures announced that director James Cameron, previously contracted to film Spider-Man at other studios, would not be attached to write or direct. The studio hired screenwriter David Koepp, who would reportedly draw elements from Cameron's original script treatment for the film.[6] In January 2000, director Sam Raimi was attached to direct Spider-Man, set for a summer 2001 release.[7] The director chose to tie in two Spider-Man villains, Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus, for the film adaptation.[8]
In June 2000, the studio hired screenwriter Scott Rosenberg to rewrite Koepp's script, of which there had been two drafts.[10] With Spider-Man cast, filming was set to begin the following November in New York and on Sony soundstages. The film was set for a later release of November 2001,[11] but was postponed once more to May 3, 2002.[12] Maguire was fitted for the skintight suit of Spider-Man, being covered with layers of substance to create the suit's shape.[13] Maguire was also trained by a physical trainer, a yoga instructor, a martial arts expert, and a climbing expert to prepare for the role. Also eating a special diet in preparation, Maguire studied spiders and worked with a wire man to simulate the arachnidlike motion.[14] Casting
For the role of Peter Parker, the studio expressed interest in actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Freddie Prinze Jr.[1] In addition, actors Scott Speedman, Jay Rodan, and James Franco were involved in screen tests for the lead role.[15] In July 2000, Tobey Maguire was cast as Parker. Maguire was Raimi's primary choice, but the studio was initially hesitant to cast someone who did not seem to fit the ranks of "adrenaline-pumping, tail-kicking titans". Maguire, who wore a webbed vestment for the screen test, impressed studio executives with his recently aerobicized physique. The actor was signed for a deal in the range of $3 to $4 million with higher salary options for two sequels.[11] The role of Norman Osborn, also known as the villain Green Goblin, drew the interest of actor Nicolas Cage, who spoke to the filmmakers about being cast, despite having a busy schedule.[16] The studio had offered actor John Malkovich the role,[17] but Malkovich turned down the offer, saying that Spider-Man was not his genre and also citing scheduling difficulties for the role.[18] Ultimately, Willem Dafoe was cast as Norman Osborn in November 2000.[19] The role of Norman's son, Harry Osborn, was filled by James Franco, who had originally screen tested for Spider-Man.[20] Before Raimi cast Kirsten Dunst in the role of Mary Jane Watson, the director had expressed his interest in casting Alicia Witt as Peter Parker's crush.[21] PlotSpoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Peter Parker, his best friend Harry Osborn, and Mary Jane Watson visit a genetics laboratory with their high school class. While taking photos in the laboratory, Peter is bitten on the hand by a genetically engineered "super spider". He arrives home from the trip and passes out with the bite wound considerably swollen. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn, Harry's father, attempts to preserve his company's military contract from a rival firm. Norman personally experiments with his company's new but unstable performance-enhancing chemical vapor to increase his speed, strength, and stamina. Afterward, he goes into an uncontrollable rage and kills his assistant for previously suggesting to take the vapor "back to formula". The next morning, Peter finds that his previously impaired vision has improved to 20/20 and that his body has metamorphosized into a more muscular physique. When Peter goes to school, he finds himself producing webbing and having the quick reflexes to avoid being injured in a fight with Flash Thompson. Peter escapes from the school and realizes that he has acquired spider-like abilities from the spider bite. Quickly, Peter learns to scale walls, long jump across building rooftops and swing via webs from his wrists. Image:SpideyandGoblin.jpg Spider-Man fights with the Green Goblin Lying to his aunt and uncle about where he is going, Peter decides to enter a wrestling tournament. During an argument, Uncle Ben advises Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter lashes out at his uncle and leaves for the tournament. Peter wins, but is cheated out of the contest money; in retaliation he allows a thief to escape with the promoter's gate money. Afterward, Peter finds his uncle has been carjacked and killed. Peter tracks down the carjacker only to find out it was the same thief he allowed to escape earlier. During the struggle, the carjacker falls out of a window and dies. Upon graduating, Peter decides to use his abilities to fight injustice, and dons a new costume and the persona of Spider-Man. Peter is hired as a freelance photographer when he arrives in J. Jonah Jameson's office with the only clear images of Spider-Man. Norman, upon finding out that Oscorp's board members plan to sell the company, attacks them at the World Unity Fair. Jameson quickly dubs Norman as the Green Goblin. The Goblin offers Spider-Man a place at his side, but when Spider-Man refuses, the Goblin decides to kill him. Spider-Man escapes the confrontation. Image:SpideyandMJ.jpg Spider-Man saves Mary Jane from the Goblin's trap At the Osborn and Parkers' Thanksgiving dinner, Norman notices Peter's wound from the masked confrontation and leaves shortly thereafter. Norman, now knowing Spider-Man's identity, attacks Aunt May, and later kidnaps Mary Jane. Spider-Man finds the Goblin holding Mary Jane and a tram car full of children hostage on top the Queensboro Bridge. The Goblin tells Spider-Man to choose who he wants to save, and when Spider-Man refuses to choose, the Goblin drops his hostages. Spider-Man saves both Mary Jane and the tram car. Spider-Man and the Goblin fight in an abandoned building, where the Goblin is incidentally unmasked, revealing his identity. Norman attempts to remote-control his glider to impale Spider-Man, but the superhero evades the attack, causing the glider to impale Norman instead. After promising to Norman not to reveal his secret to Harry, Peter brings his body back to his home. At Norman’s funeral, Harry swears vengeance toward Spider-Man, who he believes is responsible for killing his father, and asserts that Peter is all he has left. Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she’s in love with him, but Peter, feeling that he must protect her, hides his true feelings. As Peter leaves the funeral, he recalls Uncle Ben's words, "With great power comes great responsibility." Spoilers end here.
Promotion
Image:Bannedposter.jpg Unused Spider-Man teaser poster After the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, Sony recalled teaser posters which showed a close-up of Spider-Man's face with the New York skyline (including, prominently, the World Trade Center towers) reflected in his eyes. Not all the posters were recovered, however, and the ones still at large are now highly prized collector's items. The movie's original trailer, released in 2001, featured a group of bank robbers on their getaway in a helicopter, which Spider-Man catches in a giant spider-web between the two towers of the World Trade Center. The trailer was pulled after the events of September 11, 2001 attacks and can be found on the internet. In addition, the movie was originally supposed to include a shot of Peter walking by the World Trade Center, but this was cut out because the crew didn't get a chance to film it.[citation needed] Before its British theatrical release in June 2002, the BBFC gave the film a '12' certificate. Due to Spider-Man's popularity with younger children, this prompted much controversy. The BBFC defended their decision, arguing that the film could have been given a '15'. Despite this, North Norfolk and Breckland District Councils, in East Anglia, changed it to a 'PG', and Tameside council, Manchester, denoted it a 'PG-12'.[22] In late August, the BBFC relaxed their policy to '12A', leading Sony to re-release the film.[23] ReactionBox office performanceSpider-Man was commercially released in the United States on May 3, 2002 in 3,615 theaters. The film earned $114,844,116 during its opening weekend and became the fastest theatrical release to reach $100 million, crossing the milestone in three days.[24] The film's three-day record was later surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006.[25] Spider-Man also set an all-time record for the highest earnings in a single day with $43,622,264 on May 4, 2002, a record later surpassed by Shrek 2 in 2004.[26] In the U.S. box office, Spider-Man became the highest grossing film of 2002 with $403,706,375, defeating The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.[27] Spider-Man currently ranks #7 in the all-time U.S. box office. The film also grossed $821,708,551 worldwide, currently placing it #14 in worldwide box office ranks.[28] Awards and critical receptionSpider-Man won several awards ranging from Teen Choice Awards to the Saturn Awards. While Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and Kirsten Dunst, and composer Danny Elfman were nominated for Saturn Awards, only Elfman brought home a Saturn Award. The film was also nominated Academy Awards for Visual Effects and Sound. It took home the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture.[29] Critical reaction to the film was mostly positive. Film review site Rotten Tomatoes calculated a 90% overall approval based on 200 reviews, and it scored an 87% Cream of the Crop rating.[30] Currently, it carries a 7.3/10 rating, from 88,845 vote, on the Internet Movie Database.[31] The casting, mainly Tobey Maguire, is often cited as one of the high points of film. Eric Harrison, of the Houston Chronicle, was initially skeptical of the casting of Tobey Maguire, but, after seeing the film, he stated, "within seconds, however, it becomes hard to imagine anyone else in the role."[32] USA Today's Mike Clark believed the casting rivaled that of 1978's Superman.[33] Owen Gleiberman, of Entertainment Weekly, had mixed feelings about the casting, particularly Tobey Maguire. "Maguire, winning as he is, never quite gets the chance to bring the two sides of Spidey -- the boy and the man, the romantic and the avenger -- together."[34] The Hollywood Report's Kirk Honeycutt thought, "the filmmakers' imaginations work in overdrive from the clever design of the cobwebby opening credits and Spider-Man and M.J.'s upside down kiss -- after one of his many rescues of her -- to a finale that leaves character relationships open ended for future adventures."[35] Not all of the criticism was good, as LA Weekly's Manohla Dargis wrote, "It isn't that Spider-Man is inherently unsuited for live-action translation; it's just that he's not particularly interesting or, well, animated."[36] Giving it 2.5/4 stars, Roger Ebert felt the film lacked a decent action element; "Consider the scene where Spider-Man is given a cruel choice between saving Mary Jane or a cable car full of school kids. He tries to save both, so that everyone dangles from webbing that seems about to pull loose. The visuals here could have given an impression of the enormous weights and tensions involved, but instead the scene seems more like a bloodless storyboard of the idea."[37] Relationship to comicsThe sketches Peter Parker does of his costume in the movie were actually done by Phil Jimenez, a sequential artist with a long career working for both Marvel and DC Comics. One of the designs is actually Stingray, another Marvel character. When Jameson's subordinates are trying to tell him about Spider-Man, one of them says, "Eddie's been trying to get a picture of him for weeks." This is apparently a reference to Eddie Brock, who in the comics is a reporter for a rival newspaper to Peter Parker and ultimately, after his pulitzer-prize winning story is denounced as lies, becomes Venom. Eddie wasn't seen in the movie, but will be played by Topher Grace in the third. The climax of the film is loosely based on The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, in which the Goblin kidnaps girlfriend Gwen Stacy and suspends her over a bridge. Gwen is killed by the fall and the Goblin is later impaled by his own glider. The main differences in the movie is that the damsel in distress is Mary Jane and she survives (and that Peter caught her with a strand of webbing in the comics). An arc of Ultimate Spider-Man, called "Hollywood", was inspired by the sequel of this movie. MusicOriginal scoreOriginal soundtrackTrivia
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