Chapter 1: Skip this Chapter (only for increasing word count)
s willing to finance an original contemporary musical with no familiar songs. It is also a jazz musical, which The Hollywood Reporter called an "extinct genre". He believed that since he and Hurwitz were unknown at that time, it might have made financiers dubious about the project's potential.[28][21] Gosling's character Sebastian holds a view of the jazz of the past being superior. According to an article by Anthony Carew, Chazelle wrote this character trait as a reflection of "[his] own relationship with the past and with jazz, too".[29] Chazelle found producers through friends who introduced him to Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz. With the two producers on board, the script went to Focus Features at a budget of around $1 million. The studio demanded alterations: the male lead was asked to be changed from a jazz pianist to a rock musician, the complicated opening number had to be altered, and the story's bittersweet ending needed to be dropped. Chazelle scrapped the project and moved on.[21]
Chazelle later wrote Whiplash, which was an easier concept to sell and a less risky investment.[30] After Whiplash was well received by critics upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January, Chazelle continued his efforts to bring La La Land to the big screen.[21] A year later, when Whiplash earned five Oscar nominations at the 87th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and grossed nearly $50 million worldwide off a $3.3 million production budget, Chazelle and his project began to attract attention from studios.[28]
Five years after Chazelle wrote the script,[31] Summit Entertainment and Black Label Media, along with producer Marc Platt, agreed to invest in La La Land and distribute it. They had been impressed by the critical and commercial success of Whiplash.[20] Lionsgate's Patrick Wachsberger, who previously had worked on the Step Up franchise, pushed Chazelle to increase the film's budget since he felt high-quality musicals could not be made cheaply.[32]
Casting[edit]
Miles Teller and Emma Watson were originally slated to star in the leading roles. Watson dropped out to honor her commitments to Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake (2017), while Teller exited via long contract negotiations.[19] Coincidentally, Gosling turned down the Beast role in Beauty and the Beast in favor of La La Land.[33] Chazelle subsequently decided to make his characters somewhat older, with experience in struggling to make their dreams, rather than younger newcomers just arriving in Los Angeles.[21]
Emma Stone plays Mia, an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.[28] Stone has loved musicals since she saw Les Misérables when she was eight years old. She said "bursting into song has always been a real dream of mine", and her favorite film is the 1931 Charlie Chaplin romantic comedy City Lights.[28][18] She studied pom dancing as a child, with a year of ballet.[28] She moved to Hollywood with her mother at age fifteen to pursue a career, and struggled constantly to get an audition during her first year. When she did, she often was turned away after singing or saying just one line.[34] Stone drew from her own experiences for her character of Mia, and some were added into the film.[27]
Ryan Gosling learned tap dancing and piano for his role.
She met Chazelle in 2014 while she was making her Broadway debut in Cabaret. Chazelle and Hurwitz saw her perform on a night when the actress had a cold.[28][35] She met with Chazelle at Brooklyn Diner in New York City, where the director outlined his vision for the planned film.[36] Stone gained confidence from performing in Cabaret to handle the demands of the film.[36] In preparation for her role, Stone watched some of the musical movies that inspired Chazelle, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers collaborations.[31] Stone accepted the offer because Chazelle was so passionate about the project.[36]
Ryan Gosling plays Sebastian, a jazz pianist.[28] Like Stone, Gosling drew from his own experiences as an aspiring artist. One incident was used for Mia. Gosling was performing a crying scene in an audition and the casting director took a phone call during it, talking about her lunch plans while he was emoting.[28][34][37] Chazelle met with Gosling when he was about to begin filming for The Big Short.[21]
Chazelle cast Gosling and Stone immediately after Summit bought the film.[20] He stated that the duo "feel like the closest thing that we have right now to an old Hollywood couple" as akin to Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and Myrna Loy and William Powell.[27] The film marked the third collaboration between Gosling and Stone, following Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013).[38] Chazelle asked the two about their audition disasters when they were both trying to make it.[34] Both learned to sing and dance for the film's six original tunes.[21]
The rest of the cast – J. K. Simmons, Sonoya Mizuno, Jessica Rothe, Callie Hernandez, Finn Wittrock, Rosemarie DeWitt, John Legend, Jason Fuchs, Meagen Fay – were announced between July and August 2015.[39][40][41][42][43][44]
The film was choreographed by Mandy Moore. Rehearsals took place at a production office in Atwater Village, Los Angeles over the span of three to four months, beginning in May 2015. Gosling practiced piano in one room, Stone worked with Moore in another, and costume designer Mary Zophres had her own corner of the complex.[28][21] Gosling, with no previous experience, had to learn how to play the piano; no hand models were used.[45] Moore emphasized working on emotion rather than technique, which Stone said was key when they filmed the "A Lovely Night" scene (searching for the parked car).[28] To help his cast and crew get their creative mode flowing, Chazelle held screenings on the soundstages every Friday night of classical films that had inspired him for the film, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin' in the Rain, Top Hat, and Boogie Nights.[21]
Filming[edit]
From the beginning, Chazelle wanted the film's musical numbers to be filmed "head to toe" and performed in a single take, like those of the 1930s works of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.[36] He also wanted the film to emulate the widescreen, CinemaScope look of 1950s musicals such as It's Always Fair Weather. Consequently, the movie was shot on celluloid 4-perf Super 35mm film (not digitally) with Panavision anamorphic lenses in CinemaScope's 2.55:1 aspect ratio, but not in true CinemaScope as that technology is no longer available.[46][47][48][49]
Chazelle wanted Los Angeles to be the primary setting for his film, commenting that "there is something very poetic about the city I think, about a city that is built by people with these unrealistic dreams and people who kind of just put it all on the line for that."[18] Principal photography on the film officially began in the city on August 10, 2015,[50] and filming took place in more than 60 locations both in and near Los Angeles, including the Angels Flight trolley in downtown, houses in the Hollywood Hills, the Colorado Street Bridge, the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, the Warner Bros. studio lot, the Grand Central Market, Hermosa Beach's Lighthouse Café, Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Chateau Marmont, the Watts Towers, and Long Beach,[51] with many scenes shot in one take. It took 40 days to complete shooting, finishing in mid-September 2015.[21][52][53]
The opening pre-credits sequence was the first to be shot,[21] and was filmed on a closed-off portion of two carpool direct connector ramps of the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange, connecting the I-105 Carpool Lane to the I-110 Express Lanes, leading to Downtown Los Angeles. It was filmed in a span of two days, and required more than 100 dancers.[20][54] For this particular scene, Chazelle wanted to give a sense of how vast the city is.[23] The scene was originally planned for a stretch of ground-level highway, until Chazelle decided to shoot it in the 105–110 interchange, which arcs 100 feet (30 m) in the air. Production designer David Wasco said, "I thought somebody was going to fall off and get killed." Not every portion of the highway was blocked.[21] Chazelle compared the scene to the yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz (1939).[21]
The Angels Flight (pictured), which was shut down for about four years, including at the time of the filming, was re-opened for a single day exclusively for the film to shoot a scene.
Chazelle scouted for "old L.A." locations that were in ruins, or were perhaps razed. One such example was the use of the Angels Flight trolley, built in 1901. The funicular had been closed in 2013 after a derailment. Attempts were made to repair and re-open the railway, but to no avail. However, the production team was able to secure permission to use it for a day. Chazelle and his crew then arranged to have it run for shooting (it was re-opened to the public in 2017).[23] Mia works at a coffee shop on the Warner Bros. studio lot; Chazelle considered studio lots to be "monuments" of Hollywood. Production designer Wasco created numerous fake old film posters. Chazelle occasionally created names for them, deciding to use the title of his first feature, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) for one poster, which reimagines it as a 1930s musical.[23]
External videos The full "A Lovely Night" scene via YouTube
The now-iconic six-minute-long "A Lovely Night" scene (searching for the parked car) had to be completed during the brief "magic hour" moment at sunset. It took eight takes and two days to shoot it.[28] When Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone finally nailed it, "everybody just exploded," Stone said.[36] Since Gosling and Stone were not primarily dancers, the two made a number of mistakes, especially during long uninterrupted single-take musical numbers. However, Chazelle was very sympathetic towards them, understanding their lack of experience and not minding their errors.[31] While shooting Sebastian and Mia's first dance together, Stone stumbled over the back of a bench, but picked right up and kept on going with the scene.[31] In 2024, Gosling reflected on the filming of this scene, wishing he can re-film it to correct the positioning of his hand in the famous still frame from the sequence that was used throughout the film's marketing, saying that "It just killed the energy that way ... It was all leading to what? A lazy ... I call it La La Hand."[55]
Chazelle said that the romantic dinner that Sebastian prepared for Mia was "one of the scenes that I think I wrote and rewrote and rewrote more than any other in the script".[56] Gosling and Stone also helped create the dialogue of the scene to get it to be one of the more realistic scenes in a film filled with fantasy and fantastical elements.[56]
Chazelle spent nearly a year editing the film with editor Tom Cross, as the two were primarily concerned with getting the tone right.[21]
Soundtrack[edit]
Main article: La La Land (soundtrack)
The songs and score for La La Land were composed and orchestrated by Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle's Harvard University classmate, who also worked on his two prior films.[28] The lyrics were written by Pasek and Paul,[36] except for "Start a Fire", which was written by John Legend, Hurwitz, Marius de Vries and Angelique Cinelu.[57] A soundtrack album was released on December 9, 2016, by Interscope Records, featuring selections from Hurwitz's score and songs performed by the cast.[57]
The film's opening number, "Another Day of Sun", shot as a single tracking shot on an L.A. freeway, received praise for its choreography. The songs "City of Stars" and "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" received numerous awards.
Release[edit]
La La Land had its world premiere as the Venice Film Festival's opening night film on August 31, 2016.[58][59] The film also screened at the Telluride Film Festival,[60] the Toronto International Film Festival, beginning September 12, 2016,[61] the BFI London Film Festival,[62] the Middleburg Film Festival in late October 2016, the Virginia Film Festival, held at the University of Virginia on November 6, 2016, and the AFI Fest on November 15, 2016.[63]
La La Land was originally set for a July 15, 2016, release;[64] however, in March 2016, it was announced the film would be given a limited release starting December 2, 2016, before expanding on December 16, 2016.[65] Chazelle stated that the change was because he felt that the release date was not right for the context of the film, and because he wanted to have a slow rollout beginning with the early fall film festivals.[27] The limited release was later moved back a week to December 9, 2016, with the wide release still being planned for December 16, 2016.[66] Lionsgate opened the film in five locations on December 9, 2016, and expanded it to about 200 theaters on December 16, 2016, before going nationwide on December 25, 2016. The film went fully wide on January 6, 2017,[53] with a release into select IMAX theaters a week later.[67]
La La Land was released in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2017.[68] The film was released in the Netherlands on December 22, 2016, and in Australia on December 26, with the rest of the territories planned for a release from mid-January 2017.[69]
Home media[edit]
Lionsgate released La La Land on Digital HD on April 11, 2017, and Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD on April 25, 2017.[70]
Reception[edit]Box office[edit]
La La Land grossed $151.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $320.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $472 million, against a production budget of $30 million.[4] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $68.25 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it one of the top 20 most profitable releases of 2016.[71] This would be Ryan Gosling's highest-grossing film until it was displaced by Barbie in 2023.[72]
La La Land began its theatrical release with a limited release in five theaters in Los Angeles and New York City on December 9. It made $881,107 in its opening weekend, giving the film a per-theater average of $176,221, the best average of the year.[73][74][75] In its second week of limited release, the film expanded to 200 theaters and grossed $4.1 million, finishing seventh at the box-office. It was an increase of 366% from the previous week and good for a per-theater of $20,510.[76] The following week, the film had its wide expansion to 734 theaters, grossing $5.8 million for the weekend (including $4 million on Christmas Day and $9.2 million over the four days), and finishing eighth at the box-office.[77] On January 6, 2017, the weekend of the Golden Globes, the film expanded to 1,515 theaters and grossed $10 million over the weekend, finishing fifth at the box-office.[78] In its sixth week of release, the film grossed $14.5 million (a total of $16.9 million over the four-day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day), finishing second at the box-office behind Hidden Figures.[79] After receiving its 14 Oscar nominations, the film expanded to 3,136 theaters on January 27, 2017 (an increase of 1,271 from the week before) and grossed $12.1 million (up 43% from its previous week's $8.4 million).[80] During the weekend of February 24–26 (the weekend of the Academy Awards) the film grossed $4.6 million, exactly the same amount it grossed the previous weekend.[81] The next week, following its six Oscar wins, the film grossed $3 million.[82]
Critical response[edit]The performances of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning them Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively, with Stone winning her category.
La La Land received widespread critical acclaim, with high praise directed towards Chazelle's direction and screenplay, cinematography, music, the performances of Gosling and Stone and their chemistry.[83][84][85][86] The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 91% based on 473 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart."[87] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 94 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[88] It was the third- and sixth-highest scoring film released in 2016 on each respective site.[89][90] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale,[91] while PostTrak reported audiences gave an 81% overall positive score and a 93% "definite recommend".[79]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave La La Land four stars out of four, describing it as "a hot miracle" and complimenting its musical numbers, particularly the opening scene. He went on to name it his favorite movie of the year.[92] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune similarly lauded the opening sequence, in addition to highlighting Stone's performance, stating "she's reason enough to see La La Land." Despite being less enthusiastic about Gosling's dancing and the film's middle section, Phillips nevertheless gave the film four out of four stars, declaring it "the year's most seriously pleasurable entertainment".[93] A.O. Scott of The New York Times praised the film, stating that it "succeeds both as a fizzy fantasy and a hard-headed fable, a romantic comedy and a showbiz melodrama, a work of sublime artifice and touching authenticity".[94] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film five out of five stars, describing it as "a sun-drenched musical masterpiece."[95] Tom Charity of Sight & Sound stated, "Chazelle has crafted that rare thing, a genuinely romantic comedy, and as well, a rhapsody in blue, red, yellow and green."[96] Writing for The Boston Globe, Ty Burr summarized the effectiveness of the film to relate to audiences stating: "...the movie traffics in the bittersweet happiness of treasuring things that are vanishing, like the unrealized future imagined in the climactic dance number, or those inky, star-filled dance floors that go on forever in old movies, or Hollywood musicals themselves. Or jazz: Sebastian has an early moment at a nightclub where he passionately sticks up for the music he loves. 'It's dying on the vine,' he says. 'And the world says 'Let it die. It had its time.' Well, not on my watch.' In that scene, he speaks for the director. By the end of La La Land, he's speaking for all of us."[97]
La La Land's competition for awards and critical attention with the African-American film Moonlight shortly after the election of Donald Trump sharpened the attention on questions of racial sensitivity and unexamined white privilege in the characters of film. While accolades from audiences and critics grew, the film received backlash for what some considered a disproportional amount of praise.[98] Saturday Night Live lampooned the fervor over the film with a sketch about a man arrested for thinking it was "decent... but also boring."[99] The film was criticized by some for its treatment of race and jazz. Kelly Lawler of USA Today noted that Gosling's character has been referred to as a "white savior" by some critics, for "his quest (and eventual success) to save the traditionally black musical genre from extinction, seemingly the only person who can accomplish such a goal."[100] The sentiment was also expressed by Ruby Lott-Lavigna of Wired,[101] Anna Silman of New York,[102] and Ira Madison III of MTV News.[103] Rex Reed of the New York Observer also took aim at the film's intention to emulate the MGM musical classics, writing that "the old-fashioned screenplay, by the ambitious writer-director Damien Chazelle, reeks of mothballs", and that "the movie sags badly in the middle, like a worn-out mattress that needs new springs".[104] The South China Morning Post remarked that aside from its racial treatment of jazz, much of the public criticism was towards the film being "a little dull", the two leads' singing and dancing being considered unexceptional, and the lack of nuance in Stone's character, with Gosling's occasionally seen as insufferable.[99]
Legacy[edit]This section contains too many or overly lengthy quotations. Please help summarize the quotations. Consider transferring direct quotations to Wikiquote or excerpts to Wikisource. (May 2024)
Since its release, the film continues to receive acclaim and it is regarded as a modern classic and one of the best films of all time, mainly for being a story set in 21st century Hollywood stylized as a 1950s musical film and for its distinctive visual style. In 2021, Helena Trauger of The Beacon called it the best film of the 2010s, noting that it is "one of the most creative and well-executed films that every person should attempt to watch at least once." In 2019, CBC Radio included it on its list of "the greatest romantic movies of all time." In 2022, Time Out ranked it number 79 on its list of the "100 Best Films of the 21st Century," writing:
"Loaded with jazzy tracks and vintage dance moves, Chazelle's romantic romp – the winner of the Best Picture Oscar for about four seconds – is indebted to both Jacques Demy and MGM's legendary Freed Unit, but has a signature all of its own, stopping traffic in the first glorious sequence. A tonic for 2016's political unsightliness, the movie now feels ageless."
In 2022, MovieWeb ranked it number 2 on its list of the "Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century So Far" and in 2023 ranked it number 3 on its list of the "15 Greatest Movies About Jazz" and number 1 on its list of the "Best Modern Movies Shot on Film."[105] It also ranked number 2 on Teen Vogue's list of "The 45 Best Dance Movies of All Time."[106] In 2023, it ranked number 15 on Collider's list of the "30 Best Musicals of All Time," with Jeremy Urquhart writing:
"It's really, really simple, at its core, but also really, really effective. It works as a modern update/homage to classic Hollywood musicals that were popular in the 1950s without ever feeling derivative or mocking, and Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles both give great performances that are up there with the best of their respective careers."
It also ranked number 8 on Parade's list of the "67 Best Movie Musicals of All Time," with Samuel R. Murrian writing that the film is "many things, thusly its own creation: deftly blending a modern showbiz melodrama, a giddy throwback, a striking love story." Screen Rant also ranked it at number 10 on its list "The 35 Best Musicals of All Time" and number 1 on its list of "The 12 Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century," while IndieWire ranked it at number 12 on its list of "The 60 Best Movie Musicals of All Time," with Wilson Chapman writing that the film "wears its influences and the genre's history proudly on its sleeve" and that "Chazelle's story finds the exact right mix of romance and melancholy which makes great musicals really sing, and the numbers he stages – like the breathless highway traffic opener "Another Day in the Sun" or the toe-tapping "A Lovely Night" — are unforgettable. And Justin Hurwitz's score and songs, like the Oscar-winning "City of Stars," are some of the finest written for any movie this century."[b]
Cultural impact[edit]
Many elements of the film, including the visual style, use of colors, staging of the musical numbers and costume designs have been referenced numerous times in popular culture since its release. These include the entire opening segment of the 74th Golden Globe Awards, featuring parodies of "Another Day of Sun," "City of Stars" and the planetarium sequence with host Jimmy Fallon, Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Rami Malek, and Kit Harington participating, an independently produced short film parody set in New York City titled NY NY Land, a skit on season 42 of Saturday Night Live where host Aziz Ansari plays a character who is interrogated over calling the film "overrated" because of its Oscar nominations, and a television commercial for the prescription Jardiance.[108][109][110][111] The 2018 single "Love Scenario" by IKon drew heavy inspiration from the film's epilogue sequence.[112] The 2021 Disney animated short film, Us Again, was also said to have been influenced by the film.[113][114] In the closing of The Simpsons episode "Haw-Haw Land" it is stated that the episode was supposed to be a parody of Moonlight rather than La La Land (itself parodying the mistake at the 89th Academy Awards.[115])
Accolades[edit]Main article: List of accolades received by La La LandHurwitz, Chazelle, and Stone at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2016
Emma Stone won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
La La Land received 11 nominations at the 70th British Academy Film Awards, more than any other film of 2016.[116] The film won in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (for Stone), Best Cinematography, and Best Film Music.[117]
At the 74th Golden Globe Awards, La La Land received a leading seven nominations.[118] The film won in all seven categories for which it was nominated, setting a record for the most Golden Globes won by a single film, namely Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Director, Best Actor – Comedy or Musical (for Gosling), Best Actress – Comedy or Musical (for Stone), Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song ("City of Stars") breaking the record One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest set for the most wins.[119]
At the 89th Academy Awards, La La Land received a leading six awards, namely Best Director, Best Actress (for Stone), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("City of Stars"), and Best Production Design.[120] The film received a total of 14 nominations, tying the record for most nominations by a single film with All About Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997).[121] Its other nominations were Best Picture, Best Actor (for Gosling), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, a second nomination for Best Original Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"), Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.[122]
Best Picture Oscar gaffe[edit]See also: 89th Academy Awards § Best Picture announcement error
During the Oscars ceremony, presenter Faye Dunaway incorrectly announced that La La Land had won Best Picture, reading from the card Warren Beatty opened, which was actually a duplicate of the Best Actress card for Emma Stone.[123] After the cast and crew of La La Land took the stage, it took the show's producers more than two minutes (during which nearly three speeches were made) to fix the mistake. The actual winner was Moonlight.[124]
German television prank[edit]
In March 2017, La La Land was at the center of a prank involving Goldene Kamera, an annual German film and television award. German comedians Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf arranged for a Ryan Gosling impersonator to be awarded the "Best International Film" prize for La La Land.[125][126][127] Following the event, a speaker for television broadcaster ZDF asked for the trophy to be given back, stating that La La Land had won the prize and that the trophy would be given to the real Ryan Gosling.[128] The incident, which became known as "GoslingGate", sparked criticism of the event's concept. Media critics argued that the "Best International Film" award had only been created in an effort to get Ryan Gosling on the show, with no regards for the film's quality. The incident played a major role in the cancellation of the Goldene Kamera in 2019.[129][130] In 2018, Winterscheidt and Heufer-Umlauf were awarded the Grimme Award for their media criticism.[131]
Stage adaptations[edit]Broadway musical[edit]
On February 7, 2023, it was announced that the film would be adapted into a Broadway musical by Platt and Lionsgate. Hurwitz, Pasek & Paul will return to write additional songs for the show. Bartlett Sher will direct from a book by Ayad Akhtar and Matthew Decker.[132]
So Long Boulder City[edit]
A theatrical spin-off, So Long Boulder City, was also created in 2017 by comedians Jimmy Fowlie and Jordan Black. The show was a full-length parody of Mia Dolan's one-woman show from the movie, and featured Fowlie in drag as Mia.[133] So Long Boulder City debuted in Los Angeles before enjoying a run at the SubCulture Off-Broadway theater in New York City.[134]
Spider-Man in film dates back to 1977, with the rights to the character held by Marvel Entertainment until 1999, when Sony bought them for $7 million.[1] Spider-Man has been Marvel's most successful character in the film industry ever since. After selling the Spider-Man motion picture rights to Sony, Marvel eventually founded its own film studio, developing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) based on the characters it still held the rights to. This changed in 2016, when Sony and Disney[2] entered an agreement to incorporate Spider-Man into the MCU. Despite some disagreements pertaining to finances and merchandising between the two parties, the agreement proved to be a successful endeavor for both companies. Meanwhile, Sony in association with Marvel[3] launched the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU), with Sony entering into a three-billion-dollar streaming agreement with Netflix and Disney.[4]
History[edit]
The fictional character Spider-Man, a comic book superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and featured in Marvel Comics publications, has appeared as a main character in numerous theatrical and made-for-television films.
The first four films were linked to television series and screened in theaters only in certain countries. Nicholas Hammond starred as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the 1977 made-for-television film Spider-Man that spawned a broadcast series, and would appear as the character in two sequels edited from those episodes. In 1978, the Toei Company created a theatrical spin-off of their Spider-Man television series, with Shinji Todō reprising his role as Takuya Yamashiro / Spider-Man. None of these films had a theatrical release in the United States.
By 1999, Sony Pictures Entertainment had acquired the motion picture rights to the character for cinema and TV,[5] creating two Spider-Man animated TV series, and two film series comprising their own continuities: the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy of films (2002–2007) starring Tobey Maguire as the character, and the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films (2012–2014) starring Andrew Garfield in the role.
In February 2015, Disney, Marvel Studios, and Sony made a deal to share the Spider-Man film rights, leading to a new iteration of Spider-Man being introduced and integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The deal allowed Sony Pictures to continue to own, finance, distribute, and have final creative control of the solo Spider-Man films, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films with his other appearances in a supporting capacity. Tom Holland portrays this version of Spider-Man, and has appeared in six films to date, from Captain America: Civil War (2016) to Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). In September 2019, following a brief stand-off resulting in the termination of the old agreement, Disney and Sony relented to fan outcry and reached a new agreement for Holland's version to return for future films; the first film to be produced afterwards was No Way Home, where Holland appears alongside Maguire and Garfield, who reprise their roles in the film as supporting characters. A fourth MCU Spider-Man film is in development at Sony and Disney.
Plans for an animated Spider-Man film were officially announced by Sony in April 2015, which eventually became Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) from Sony Pictures Animation. Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales / Spider-Man in the film, along with various other versions of Peter Parker and alternate versions of Spider-Man from the multiverse also appearing. A sequel, titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was released in 2023, with a third film, titled Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, currently in production. Potential spin-offs are also planned.
The Spider-Man films have been generally well received. They have collectively grossed $10.2 billion at the global box office, with Far From Home becoming the first Spider-Man film to gross over $1 billion worldwide followed by No Way Home, which became Sony's highest-grossing film of all time.[6] In 2019, Into the Spider-Verse won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Fifteen years prior, the Academy had awarded Spider-Man 2 the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Early films[edit]The Amazing Spider-Man series[edit]Main article: The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)FilmRelease dateDirectorScreenwriterProducer(s)Spider-ManSeptember 14, 1977E. W. SwackhamerAlvin BoretzCharles W. Fries, Daniel R. Goodman and Edward J. MontagneSpider-Man Strikes BackMay 8, 1978Ron Satlof[7]Robert JanesSpider-Man: The Dragon's ChallengeMay 9, 1981Don McDougallLionel E. SiegelSpider-Man (1977)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man (1977 film)
In 1977, the pilot episode of The Amazing Spider-Man television series was released by Columbia Pictures as Spider-Man outside of the United States. It was directed by E. W. Swackhamer, written by Alvin Boretz and stars Nicholas Hammond as the titular character, David White as J. Jonah Jameson and Jeff Donnell as May Parker. The film premiered on CBS on September 14, 1977, and received a VHS release in 1980.
Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man Strikes Back
In 1978, the two-part episode "Deadly Dust" from the television series The Amazing Spider-Man was re-edited and released outside of the United States as a feature film, Spider-Man Strikes Back. Nicholas Hammond reprises his role as Peter Parker / Spider-Man while Robert F. Simon replaces David White in the role of J. Jonah Jameson. The film was theatrically released on 8 May 1978.
Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge
In 1981, a film made from The Amazing Spider-Man television series finale "The Chinese Web", using the same method used to make Spider-Man Strikes Back, was released as Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge in European territories. Nicholas Hammond and Robert F. Simon respectively reprise their roles as Peter Parker / Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson. It was directed by Ron Satlof and written by Robert Janes. Other actors include Rosalind Chao, Benson Fong, and Ellen Bry.
Japanese film[edit]Main articles: Spider-Man (Japanese TV series), Spider-Man (1978 film), and Spider-Man (Takuya Yamashiro)FilmRelease dateDirectorScreenwriterStory byProducerSpider-ManJuly 22, 1978Kōichi TakemotoSusumu TakakuSaburo YatsudeSusumu YoshikawaJapanese Spider-Man logo
In 1978, Tōei released a theatrical spin-off of their Spider-Man TV series at the Tōei Cartoon Festival. The film was directed by Kōichi Takemoto, who also directed eight episodes of the TV series. The week after the film's release, a character introduced in the film, Jūzō Mamiya (played by Noboru Nakaya), began appearing in episodes of the TV series. The film was released on July 22, 1978. Like the rest of the series, the film was made available for streaming on Marvel's official website in 2009.
Development[edit]Cannon Films[edit]
The low box office performance of 1983's Superman III made feature-film adaptations of comic book properties a low priority in Hollywood until the late 1990s.[8] In 1985, after a brief option on Spider-Man by Roger Corman expired,[9] Marvel Comics optioned the property to Cannon Films. Cannon chiefs Menahem Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus agreed to pay Marvel Comics $225,000 over the five-year option period, plus a percentage of any film's revenues.[10] However, the rights would revert to Marvel if a film was not made by April 1990.[11]
Tobe Hooper, then preparing both Invaders from Mars and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, was mooted as director. Golan and Globus misunderstood the concept of the character ("They thought it was like The Wolf Man", said director Joseph Zito)[12] and instructed writer Leslie Stevens, creator of The Outer Limits, to write a treatment reflecting their misconception. In Stevens' story, a corporate scientist intentionally subjects ID-badge photographer Peter Parker to radioactive bombardment, transforming him into a hairy, suicidal, eight-armed monster. This human tarantula refuses to join the scientist's new master-race of mutants, battling a succession of mutations kept in a basement laboratory.[12][13]
Unhappy with this perceived debasement of his comic book creation, Marvel's Stan Lee pushed for a new story and screenplay, written for Cannon by Ted Newsom and John Brancato.[14] The variation on the origin story had Otto Octavius as a teacher and mentor to a college-aged Peter Parker. The cyclotron accident which "creates" Spider-Man also deforms the scientist into Doctor Octopus and results in his mad pursuit of proof of the Fifth Force. "Doc Ock" reconstructs his cyclotron and causes electromagnetic abnormalities, anti-gravity effects, and bilocation which threatens to engulf New York City and the world. Joseph Zito, who had directed Cannon's successful Chuck Norris film Invasion U.S.A., replaced Tobe Hooper.[15] The new director hired Barney Cohen to rewrite the script. Cohen added action scenes, a non-canonical comic-book sidekick for the villain, gave Doc Ock the catch phrase, "Okey-dokey", and altered his goal from the Fifth Force to a quest for anti-gravity. Producer Golan (using his pen name "Joseph Goldman") then made a minor polish to Cohen's rewrite. Zito scouted locations and studio facilities in both the U.S. and Europe, and oversaw storyboard breakdowns supervised by Harper Goff. Cannon planned to make the film on the then-substantial budget of between $15 and $20 million.[10]
While no casting was finalized, Zito expressed interest in actor/stunt man Scott Leva, who had posed for Cannon's promotional photos and ads, and made public appearances as Spider-Man for Marvel. The up-and-coming actor Tom Cruise was also discussed for the leading role. Zito considered Bob Hoskins as Doc Ock. Stan Lee expressed his desire to play Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson.[16] Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn were considered for Aunt May, Gregory Peck and Paul Newman as Uncle Ben, Peter Cushing as a sympathetic scientist, and Adolph Caesar as a police detective.[14] With Cannon finances siphoned by the expensive Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe, the company slashed the proposed Spider-Man budget to under $10 million. Director Zito opted out, unwilling to make a compromised Spider-Man. The company commissioned low-budget rewrites from writers Shepard Goldman, Don Michael Paul, and finally Ethan Wiley, and penciled in company workhorse Albert Pyun as director, who also made script alterations.[13]
Scott Leva was still associated with the character through Marvel (he had appeared in photo covers of the comic), and he read each draft. Leva commented: "Ted Newsom and John Brancato had written the script. It was good, but it needed a little work. Unfortunately, with every subsequent rewrite by other writers, it went from good to bad to terrible."[16] Due to Cannon's assorted financial crises, the project shut down after spending about $1.5 million on the project.[12] In 1989, Pathé, owned by corrupt Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti, acquired the overextended Cannon. The filmmaking cousins parted, Globus remaining associated with Pathé, Golan leaving to run 21st Century Film Corporation, keeping a number of properties (including Spider-Man) in lieu of a cash buy-out. He also extended his Spider-Man option with Marvel up to January 1992.[11]
Golan shelved the low-budget rewrites and attempted to finance an independent production from the original big-budget script, already budgeted, storyboarded and laid out.[17] At Cannes in May 1989, 21st Century announced a September start date, with ads touting the script by "Barney Cohen, Ted Newsom & John Brancato and Joseph Goldman".[18] As standard practice, Golan pre-sold the unmade film to raise production funds, with television rights bought by Viacom and home video rights by Columbia Pictures, which wanted to establish a studio franchise. Stephen Herek was attached as director at this point.[19] Golan submitted this "new" screenplay to Columbia in late 1989 (actually the 1985 script with an adjusted "1989" date) and the studio requested yet another rewrite. Golan hired Frank LaLoggia, who turned in his draft but grew disenchanted with 21st Century. Neil Ruttenberg was hired for one more draft, which was also "covered" by script readers at Columbia.[20] Columbia's script analysts considered all three submissions "essentially the same story". A tentative production deal was set. Stan Lee said in 1990: "21st Century [is] supposed to do Spider-Man and now they're talking to Columbia and the way it looks now, Columbia may end up buying Spider-Man from 21st Century."[21]
Carolco Pictures / MGM[edit]
21st Century's Menahem Golan still actively immersed himself mounting "his" Spider-Man, sending the original "Doc Ock" script for production bids. In 1990, he contacted Canadian effects company Light and Motion Corporation regarding the visual effects, which in turn offered the stop-motion chores to Steven Archer (Krull, Clash of the Titans).[22]
Toward the end of shooting True Lies, Variety carried the announcement that Carolco Pictures had received a completed screenplay from James Cameron.[23] This script bore the names of James Cameron, John Brancato, Ted Newsom, Barry [sic] Cohen and "Joseph Goldmari", a typographical scrambling of Golan's pen name ("Joseph Goldman") with Marvel executive Joseph Calamari.[24] The script text was identical to the one Golan submitted to Columbia the previous year, with the addition of a new 1993 date. Cameron stalwart Arnold Schwarzenegger was frequently linked to the project as the director's choice for Doctor Octopus.[25][26]
James Cameron "scriptment"[edit]
Months later, James Cameron submitted an undated 57-page "scriptment" with an alternate story (the copyright registration was dated 1991), part screenplay, part narrative story outline.[12] The "scriptment" told the Spider-Man origin, but used variations on the comic book characters Electro and Sandman as villains. This "Electro" (named Carlton Strand, instead of Max Dillon) was a megalomaniacal parody of corrupt capitalists. Instead of Flint Marko's character, Cameron's "Sandman" (simply named Boyd) is mutated by an accident involving Philadelphia Experiment-style bilocation and atom-mixing, in lieu of getting caught in a nuclear blast on a beach. The story climaxes with a battle atop the World Trade Center and had Peter Parker revealing his identity to Mary Jane Watson. In addition, the treatment was also heavy on profanity, and had Spider-Man and Mary Jane having sex on the Brooklyn Bridge.[27]
This treatment reflected elements in previous scripts: from the Stevens treatment, organic web-shooters, and a villain who tempts Spider-Man to join a coming "master race" of mutants; from the original screenplay and rewrite, weird electrical storms causing blackouts, freak magnetic events and bi-location; from the Ethan Wiley draft, a villain addicted to toxic super-powers and multiple experimental spiders, one of which escapes and bites Peter, causing a hallucinatory nightmare invoking Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis; from the Frank LaLoggia script, a blizzard of stolen cash fluttering down onto surprised New Yorkers; and from the Neil Ruttenberg screenplay, a criminal assault on the NYC Stock Exchange.[13] In 1991, Carolco Pictures extended Golan's option agreement with Marvel through May 1996,[11] but in April 1992, Carolco ceased active production on Spider-Man due to continued financial and legal problems.[28] During this time Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for Peter Parker/Spider-Man; Maggie Smith as Aunt May; Robyn Lively as Mary Jane Watson; R. Lee Ermey as J. Jonah Jameson; Michael Biehn as Boyd/Sandman; and Lance Henriksen as Carlton Strand/Electro.[29][30]
Litigation[edit]
When James Cameron agreed to make Spider-Man, Carolco lawyers simply used his previous Terminator 2 contract as a template. A clause in this agreement gave Cameron the right to decide on movie and advertising credits. Show business trade articles and advertisements made no mention of Golan, who was still actively assembling the elements for the film.[11] In 1993, Golan complained publicly and finally instigated legal action against Carolco for disavowing his contractual guarantee credit as producer. On the other hand, Cameron had the contractual right to decide on credits.[13] Eventually, Carolco sued Viacom and Columbia to recover broadcast and home video rights, and the two studios countersued.[10] 20th Century Fox, though not part of the litigation, contested Cameron's participation, claiming exclusivity on his services as a director under yet another contract.[12] In 1996, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel went bankrupt.
Via a quitclaim from Carolco dated March 28, 1995, MGM acquired 21st Century's film library and assets, and received "...all rights in and to all drafts and versions of the screenplay(s) for Spider-Man written by James Cameron, Ted Newsom & John Brancato, Menahem Golan, Jon [sic] Michael Paul, Ethan Wiley, Leslie Stevens, Frank Laloggia, Neil Ruttenberg, Barney Cohen, Shepard Goldman and any and all other writers."[31] MGM also sued 21st Century, Viacom, and Marvel Comics, alleging fraud in the original deal between Cannon and Marvel. In 1998, Marvel emerged from bankruptcy with a reorganization plan that merged the company with Toy Biz.[11] The courts determined that the original contract of Marvel's rights to Golan had expired, returning the rights to Marvel, but the matter was still not completely resolved. In 1999, Marvel licensed Spider-Man rights to Columbia, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment.[32] MGM disputed the legality, claiming it had the Spider-Man rights via Cannon, 21st Century, and Carolco.[33]
Columbia Pictures[edit]Further information: Spider-Man (2002 film) § Development
In the meantime, MGM/UA chief executive John Calley moved to Columbia Pictures. Intimately familiar with the legal history of producer Kevin McClory's claim to the rights to both Thunderball and other related James Bond characters and elements, Calley announced that Columbia would produce an alternate 007 series, based on the "McClory material", which Calley acquired for Columbia.[34] Columbia had made the original 1967 film spoof of Casino Royale, a non-Eon production.
Both studios now faced rival projects, which could undercut their own long-term financial stability and plans. Columbia had no consistent movie franchise, and had sought Spider-Man since 1989; MGM/UA's only reliable source of theatrical income was a new James Bond film every two or three years. An alternate 007 series could diminish or even eliminate the power of MGM/UA's long-running Bond series. Likewise, an MGM/UA Spider-Man film could negate Columbia's plans to create an exclusive cash cow. Both sides seemed to have strong arguments for the rights to do such films.[35]
The two studios made a trade-off in March 1999; Columbia relinquished its rights to create a new 007 series in exchange for MGM's giving up its claim to Spider-Man.[36] Columbia acquired the rights to all previous scripts in 2000,[20] but exercised options only on the "Cameron Material", i.e., both the completed multi-author screenplay and the subsequent scriptment.[12] Other sources report that Columbia's owner Sony agreed to pay $10 million, plus 5% of any movies' gross revenue and half the revenue from consumer products.[37] After more than a decade of attempts, Spider-Man truly went into production[10] and since then all of the Spider-Man films were distributed by Columbia Pictures, the primary film production holding of Sony. The first three were directed by Sam Raimi, and the reboot and its sequel were directed by Marc Webb. Laura Ziskin served as producer until her death in 2011.[38]
Sam Raimi's trilogy[edit]See also: Peter Parker (Sam Raimi film series)FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Story byProducersSpider-ManMay 3, 2002Sam RaimiDavid KoeppLaura Ziskin and Ian BryceSpider-Man 2May 7, 2004Alvin SargentAlfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael ChabonLaura Ziskin and Avi AradSpider-Man 3May 4, 2007Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Alvin SargentSam Raimi and Ivan RaimiLaura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Grant CurtisSam Raimi series logo used from 2002 to 2007Spider-Man (2002)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man (2002 film)
Spider-Man follows Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), an orphaned high schooler who pines after popular girl-next-door Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). While on a science class field trip at Columbia University, a genetically-engineered "super spider" bites Peter. As a result, Peter gains superhuman abilities, including increased strength, speed, and the abilities to scale walls and generate organic webbing. After his beloved Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) is murdered, the teenager realizes that he must use his newfound abilities to protect New York City. Meanwhile, wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), the father of Peter's best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), subjects himself to an experimental performance-enhancing serum, which creates a psychotic and murderous split personality. Donning a military battle suit, Norman becomes a freakish "Green Goblin", who begins to terrorize the city. Peter, as Spider-Man, now must battle with the Goblin, all while dealing with personal situations involving his domestic and his love life.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man 2
Two years after the events of the first film, Peter struggles to balance his superhero and private lives and still pines after Mary Jane Watson, who is now engaged. Harry Osborn continues to believe Spider-Man is responsible for his father Norman Osborn's death. Spider-Man contends with scientist Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), also known as Doctor Octopus, who initially mentors his alter-ego and has four mechanical tentacles fused to his spine following a failed fusion-based experiment and sets out to recreate the same that could destroy much of New York City.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man 3
Peter is still with Mary Jane Watson, while Harry Osborn succeeds his father as the new Green Goblin (credited as New Goblin). Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), who, like Peter, is a photographer for the Daily Bugle, sets out to defame Spider-Man and incriminate him. Meanwhile, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an escaped convict, falls into a particle accelerator and becomes a shape-shifting sand monster known as Sandman. Peter later learns that Marko killed Uncle Ben, causing Peter's own dark intentions to grow. This vendetta is enhanced by the appearance of the mysterious black alien symbiotic substance that bonds to Peter, resulting in the formation of a new black costume. Once Peter separates himself from the alien, it finds a new host in the form of Brock, resulting in the creation of Venom and Peter Parker having to battle the villains in the end.
Canceled fourth film and potential revival[edit]"Spider-Man 4" redirects here. For the planned sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home, see Spider-Man: No Way Home § Future.
In 2007, Spider-Man 4 entered development, with Raimi attached to direct and Maguire, Dunst, and other cast members set to reprise their roles. Both a fourth and a fifth film were planned and at one time the idea of shooting the two sequels concurrently was under consideration. However, Raimi stated in March 2009 that only the fourth film was in development at that time, and that if there were fifth and sixth films, those two films would actually be a continuation of each other.[39][40][41][42] Zodiac screenwriter James Vanderbilt was hired by Sony Pictures in October 2007 to pen the screenplay after initial reports in January that Sony was in contact with David Koepp, who wrote the first Spider-Man film.[43][44] The script was being rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire and Gary Ross in November 2008 and October 2009.[45] Sony also engaged Vanderbilt to write scripts for Spider-Man 5 and Spider-Man 6.[44]
In 2007, Raimi expressed interest in depicting the transformation of Dr. Curt Connors into his villainous alter-ego, the Lizard; the character's actor Dylan Baker and producer Grant Curtis were also enthusiastic about the idea.[46][47][48] Raimi also discussed his desire to upgrade Bruce Campbell from a cameo appearance to a significant role,[49] later revealed to be Quentin Beck / Mysterio.[50] It was reported in December 2009 that John Malkovich was in negotiations to play Vulture and that Anne Hathaway would play Felicia Hardy, though she would not have transformed into the Black Cat as in the comics. Instead, Raimi's Felicia was expected to become a new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.[51] Several years later, in 2013, Raimi re-clarified that the Vultress concept was discarded and Hathaway would've indeed been Black Cat if Spider-Man 4 had been made.[52] Concept art by storyboard artist Jeffrey Henderson revealed in June 2016 showed the inclusion of an opening montage of Spider-Man going up against C and D-list villains, such as Mysterio, the Shocker, the Prowler, the Stilt-Man and the Rhino, with the Vulture serving as the main antagonist; Henderson recalls that the film would have opened with a montage of Spider-Man, now feeling free after breaking up with Mary Jane, catching all villains from his rogues gallery that the crew knew Raimi would never use in his films. Henderson also disclosed that Malkovich would have played the Vulture, who would have been a private contractor who committed terrible actions in behalf of the U.S. government, leading him to be called the "Vulture" because he never left anything but "bones" behind, and the film's climax would have shown the Vulture and Spider-Man fighting in a bloody fight that Spider-Man would have barely won by causing the Vulture's wings to make him tumble between building until crashing into the Citicorp Building's ether and off its top, killing him.[50][53] In April 2022, Raimi stated that he had planned to include Kraven the Hunter in the film.[54]
As disagreements between Sony and Raimi threatened to push the film off the intended May 6, 2011, release date, Sony Pictures announced in January 2010 that plans for Spider-Man 4 had been canceled due to Raimi's withdrawal from the project. Raimi reportedly ended his participation due to his doubt that he could meet the planned May 6, 2011 release date while at the same time upholding the film creatively; he admitted that he was "very unhappy" with the way Spider-Man 3 had turned out, and was under pressure to make the fourth film the best that he could.[55] Raimi purportedly went through four iterations of the script with different screenwriters and still "hated it".[56]
In June 2021, animatic producer David E. Duncan, who worked on Spider-Man 4, uploaded an animatic of the canceled project dated November 12, 2009 to his Vimeo account along with the description: "One of a half dozen animatics I produced for the ill-fated 4th Raimi Spider-Man. Studio politics, creative differences and bad internet reactions (to John Malkovich as Vulture) caused the plug to be pulled December of 2009, early in the prep stage. However, one month later, Sony moved forward with Andrew Garfield reboot...", the animatic depicts a battle between Spider-Man and The Vulture.[57] Duncan later deleted the animatic from his page, but it can still be found on YouTube.[58]
Following his appearance in No Way Home, some fans called for Sony to make a fourth Tobey Maguire Spider-Man film using the hashtag "#MakeRaimiSpiderMan4" on Twitter.[59] In addition, both director Sam Raimi and actress Kirsten Dunst expressed interest in a possible return in a fourth film, while Tobey Maguire stated that he is "open for anything".[60] However, Raimi later stated that he had no plans to direct such a film.[61]
Marc Webb's duology[edit]See also: Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man film series)FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwritersStory byProducersThe Amazing Spider-ManJuly 6, 2012Marc WebbJames Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve KlovesJames VanderbiltLaura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt TolmachThe Amazing Spider-Man 2May 2, 2014Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff PinknerAlex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, and James VanderbiltAvi Arad and Matt TolmachMarc Webb series logo used from 2012 to 2014
Following the cancelation of Spider-Man 4, Sony announced that the franchise would be rebooted with a new director and new cast. Marc Webb directed both of the Amazing Spider-Man films.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)[edit]Main article: The Amazing Spider-Man (film)
The film focuses on Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) developing his abilities in high school and his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). He fights the Lizard, the monstrous form of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner and a scientist at Oscorp.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)[edit]Main article: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The film takes place one year after the first film's events. Peter Parker graduates from high school, continues his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man, while combating the electricity-manipulating Electro (Jamie Foxx), rekindling his relationship with Gwen Stacy, and encountering his old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who is slowly dying from a genetic disease.
Canceled third film, spin-offs, and potential revival[edit]
In June 2013, Sony Pictures announced the release dates for the next two Spider-Man films. The third film was scheduled to be released on June 10, 2016, and the fourth to be released on May 4, 2018.[62][63] Paul Giamatti confirmed that Rhino would return in the third film.[64] That November, Sony Pictures Entertainment chief Michael Lynton told analysts: "We do very much have the ambition about creating a bigger universe around Spider-Man. There are a number of scripts in the works."[65] Andrew Garfield stated that his contract was for three films, and was unsure of his involvement for the fourth film.[66] In February 2014, Sony announced that Webb would return to direct the third Amazing Spider-Man film.[67] In March, Webb stated that he would not be directing the fourth film, but would like to remain as a consultant for the series.[68] Roberto Orci told IGN in July that he was not working on the third film due to his involvement in Star Trek Beyond.[69] Alex Kurtzman stated in interview that the third film was still continuing production and that there was a possibility of seeing a Black Cat film.[70] Sony Pictures later announced in July that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 had been delayed to 2018.[71] After the announcement in February 2015 of a new series with Marvel Studios, the sequels to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were canceled.[72] In July 2015, Denis Leary, who had portrayed police Captain George Stacy in the previous two films, revealed that the film at one point had Spider-Man "take this formula and regenerate the people in his life that died."[73]
In December 2013, Sony issued a press release through the viral site Electro Arrives announcing that two films were in development, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ed Solomon writing a spin-off to The Amazing Spider-Man focused on Venom (with Kurtzman attached to direct) and Drew Goddard writing one focused on the villain team Sinister Six. Hannah Minghella and Rachel O'Connor would oversee the development and production of these films for the studio.[74][75] The Venom spinoff eventually became the 2018 film starring the character. In April 2014, it was announced that Goddard would direct the Sinister Six film,[76] and that both spin-offs would be released before a fourth Amazing Spider-Man,[77] with Spider-Man potentially appearing in both spin-offs.[78] Later in the month, Tolmach and Arad revealed the Sinister Six film would be a redemption story,[79] and that the film's lineup might differ from the comics.[80] On July 23, 2014, Sony Pictures announced that The Sinister Six was scheduled for release on November 11, 2016.[71] By August 2014, Sony was also looking to release a female-centered spin-off film in 2017, with Lisa Joy writing, and had given the Venom spin-off the potential title of Venom: Carnage.[81]
"I mean, yes, definitely open to something if it felt right. Peter and Spider-Man, those characters are all about service, to the greater good and the many. He's a working-class boy from Queens that knows struggle and loss and is deeply empathetic. I would try to borrow Peter Parker's ethical framework in that, if there was an opportunity to step back in and tell more of that story, I would have to feel very sure and certain in myself."
Andrew Garfield on returning as Spider-Man[82]
Despite the announcement in February 2015 of a new series with Marvel Studios, the Sinister Six, Venom, and female-led spin-off films set in the Amazing Spider-Man timeline were then "still moving forward". Feige was not expected to be creatively involved with these films.[72] However, the Sinister Six film was canceled due to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 underperforming commercially,[83] and by November 2015, the other prospective spin-off films were canceled as well.[84] However, Sony has reworked these plans into creating a new film series based on Marvel characters associated with Spider-Man separate from both the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, starting with the release of the 2018 film Venom. These include spinoff films centering around the characters of Morbius,[85] Kraven the Hunter,[86] and Silver and Black,[87] a female-centric team up of the Spider-Man anti-heroes Silver Sable and Black Cat. Jared Leto portrayed the title character Morbius in the spin-off film, directed by Daniel Espinosa and was released on April 1, 2022, to critical and commercial failure.[88] Kraven the Hunter was written by Richard Wenk and the writing team of Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, and has a set release date of December 13, 2024.[89]
Following his appearance in No Way Home, some fans called for Sony to make a third Andrew Garfield Spider-Man film using the hashtag "#MakeTASM3" on Twitter.[90][91][92] In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Garfield expressed interest in reprising his role as his Peter Parker for another Spider-Man film. Tom Holland later expressed support for Garfield to reprise the role in a potential third film.[93]
Licensing agreement with Marvel Studios[edit]Further information: List of Marvel Cinematic Universe filmsSee also: Peter Parker (Marvel Cinematic Universe)FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwritersStory byProducersSpider-Man: HomecomingJuly 7, 2017Jon WattsJonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik SommersJonathan Goldstein and John Francis DaleyKevin Feige and Amy PascalSpider-Man: Far From HomeJuly 5, 2019Chris McKenna and Erik SommersSpider-Man: No Way HomeDecember 17, 2021MCU series logo used since 2017
Sony's 1999[94] exclusive rights, covering all Spider-Man universes[95] (including 900+ characters related to Spider-Man), is perpetual provided that Sony releases a new Spider-Man film at least once every 5.75 years.[96]
Sometime in 2014, prior to the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, there had been informal discussions between Amy Pascal and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about whether the world and characters of The Amazing Spider-Man films (including Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man) could be retroactively integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but discussions came to nothing. Pascal and Avi Arad had attempted to connect the two franchises prior to these discussions, with the pair revealing that they were intending on licensing out the design of the Oscorp Tower from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) so it could appear in the New York City skyline of the MCU film The Avengers (2012), establishing the existence of Spider-Man and associated elements in the MCU. It never materialized as a result of the building's design being finalized too late into the latter film's post-production process.[97] Sony also mooted with the idea of doing a crossover film between The Amazing Spider-Man films and the Sam Raimi films with Garfield and Tobey Maguire playing their respective versions of Spider-Man with Raimi reportedly eyed to direct, but this too never came to fruition.[98] In December 2014, following the hacking of Sony Pictures' computers, Sony and Marvel Studios were revealed to have had discussions about licensing Spider-Man to appear in the MCU film Captain America: Civil War (2016) while having control of the film rights remaining with Sony. Talks between the studios then broke down. Instead, Sony had considered having Raimi return to direct a new trilogy.[99]
On February 9, 2015, Sony Pictures and Disney announced a licensing agreement that would allow Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the character appearing in an MCU film and Sony releasing a Spider-Man film co-produced by Feige and Pascal. Sony Pictures would continue to own, finance, distribute, and exercise final creative control over the Spider-Man films.[100] Feige stated that Marvel had been working to add Spider-Man to the MCU since at least October 2014.[101] The next month, Marvel Entertainment CCO Joe Quesada indicated that the Peter Parker version of the character would be used,[102] which Feige confirmed in April.[103] The following June, Feige clarified that the initial Sony deal did not allow the character to appear in any of the MCU television series, as it was "very specific... with a certain amount of back and forth allowed."[104]
Tom Holland, who portrays Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the MCU, revealed in November 2016 that he was signed for "three Spider-Man movies and three solo movies".[105] In June 2017, Holland, Feige, and Jon Watts, director of the MCU Spider-Man films, confirmed that a child (portrayed by Max Favreau) wearing an Iron Man mask whom Tony Stark saves from a drone in Iron Man 2 (2010), was a young Peter Parker, retroactively making it the introduction of the character to the MCU.[106][107]
In August 2019, Disney and Sony couldn't reach a new agreement regarding Spider-Man films, with Marvel Studios and Feige said to no longer have any involvement in any future films. Deadline Hollywood noted that Disney had hoped future films would be a "50/50 co-financing arrangement between the studios", with the possibility to extend the deal to other Spider-Man-related films, an offer Sony rejected and did not counter. Instead, Sony hoped to keep the terms of the previous agreement, where Marvel would receive 5% of the film's initial theatrical gross, with Disney refusing.[108] The Hollywood Reporter added that the lack of a new agreement would see the end of Holland's Spider-Man in the MCU.[109] Variety cited unnamed sources claiming negotiations had "hit an impasse" and that a new deal could still be reached.[110] On August 24, Feige reportedly commented at Disney's D23 Expo: "We got to make five films within the MCU with Spider-Man: two standalone films and three with the Avengers. It was a dream that I never thought would happen. It was never meant to last forever. We knew there was a finite amount of time that we'd be able to do this, and we told the story we wanted to tell, and I'll always be thankful for that."[111]
The following month, in response to fan outcry, Disney and Sony reached a new deal, which includes a third Spider-Man film as well as one other film, both set in the MCU.[112] At the time, Watts entered final negotiations to return as director.[113] In November 2021, Pascal revealed in an interview that Sony and Marvel Studios are going to continue collaborating for another trilogy of films set in the MCU.[114]
Captain America: Civil War (2016)[edit]Main article: Captain America: Civil WarTom Holland took the role of Spider-Man in Civil War after screen tests with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, who considered him the favorite pick from six actors.
Reports indicated that the first MCU film that Spider-Man would appear in as part of the deal, would be Captain America: Civil War.[115][116] Directors Joe and Anthony Russo had lobbied for months to include the character in that film.[117] Anthony Russo stated that, despite Marvel telling them to have a "plan B" should the deal with Sony fail, the Russos never created one because "it was very important to us to reintroduce" Spider-Man in the film, adding, "We only have envisioned the movie with Spider-Man."[118] By the end of May 2015, Asa Butterfield, Tom Holland, Judah Lewis, Matthew Lintz, Charlie Plummer and Charlie Rowe screen tested for the lead role, against Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Tony Stark / Iron Man, for chemistry.[119][120] The six were chosen out of a search of over 1,500 actors to test in front of Feige, Pascal, and the Russo brothers.[119] In June, Feige and Pascal narrowed the actors considered to Holland and Rowe. Both screen tested again with Downey, with Holland also testing with Chris Evans, who portrays Steve Rogers / Captain America, and emerged as the favorite.[120] Holland was ultimately cast as Spider-Man in June.[121] The following month, Marisa Tomei was in talks for the role of May Parker,[122] later appearing in Civil War.[123]
In the film, Parker, who has spent the last six months as a local costumed crimefighter named Spider-Man, is recruited by Stark to join his team of Avengers to stop Rogers and his rogue faction of Avengers, who oppose the Sokovia Accords, from fleeing with fugitive Bucky Barnes. During the fight with Rogers and his team, Parker, utilizing a Stark-upgraded version of his initial makeshift suit, proves to be a formidable opponent, and implements a tactic with which he, Stark, James Rhodes / War Machine and Vision disable Scott Lang / Ant-Man in his giant-sized form. Upon returning home, Parker discovers some of the Stark tech features of the suit he was given by Stark.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming was released on July 7, 2017.[124][125] The film was directed by Jon Watts,[121] from a screenplay by Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers.[126] Holland, Tomei, and Downey reprise their roles as Peter Parker, May Parker, and Stark, respectively,[127] and are joined by Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes / Vulture, Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Laura Harrier as Liz, Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, and Bokeem Woodbine as Herman Schultz / Shocker, who appears as a minor villain. Jon Favreau also appears as Happy Hogan, reprising his role from the Iron Man films.[126][128] Production began in June 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia and ended in October.[129][130][131]
Set two months after the events of Civil War, Parker anxiously awaits his next assignment from Stark while simultaneously balancing his life at Midtown High with his vigilante life as Spider-Man. His investigation of a series of highly weaponized robberies leads him to mysterious weapons trafficker Adrian Toomes and despite Stark's warnings not to be involved attempts to stop him.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)[edit]Main article: Avengers: Infinity War
In October 2016, Holland said the possibility of him appearing in Avengers: Infinity War was "all up in the air", but that "some sort of deal is in the mix" with Sony for him to appear.[132] Holland was eventually confirmed to appear in the film, directed by the Russo brothers, as part of the ensemble cast in February 2017.[133]
Parker joins Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy in battling Thanos in the ruins of his home planet, Titan. However, Parker is among the many heroes who perish after Thanos snaps his fingers with a completed Infinity Gauntlet, which wipes out half of all life in the universe.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)[edit]Main article: Avengers: Endgame
Holland was confirmed to be a part of Avengers: Endgame, directed by the Russo brothers, in April 2017.[134]
After dying at the end of Infinity War, Parker along with the other victims of Thanos are resurrected by Bruce Banner five years later and joins the Avengers and their allies in a clash against Thanos and his army in upstate New York. At the battle's conclusion, Parker mourns Stark's death and attends his funeral with Aunt May before returning to high school to reunite with his best friend Ned.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: Far From Home
In December 2016, Sony Pictures announced a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, for release on July 5, 2019.[135] In June 2017, Feige stated that the film would be titled in a similar fashion to Homecoming, using a subtitle, and would not have a number in the title.[136] A year later, Holland revealed the film's title as Spider-Man: Far From Home.[137] Watts returned to direct, and Holland, Zendaya, Favreau, Batalon, Tomei, and Revolori reprise their roles from Homecoming, with Jake Gyllenhaal joining as Quentin Beck / Mysterio. As in Homecoming, other characters from MCU installments reprise their roles, with Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders appearing as Nick Fury and Maria Hill, respectively. In April 2019, Sony Pictures moved the release date to July 2, 2019.[138]
Set after the events of Endgame, the film features Parker and his friends going to Europe on summer vacation, where Parker, intending to take a break from superheroics is drawn back to it when he is forced to team up with Fury and Mysterio in battling the Elementals.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: No Way Home
In September 2019, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures announced to produce a third film, after an impasse between the two companies during negotiations.[112] Watts returned to direct,[139] from a script by McKenna and Sommers.[140] Holland, Zendaya, Favreau, Batalon, Tomei, and Revolori reprise their roles,[141] and are joined by Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong in their MCU roles as Stephen Strange and Wong, respectively.[142] The film links the pre-MCU Spider-Man films via the multiverse and features Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their respective roles as their versions of Spider-Man, while Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Thomas Haden Church reprise their roles as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus and Flint Marko / Sandman respectively from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, along with Jamie Foxx and Rhys Ifans as Max Dillon / Electro and Curt Connors / Lizard respectively from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films.[143] Charlie Cox reprises his role as Matt Murdock from Marvel Television's Netflix series and Tom Hardy appears, uncredited, as Eddie Brock, reprising the role from Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
After Mysterio exposes Parker's identity as Spider-Man to the world in Far From Home in addition to incriminating him for his demise, ruining Parker's and his close ones' life in the process, Parker asks Strange to make it a secret again with magic, but this inadvertently breaks open the multiverse and allows visitors from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe.
Future[edit]
Amy Pascal confirmed plans for a sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home and a second trilogy of films set in the MCU in November 2021 ahead of the film's release, with Kevin Feige confirming the active development of a fourth MCU Spider-Man film in addition to his next supporting appearance in the franchise the following month. Marvel Studios will return to co-produce the film with Sony Pictures and Pascal Pictures. Tom Holland is expected to reprise his role, with his character undergoing a soft-reset as a result of his "momentous decision" during No Way Home's climax, as insinuated by the final line of the screenplay of No Way Home reading: "Peter Parker is no more, but Spider-Man lives on", describing public knowledge of the character's civilian persona being erased by Doctor Strange's spell.[144][145][146]
Animated Spider-Verse[edit]FilmU.S. release dateDirector(s)Screenwriter(s)Story byProducersSpider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseDecember 14, 2018Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney RothmanPhil Lord and Rodney RothmanPhil LordAvi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Christina SteinbergSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseJune 2, 2023Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. ThompsonPhil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave CallahamSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-VerseTBASpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseLogo for the first film in the Spider-Verse franchise, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The typeface replicates the title treatment for The Amazing Spider-Man comic books.
In April 2015, Sony announced that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were writing and producing a Spider-Man animated comedy in development at Sony Pictures Animation. As revealed by the e-mail leak one year before, the duo had been previously courted by Sony to take over the studio's animation division. Originally scheduled to be released on December 21, 2018, Sony changed the date a week earlier on December 14.[147][148] Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson unveiled the film's logo, with the working title Animated Spider-Man, at CinemaCon 2016, and declared that "conceptually and visually, [the film] will break new ground for the superhero genre."[149] Bob Persichetti would direct the animated film,[150] with Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman serving as co-directors and Miles Morales as the protagonist in the film.[151]
Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham (2019)[edit]Main article: Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham
Into the Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller expressed interest in developing animated shorts starring Spider-Ham.[152] The short film Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham was released on February 26, 2019, along with the digital release of Into the Spider-Verse.[153] John Mulaney reprises his role as the titular character from Into the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)[edit]Main article: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
In November 2018, it was revealed that Into the Spider-Verse had entered into sequel development.[154] The sequel, which continues Morales' story and features a romance with Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman,[155] was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and written by David Callaham.[156] In February 2021, Christopher Miller revealed that both he and Phil Lord were co-writing the screenplay with Callaham, and that Peter Ramsey would serve as an executive producer, after co-directing the first film.[157] By April, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson (the latter of which had previously served as production designer on the first film) were announced to direct the film with Dos Santos.[158] In April 2022, it was announced that the film had been retitled, with the (Part One) moniker removed in favor of separating the film and its sequel.[159] It released on June 2, 2023 after being delayed from its initial April 8, 2022 release date.[160][161]
The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story (2023)[edit]Main article: The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story
The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story is a short film that debuted at Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2023.[162] It was later released on YouTube on March 27, 2024.[163]
It was directed by Jarelle Dampier and written by Khaila Amazan through Sony Pictures Imageworks' LENS program and is set between Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. It focuses on Miles Morales' life as he, overwhelmed by school work, exams and relationships, as well as his secret identity as Spider-Man, "starts to feel the pressure [...], which results in a scary, trippy little jaunt through his subconscious."[164]
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