Spider-Man Gets Reboot, Raimi Out

Sony Pictures has officially announced that they will be rebooting the Spider-Man franchise with the fourth Spider-Man film.  In addition, Sam Raimi, Tobey  MaGuire and Kirtsen Dunst will not be involved.  It has been rumored for weeks that this would happen, considering Raimi has been unhappy with the script and the direction the studio has wanted him to take for the upcoming film.

Using a pre-existing script written by James Vanderbilt (screenwriter of Zodiac), the story will have Peter Parker as a teen again, grappling with his super-powers in a high school setting.

In the press release for the new Spider-Man film, Sony boss Amy Pascal had this to say:

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre.

“When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise.

“We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots.”

Sam Raimi has responded by saying:

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”

No director or cast has been named yet, but the next Spider-Man film is slated for a summer 2012 release date.