For a while, Sony Pictures have had Spider-Man 4 penciled on to their release schedule for May 6, 2011. The only problem is that no one was sure exactly when they would get started actually making the film.
In an interview with M TV’s Splash Page, director Sam Raimi has stated that pre-production for the film is moving ahead. Production designers are already working on designs for sets. Raim has just given a new round of notes to screenwriter Gary Ross and Scott Stokdyk, a veteran of the first three Spider-Man films, has been hired as one of the film’s two visual effects supervisors. If things continue to go as they are, Raimi hopes to be rolling cameras in New York City in the first week of March.
Still no word as to which villains will show up, even though by this point that must have been decided. Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are already signed to return to the franchise as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and love interest Mary Jane Watson respectively. There is no word as to whether any of the other supporting actors will be back, but it is hard to believe that they won’t.
And since a certain FilmBuffOnline editor/publisher happens to have a birthday in the first week of March, I’d like to take a moment to thank Sam Raimi for such a nice present.