SPIDER-MAN Reboot May Have Found Its Webb

At first, the news coming from Deadline Hollywood that (500) DAYS OF SUMMER director Marc Webb was at the top of Sony Pictures’ list of directors for the SPIDER-MAN reboot seemed like a blessing.  Anyone who knows me at all knows that (500) DAYS OF SUMMER was my absolute favorite movie of last year, and I give major credit to Webb’s direction of that film in regards to why I love it so much.

Now, I am beginning to question that thought.  Would Webb, a man who has one, feature film under his belt, one that cost $7.5 million to boot, be the right choice to relaunch a franchise with a film that would, probably, cost upwards of $150-$200 million?  The answer to that is, I’m not completely sure.  Granted, bringing Webb in as the director would mean people would be looking to Joseph Gordon-Levitt to fill the Peter Parker role, and that, my friends, is a great idea.

But Webb is untested when it comes to anything but low budget, quirky fare.  Christopher Nolan didn’t jump from MEMENTO to BATMAN BEGINS.  Hell, he didn’t even jump from FOLLOWING to BATMAN BEGINS.  He stepped his way up, hitting INSOMNIA on his way to trying to relaunch a franchise.  By comparison, MEMENTO cost $9 million and INSOMNIA cost $46 million.  BATMAN BEGINS had a $150 million budget, but that was a franchise that had long been stale and needed a reboot.  With the SPIDER-MAN franchise, the last one came out just under three years ago, so this next film will feel more like another sequel than a out-and-out overhaul of the franchise.

The Deadline Hollywood article also mentions the potential release date for the new SPIDER-MAN film won’t be until 2012, and the delay in release will be due to them wanting to shoot in 3-D.  For more on that, check out my rant on this week’s episode of The Golden Briefcase.  This is yet another element going into this film that could serve as a challenge to Webb.

What do you think?  Who would be a good choice for the new SPIDER-MAN?  Is it time to start throwing money at James Cameron to get his version of the film finally made?  Who would be the right choice for the lead role?  Some think JGL is too old, but I say he can pull it off.  Let us know your thoughts by shooting us a comment below.