James Cameron and Marc Webb Discuss 3-D and a Little SPIDER-MAN

A little history lesson to start this article off.   Some of you might not know that AVATAR director James Cameron was inches away from helming the first run at the SPIDER-MAN property for the big screen.   It’s a long and windy road that took Cameron near the project and, ultimately, pushed him far, far away from it, as well.   Let’s just say, based on the 47-page scriptment he put together in the early ’90s, Cameron’s SPIDER-MAN would have been huge and quite vociferous, maybe even a bit Michael Bay-ish if you will allow me a generalized comparison.

So, I’m not sure how to take the latest news coming from MTV that the next SPIDER-MAN director, Marc Webb, met recently with Cameron and some of his AVATAR crew to compare notes.   When you read it like that, it almost makes it sound like Webb is aiming for the next SPIDER-MAN to run along the same lines as Cameron’s massive scriptment.   However, story has nothing to do with it, especially when you have something as groundbreaking and as loved by Hollywood as 3-D in the mix.

You see, the meeting had nothing to do with SPIDER-MAN.   Oh, I’m sure Cameron’s intentions for the property came up a time or two.   Cameron has long since gotten over the fact that he never go to make his vision of SPIDER-MAN, and even recently went so far as to say any director who takes on the project would be getting his sloppy seconds.   That Cameron’s a class act, folks.   But, no, this particular meeting was mostly about 3-D and the ideas Webb has for the next SPIDER-MAN film.

Says Jon Landau, Cameron’s business partner:

Webb wants to do the next one in 3-D, which they’ve announced that they want to do. So, we want to try to support that as much as possible.

Other movies are turning to it now, some of which I agree with, some of which I don’t agree with. CLASH OF THE TITANS is coming out in 3-D; they’re converting it very hastily into 3-D. I’m not in favor if that.   If you want to shoot a 3-D movie, shoot it in 3-D.

Well, on that, I agree with Landau 100%.   That still doesn’t mean I’m in favor of Webb shooting the next SPIDER-MAN this way, but, if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it the right way.   Consulting with Cameron is the way to do just that.