Sony to release Spiderman 2.5

[Ryanwb]

Not only does Sony plan to release the Spider-Man 2 DVD in November, but it also plans to release Spider-Man 2.5, with additional action and effects scenes next year, director Sam Raimi has told the website IGN.com. It is really not a matter of his wanting to release a director's extended cut of the film, Raimi indicated. "Sony said to me, 'We want to release a 2.5,' because they want to make more money. It's not really that I had some scenes to put in. The movie really was the best I could make it. It's not like I think I could make it better." Asked why the studio is waiting until next year to release the extended version, Raimi responded: "It's just a financial decision by the studio. They know that people who liked the second movie would want to own it as it is on DVD, and then it's just a gamble. 'Oh, if we spend another four million dollars, can we make another ten million dollars?' I think that's how it works."

I guess the studios have taken notice as to how much the different versions of LOTR made money for their studio. I just hope this isn't a common theme in the years to come

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I saw Raimi in an interview recently in which he said he thinks Spider-Man 3 should be the final episode, and that he gets the same feeling from some others above him. Obviously there are many execs that are salivating over Spidey 4, 5, 6, etc... but he wants to do a true story arc and only continue with it if he can see the character of Peter Parker being transformed in some way. He doesn't want to just keep churning them out...he wants them to have some deeper meaning.

He said that he and his creative team will brainstorm about what kind of drama/trauma Peter will experience next and then choose a villain which reflects that situation.

He also said that he'd rather focus on the third film than be bothered with doing work for 2.5.