The fourth film in the Spider-Man franchise is unlikely to make its release date of 5 May 2011 due to script problems, a report has suggested.
Hollywood journalist Nikki Finke has claimed that director Sam Raimi is unhappy with the screenplay for the film and production has been suspended until a solution is reached. Quoted in her report are various unnamed sources, but also what appears to be an email sent to the visual effects team slated to work on the project, which says: “We were just notified that our schedule is pushing. We will NOT be starting as planned. I’m terribly sorry for this news, and I hope this email reaches you in time to find other options.”
A script revision has reportedly been ordered from screenwriter Alvin Sargent, who penned the screenplays for Spider-Man 2 and 3. The problem with the story is nothing new for the film, which has seen Jamie Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire and Gary Ross all attached at various point. Finke also reports that Anne Hathaway has been dropped from the cast for financial reasons, but that John Malkovich is still a lock to appear.
