Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy swings back to Netflix in April. The streaming service will add the beloved movie series to its available content on April 1, and no, it’s not an April Fool’s Day joke. The trilogy starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, and James Franco as Harry Osborn. Often cited as some of the best superhero movies ever made, the films were well-received by audiences and critics.
The first installment debuted in 2002 and saw Spider-Man locking horns with a vicious Green Goblin portrayed by Willem Defoe. Raimi’s Spider-Man grossed over $825 million at the box office, a huge and unexpected success for a comic-book movie. It was also nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
Given the success, Sony Pictures greenlit a sequel that hit the theaters in 2004. In Spider-Man 2, Parker had to deal with Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, a scientist who has turned into a powerful villain. The movie fell short of topping its predecessor at the box office, but it still became the year’s second-highest-grossing film. It also took home an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, besides two nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
In the final installment of the trilogy, Spider-Man faced three foes at the same time in New Goblin, Sandman, and Venom. The film was the highest-grossing installment in the trilogy with $895 million at the box office, but it’s also the most criticized by fans and critics alike. Now, people can binge-watch the whole Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy on Netflix again.
