“We are expanding the ‘Spider-Man’ universe into The Sinister Six and Venom, so that we have ‘Spider-Man’ movies every year,” Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal has been quoted saying as media analyst Harold Vogel says the studio has fallen behind after dragging its feet in its development of new film franchises. Considering Pascal’s quote, Vogel also said the studio has “too much of a reliance on ‘Spider-Man’.”
No before we get too upset at the franchising of Hollywood and the idea a business analyst as opposed to artists would be deciding the future of films, understand this is a business. I do, however, find it comical when Vogel refers to Sony’s problem as “creative entropy” as if figuring out a way to water down their products into something that can be mass consumed by as many people as possible is actually “creative”. Then again, I get the feeling Mr. Vogel and I have different definitions for the word.
As for the future of these Spider-Man films, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will hit theaters on May 2 and director Marc Webb is already signed to direct The Amazing Spider-Man 3, already set for a June 10, 2016 release. In the meantime Venom is eying 2015 with Alex Kurtzman directing, Sinister Six in 2017 with Drew Goddard directing and The Amazing Spider-Man 4 on May 4, 2018.
Looking at that slate you have to wonder just how “creative” the studio can get, knowing it doesn’t want to have any major failures within that timeframe, messing up future plans. Should Spider-Man 3 be received with the same love as Green Lantern, what then?
So Spider-Man is given the Avengers treatment and apparently what’s left will be an attempt to tap into adapting R.L. Stine‘s “Goosebumps” novels, more Smurfs with new word The Smurfs 3 will be 100% animated as opposed to the live-action/animation hybrid the first two were and also the recent purchase of movie rights to adapt the PlayStation videogame “Gran Turismo“.
I must say, if that’s all they have planned they better get “creative” as Vogel says. Yes, they distribute the James Bond films theatrically, but that’s a mixed production deal with MGM, but kudos to them for helping keep it alive.
Personally, I’d like to see Sony go the other direction, more adult-targeted features such as Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty. I know that’s not practical, but a man can dream.
