AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Franchise Adds VENOM and SINISTER 6 Films!

My early suspicions were correct.

When the Lizard was locked up at the end of the first AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and multiple villains were confirmed for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Electro, Green Goblin, Rhino), I suspected that the franchise is headed toward THE SINISTER SIX! An Avengers style super-group of villains all working together to take out their common enemy, Spider-Man.

And there are plans for my favorite comic villain of all… VENOM!

Sony plans on extending their own Spider-Man centric movie universe similar to Marvel Studios and Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The franchise would not only have AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3 (release date June 10th, 2016) & 4, but also a SINISTER SIX movie as well as a solo adventure for VENOM.

Sony announced both plans today for the franchise, as hidden on a Electro website (http://www.electroarrives.com/) based on a clue left in the amazing AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 trailer.

Classic viral marketing, something we’ve seen a lot more since THE DARK KNIGHT’s excellent viral marketing campaign.

What’s most exciting about the new SPIDER-MAN Cinematic Universe, is that writing duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are heavily involved, not just as writers but as Godfathers for Sony Marvel projects, just as Joss Whedon is the keeper of the entire MCU.

You may know Orci and Kurtzman as writers of both excellent STAR TREK reboot films. They also write the TRANSFORMERS films, but I try not to hold it against them.

I just hope Venom is not half-assed and rushed, really treated with as little respect as X-MEN: WOLVERINE ORIGINS gave Deadpool; like in SPIDER-MAN 3. I loved Venom was in it, but he wasn’t given the proper treatment,.

Really, the perfect Venom story takes 3 films. A trilogy.

Movie 1 – Peter Parker gets the black suit, Eddie Brock is introduced, Parker rips the suit off at the end (a scene done perfectly in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 3). Brock becomes the new host for the suit, becoming Venom.

Movie 2– Venom is the main baddie. It’s Spider-Man vs. Venom, baby!

Movie 3– Carnage is born. Spider-Man and Venom team up to take down the more terrifying symbiote.

So, maybe go black suit in AMAZING 3, and Venom in 4, making the VENOM feature more about Venom vs. Carnage.

I do have further suspicions that the Venom symbiote is tied to Peter Parker’s past, similar to  the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN comic lines. It would make sense Parker Sr. had developed the suit to save an ailing Norman Osborne (Chris Cooper), but tried to escape with the project because it was too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.

I am very pleased that Sony finally has a plan for Spider-Man similar to the MCU, so classic character and events (like the death of Gwen Stacey) don’t get rushed or jumbled, like in SPIDER-MAN 3, which bit off waaaay more than it could chew.

The full press release found on the Electro Arrives website is below.

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT TO EXPAND THE SPIDER-MAN UNIVERSE ON SCREEN WITH ALL-STAR WRITING TEAM

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard to Collaborate with Marc Webb and Producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach on Developing the Universe and Expanding the Story in
“The Amazing Spider-Man 3,” “Venom,” and “The Sinister Six”

CULVER CITY, Calif., December 12, 2013 – In a move to forge a new legacy in the story of Peter Parker on screen, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in association with Marvel Entertainment,
is developing several new projects in the Spider-Man franchise, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard to collaborate on overseeing the developing story over several films that will be produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.

The five writers, along with the two producers and Marc Webb, have formed a franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films. Under the deals, the studio announced that Kurtzman & Orci & Pinkner
are writing the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which the studio hopes Webb will return to direct; the film will go into production next fall for release on June 10, 2016. In addition, the team will build on the cinematic foundation laid by Webb, Arad, and Tolmach in the
first two movies. They will expand the franchise as Kurtzman & Orci & Solomon will write the screenplay for Venom, which Kurtzman will direct; also, Goddard will write, with an eye to direct, The Sinister Six, focusing on the villains in the franchise. Hannah Minghella and Rachel
O’Connor will oversee the development and production of these films for the studio.

In tapping these five writers, the studio and the producers are guiding the future of the franchise
with the writer/producers who have each played significant and key roles in developing such highly successful franchises, films, and series as Star Trek, Transformers, “Alias,” “Fringe,” Men in Black, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, World War Z, “Lost,” Cloverfield, The Cabin in the
Woods, and Marvel’s upcoming “Daredevil” series.

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, “The Spider-Man film franchise is one of our studio’s greatest assets. We are thrilled with the creative team we have assembled to delve more deeply into the world that Marc, Avi and Matt have begun to explore in The Amazing
Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. We believe that Marc, Alex, and Drew have uniquely exciting visions for how to expand the Spider-Man universe in each of these upcoming
films.”

Arad and Tolmach added, “This collaboration was born out of the great experience we and Marc had working with Alex, Bob, and Jeff on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With more than fifty years’ wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless; in addition, the Spider-Man comics have the greatest rogues gallery of any series, and to have the chance to explore that on film is truly thrilling. Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the
opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story. That is what Alex, Bob, Jeff, Ed, and Drew will do in this unprecedented collaboration, and we’re excited about the directions they are taking the character and the world.”

The most successful franchise in the history of Columbia Pictures, Spider-Man is embraced all over the world. The four Spider-Man films to date have taken in over $3.2 billion worldwide. Spider-Man, Venom, The Sinister Six and other Spider-Man related characters are licensed to
Sony by Marvel Entertainment.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production,
acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development
of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go
tohttp://www.sonypictures.com.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library
f more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com.

Contact:
Charles Sipkins
(310) 244-5651
Charles_Sipkins@spe.sony.com

Jason Allen
(310) 244-3502
Jason_Allen@spe.sony.com