The Ultimate Spin

This summer, take the ultimate spin when one of the world’s most popular comic book super-heroes makes his leap to the big screen. Released in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the web-slinger’s first appearance in a comic book, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime.

Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man also stars two-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe as Spider-Man’s nemesis the Green Goblin, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, Golden Globe winner James Franco as Peter’s pal Harry Osborn, Academy Award winner Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben, Academy Award nominee Rosemary Harris as Aunt May and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, Peter’s boss at the Daily Bugle.

Orphaned at an early age, Peter Parker lives in Queens, New York with his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter leads the life of a normal student, working as a photographer at the school paper, pining after the beautiful Mary Jane Watson and hanging out with buddy Harry Osborn.

On a school trip, during which Peter and his classmates are given a science demonstration on arachnids, Peter is bitten by a genetically-altered spider. Soon after, he discovers that he has unusual powers: he is endowed with the strength and agility of a spider along with a keen, ESP-like "spider sense".

Peter first uses his powers to make money, but in the face of a tragedy that hits close to home, he vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime, taking to heart the words of Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Meanwhile, megalomaniacal businessman Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), Harry’s father, is undergoing some changes of his own. An experimental formula has gone awry, increasing his intelligence and strength but also driving him insane. He is now the Green Goblin, Spider-Man’s arch-enemy, who will put young Peter Parker’s vow to fight crime and help innocent people to the ultimate test.

The original creation of Marvel Comics executive Stan Lee and Marvel character designer Steve Ditko, Spider-Man first appeared in 1962 in the last issue of the failing Amazing Fantasy comic book. It was such a hit that Amazing Fantasy was renamed the Amazing Spider-Man, and it re-appeared in March 1963. Since then, Spider-Man has gained worldwide fame, growing into one of the most popular super-heroes of all time.

"There have been hundreds of millions of Spider-Man books sold over the years worldwide–I cannot think of one country which has not embraced the character. Even if people aren’t familiar with all aspects of his story, Spider-Man is such an identifiable and beloved icon," says executive producer Avi Arad.

The current value of the early Spider-Man comic books is a testament to the enduring popularity of the Spider-Man legacy. Collectors lucky enough to own some of the rarer issues can expect a big return should they decide to sell portions of their collection. For example, the August 1962 issue of Amazing Fantasy #15, featuring Spider-Man’s first appearance as well as the death of Uncle Ben, has an estimated value of $25,000. Amazing Spider-Man #1, published in March 1963, is gauged to be worth around $18,000. Other memorable Spider-Man installments include Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965), in which MJ makes her first appearance, and Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964), in which we are first introduced to the Green Goblin.

The task of bringing a new breed of Spider-Man to life 40 years after he was first introduced to the world fell on the shoulders of celebrated director Sam Raimi and a talented team of artists.

Raimi couldn’t resist the challenge of bringing the world-renowned Marvel comic character to the big screen. He had been a fan of the character since childhood; for his twelfth birthday, his parents had an artist paint a picture of Spider-Man that is still hanging above his bed in the house he grew up in. Eventually, he met with Columbia Pictures to discuss the high profile project.

"I went in and I explained to them my love for the character," recalls Raimi of his meeting with Columbia executives, "and about my respect and admiration for what all of the great Marvel writers and artists had created over the years. The next day I received word that I was selected for the job."

Although Raimi did not hesitate to jump into the fray, he did have concerns about bringing the beloved icon to the screen.

"I was concerned about treading on sacred ground with Spider-Man, because he means so much to so many people, to 40 years of readers and fans," says Raimi. "I feel a terrific responsibility as a longtime fan myself, and I concentrated on the things that I felt were true about the character–to capture the spirit and soul of Spider-Man–and to tell the best story that we possibly could. For me, the strength of the character has always been that he is a real person–he’s one of us. He’s gone through junior high and high school, he’s a bit of an outsider, he can’t get the girl, he’s broke… then an extraordinary event happens to him, and he becomes a superhero–but he still has to do his homework in the evenings."

Producer Laura Ziskin was thrilled with the choice of Sam Raimi to direct Spider-Man. "He is a great visual storyteller, and he has a terrific sense of how to put the pieces together to build a compelling action sequence, while maintaining the integrity of the story itself," Ziskin notes. "He is always cognizant of whether a scene is furthering the story, and he is very much in touch with the kid in himself… that sense of wonder.

"And yet Spider-Man is a movie for everyone," she continues. "Sam has managed to appeal to all of us with this film: young, old, men, women, fans and non-fans alike."

Executive producer Avi Arad, president and ceo of Marvel Studios, is also pleased that Raimi is directing. "We have the latest technology, as well as talented, passionate filmmakers and behind-the-scenes personnel, to create a truly jaw-dropping Spider-Man."

For the filmmakers, an integral part of doing justice to the Spider-Man legacy was the careful casting of the characters, particularly that of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire was a fortuitous choice.

"We had a lot of great actors who wanted to portray Spider-Man, and it was a pleasure reading with them, but Tobey Maguire was so powerful in his performance as Peter Parker, we were floored," says director Sam Raimi. "He was very real, and very potent in his stillness–and he brought a lot of qualities to the character to bring him to life."

"Tobey is so remarkable, he just came in and blew everybody away," recalls producer Ziskin of Maguire’s casting in the film. "He is one of those actors who can do so much, he is amazing. Tobey really centers the movie, and I think he is the heartbeat of the film."

The casting of Kirsten Dunst as the redheaded Mary Jane, long-time secret love of Peter Parker, was also a stroke of great luck.

"What we were looking for in casting MJ was not only an actress who possessed talent and beauty, but someone who made a connection with Tobey," notes Raimi. "We wanted the audience to need them to be together for the picture to work–and when I saw Kirsten and Tobey perform a scene together, they made that connection. We knew we had found our MJ."

The complicated dual character of Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin also required a very special actor, and the incredibly gifted Willem Dafoe brought these warring personalities to life.

"We needed someone who could be a father figure to Peter Parker. It was important that Peter and Norman create a particular relationship in the film," explains Raimi, "so that when the Goblin finds out that Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker–the kid that he has taken under his wing, a kid he loved even at the expense of denying affection to his own son–that there would be a terrible price to pay. That is an extremely difficult task, and Willem continually amazed us with his talent, his ideas, his versatility and his generosity to the other actors."

"Spider-Man" is a Columbia Pictures film opening in Metro Manila on May 1.