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THE WIZARD Q&A: SAM RAIMI
The 'Spider-Man 3' director spins tales about how he was sold on Venom, how Sandman is no ordinary villain and whether he'd do a fourth film.
By Mike Cotton
Sam Raimi admits that hes always thinking about the next Spider-Man as he works on the current film.
He cant help it.
He sees locations, characters, story possibilities and cant help but begin to formulate the next feature even as he works day and night on a filmwhich is currently Spider-Man 3that he hasnt even completed yet.
Thats why, while filming Spider-Man 2, Raimi was already beginning to see Sandmananother classic Spider-Man villain created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as the bad guy in the third flick.
When youre in postproduction on one film, you start thinking about what will happen in the next one, he says, currently working toward the May 4, 2007 release of Spider-Man 3.
But as Raimi began to think about Sandman, then-Marvel Studios head and Producer Avi Arad had a plea to make.
Sam, I know youre planning to do the story with two of the older characters, but what the fans of Spider-Man really want to see is Venom, Arad told Raimi, talking about the 90s villainous icon from the comics. Think of them. Thats what they really want. Can you find it in your heart to give it to them?
Raimi could deny many things to many peoplehes turned the Spider-Man franchise into a billion-dollar business for Sony Pictures and Marvel Studiosbut Raimi could never deny the fans anything.
Im hoping I didnt betray anyone by making that choice because you want to give them what they want to see and you want to do what is in your heart, says the director, whos just as big a fan of the fans as they are of him. Its always hard to know exactly what the right thing to do is, but finally, if it was a personal story, I wouldve said, It doesnt matter what the fans want because there are no fans. Its just something thats an original.
But this is not an original, continues the director. Its a comic book that has existed for 40 years and one of the most popular villains is [Venom]. Im trying to diminish my own prejudice against that and open myself up to what other people love about the franchise, too.
Raimi eventually fell in love with the life and character screenwriter Alvin Sergant brought to Eddie Brockthe man who dons Peter Parkers discarded black costume to bond with Venomand 28-year-old actor Topher Grace only improved the character for him.
Concurrently, Raimi also got his classic villain into the film with actor Thomas Haden Church playing the conflicted villain Sandman. The super busy director sat down with Wizard to discuss casting Grace to play opposite Tobey Maguires Peter Parker, Gwen Stacys part in the film as well as his opinion of the latest comic films, including Bryan Singers Superman Returns."
WIZARD: Sam, the Spider-Man films are always about power and responsibility, but with the introduction of Venom, this one takes a slightly darker tone.
RAIMI: It really is a continuation of where we left off on Spider-Man 2. It follows Peter Parker and his life, and it tracks him in his growth as a human being and as a moral person. It finds him in the next moment of his life where he has to learn a lesson. This time its a lesson of humility. Its where you fall from the sin of pride, and how he finally learns what it means to be humble.
Is it tough for youbeing someone who likes to surprise the audienceto cut together a trailer to promote the film?
Oh, its impossible. Im terrible at that. Unfortunately, the way that these promotional things work youve got to go out and talk about the movie, and yet I feel like its just so not what I want to do for the fans. I dont want to tell them about what theyre going to see. I just really want them to see the movie. I really believe that the director should have their movie be seen and they should not be heard. Its a shame, and yet Im sitting here doing this interview with you because I want people to see the movie. So its called promotion. Im also trying to tell you as little as possible about the picture, but the guys reading the magazine are thinking, Why do you think were reading the damn thing? We want to know about it. But I just want the movie to tell the story, honestly.
Its a fine line to walk for you
Well, I hope [the fans] like it. In this case, since its not an original story, its all culled from the comic books, everyone knows whats going to happen anyway if they think about it, in my opinion. Its all from the comic books. So, you know how its bound to end pretty much. At least thats what I think.
Are there any comics people should be checking out if they want to know what the film is taking from the source material?
Well, there are a number of storylines, and so it is a number of comic books that we used storylines from, a tremendous amounteverything from the original writers and artists of those comic books. I guess, when Sandman first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man [#4]. Then a number of the different artists and writers who contributed to the Venom stories. There are different origins for Venom.
Youre not playing Sandman as a straight-out villain, right? Hes more conflicted?
Yes, he is. He is a conflicted villain. He is a real human being that something extraordinary happens to and he has goals that are outside of those goals that are sometimes attributed to movie and comic supervillains. He wants nothing to do with dominating the world or the United States or the government. He really just wants what is best for him and his family. He doesnt consider himself to be a villain necessarily. Hes just a man struggling to get what he needs. In doing so, he breaks the laws and becomes a villain and because he has these powers, he becomes a supervillain, but like many of us hes wracked with guilt and pain and he fights for what he believes in even though in his case, what he believes in is against the law.
Now I understand that you wanted to work with Thomas in The Gift and specifically in the role that Keanu Reeves played.
Thats right.
Did he immediately come to mind for Sandman?
No. No, he did not. He was suggested to me by [producers] Laura [Ziskin] and Avi [Arad.] They had just, I think, been to an awards dinner where he was and they then suggested him to me. I wasnt thinking of him for Sandman. They just saw him at an awards dinner where he was being honored for Sideways, which he was so brilliant in, and I thought, Youre right.
Hes a great actor and I tried to work with him before. Id love to work with him on this. So it was a great matchup for me.
The 'Spider-Man 3' director spins tales about how he was sold on Venom, how Sandman is no ordinary villain and whether he'd do a fourth film.
By Mike Cotton
Posted January 6, 2007 4:50 PM
Sam Raimi admits that hes always thinking about the next Spider-Man as he works on the current film.He cant help it.
He sees locations, characters, story possibilities and cant help but begin to formulate the next feature even as he works day and night on a filmwhich is currently Spider-Man 3that he hasnt even completed yet.
Thats why, while filming Spider-Man 2, Raimi was already beginning to see Sandmananother classic Spider-Man villain created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as the bad guy in the third flick.
When youre in postproduction on one film, you start thinking about what will happen in the next one, he says, currently working toward the May 4, 2007 release of Spider-Man 3.
But as Raimi began to think about Sandman, then-Marvel Studios head and Producer Avi Arad had a plea to make.
Sam, I know youre planning to do the story with two of the older characters, but what the fans of Spider-Man really want to see is Venom, Arad told Raimi, talking about the 90s villainous icon from the comics. Think of them. Thats what they really want. Can you find it in your heart to give it to them?
Raimi could deny many things to many peoplehes turned the Spider-Man franchise into a billion-dollar business for Sony Pictures and Marvel Studiosbut Raimi could never deny the fans anything.
Im hoping I didnt betray anyone by making that choice because you want to give them what they want to see and you want to do what is in your heart, says the director, whos just as big a fan of the fans as they are of him. Its always hard to know exactly what the right thing to do is, but finally, if it was a personal story, I wouldve said, It doesnt matter what the fans want because there are no fans. Its just something thats an original.
But this is not an original, continues the director. Its a comic book that has existed for 40 years and one of the most popular villains is [Venom]. Im trying to diminish my own prejudice against that and open myself up to what other people love about the franchise, too.
Raimi eventually fell in love with the life and character screenwriter Alvin Sergant brought to Eddie Brockthe man who dons Peter Parkers discarded black costume to bond with Venomand 28-year-old actor Topher Grace only improved the character for him.
Concurrently, Raimi also got his classic villain into the film with actor Thomas Haden Church playing the conflicted villain Sandman. The super busy director sat down with Wizard to discuss casting Grace to play opposite Tobey Maguires Peter Parker, Gwen Stacys part in the film as well as his opinion of the latest comic films, including Bryan Singers Superman Returns."
WIZARD: Sam, the Spider-Man films are always about power and responsibility, but with the introduction of Venom, this one takes a slightly darker tone.RAIMI: It really is a continuation of where we left off on Spider-Man 2. It follows Peter Parker and his life, and it tracks him in his growth as a human being and as a moral person. It finds him in the next moment of his life where he has to learn a lesson. This time its a lesson of humility. Its where you fall from the sin of pride, and how he finally learns what it means to be humble.
Is it tough for youbeing someone who likes to surprise the audienceto cut together a trailer to promote the film?
Oh, its impossible. Im terrible at that. Unfortunately, the way that these promotional things work youve got to go out and talk about the movie, and yet I feel like its just so not what I want to do for the fans. I dont want to tell them about what theyre going to see. I just really want them to see the movie. I really believe that the director should have their movie be seen and they should not be heard. Its a shame, and yet Im sitting here doing this interview with you because I want people to see the movie. So its called promotion. Im also trying to tell you as little as possible about the picture, but the guys reading the magazine are thinking, Why do you think were reading the damn thing? We want to know about it. But I just want the movie to tell the story, honestly.
Its a fine line to walk for you
Well, I hope [the fans] like it. In this case, since its not an original story, its all culled from the comic books, everyone knows whats going to happen anyway if they think about it, in my opinion. Its all from the comic books. So, you know how its bound to end pretty much. At least thats what I think.
Are there any comics people should be checking out if they want to know what the film is taking from the source material?
Well, there are a number of storylines, and so it is a number of comic books that we used storylines from, a tremendous amounteverything from the original writers and artists of those comic books. I guess, when Sandman first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man [#4]. Then a number of the different artists and writers who contributed to the Venom stories. There are different origins for Venom.
Youre not playing Sandman as a straight-out villain, right? Hes more conflicted?
Yes, he is. He is a conflicted villain. He is a real human being that something extraordinary happens to and he has goals that are outside of those goals that are sometimes attributed to movie and comic supervillains. He wants nothing to do with dominating the world or the United States or the government. He really just wants what is best for him and his family. He doesnt consider himself to be a villain necessarily. Hes just a man struggling to get what he needs. In doing so, he breaks the laws and becomes a villain and because he has these powers, he becomes a supervillain, but like many of us hes wracked with guilt and pain and he fights for what he believes in even though in his case, what he believes in is against the law.
Now I understand that you wanted to work with Thomas in The Gift and specifically in the role that Keanu Reeves played.
Thats right.
Did he immediately come to mind for Sandman?
No. No, he did not. He was suggested to me by [producers] Laura [Ziskin] and Avi [Arad.] They had just, I think, been to an awards dinner where he was and they then suggested him to me. I wasnt thinking of him for Sandman. They just saw him at an awards dinner where he was being honored for Sideways, which he was so brilliant in, and I thought, Youre right.
Hes a great actor and I tried to work with him before. Id love to work with him on this. So it was a great matchup for me.
