Spidey 4 No More

Sony Pictures and Sam Raimi part ways on Spider-Man 4, which essentially means that the franchise is getting a from-scratch reboot from the studio instead.

Sony is saying (via Twitter) that the reboot will go back to high school with the character and be released in 2012.

Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood broke the news:

"Mike Fleming and I have just confirmed that Sony Pictures decided today to reboot the Spider-Man franchise after franchise director Sam Raimi pulled out of Spider-Man 4 because he felt he couldn't make its summer release date and keep the film's creative integrity. This means that Raimi and the cast including star Tobey Maguire are out. There will be no Spider-Man 4.

Instead, Mike Fleming is told, the studio will focus on a reboot script by Jamie Vanderbilt with a new director and a new cast. All this took place ... at [a] meeting on the lot today."

The areticle goes on to say that Raimi insisted he couldn't make Sony's date or "go forward creatively."

And, so, Raimi said see ya,' Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal along with Columbia Pictures' Matt Tolmach decided they didn't want to replace him and "instead chose to reboot the franchise."

Wow! Bravo to Rami for sticking to his guns after the Spider-Man 3 experience...Kudos to Sony for not replacing Rami outright...As much as loathe the reboot notion missing Raimi et al--this was the only way to solve the impasse.

Raimi to the Los Angeles Times: "Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me"

Let the Internet speculation begin anew...