Spider-Man 3

***Spider-Man 3*** is a 2007 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and scripted by Sam and Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the final film in the Sam Raimi*Spider-Man* trilogy. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard,Rosemary Harris, J. K. Simmons, James Cromwell and Cliff Robertson in his final film appearance.

Set months after the events of *Spider-Man 2*, Peter Parker has become a cultural phenomenon as Spider-Man, while Mary Jane Watson continues herBroadway career. Harry Osborn still seeks vengeance for his father's death, and an escaped Flint Marko falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator. An extraterrestrialsymbiote crashes to Earth and bonds with Peter, influencing his behavior for the worst.

Development of *Spider-Man 3* began immediately after the release of *Spider-Man 2* for a 2007 release. During pre-production, Raimi originally wanted another villain to be included along with Sandman, but at the request of producer Avi Arad, the director added Venom and the producers also requested the addition of Gwen Stacy. Principal photography for the film began in January 2006, and took place in Los Angeles and Cleveland, before moving to New York City from May until July 2006. Additional pick-up shots were made after August and the film wrapped in October 2006. During post-production, Sony Pictures Imageworks created 900 visual effects shots.

*Spider-Man 3* premiered on April 16, 2007 in Tokyo, and was released in the United States in both conventional and IMAX theaters on May 4, 2007. The film grossed $890 million worldwide, making it the most successful film of the trilogy financially. Although, unlike its predecessors which received critical acclaim, Spider-Man 3 received mixed reviews.

After the commercial success of *Spider-Man 3*, Raimi was scheduled to direct a fourth film. However, disagreements between Sony and Raimi forced the director to leave the project, and Sony canceled the film as a result. A reboot of the series was released five years later.

## Plot

Peter Parker plans to propose to Mary Jane Watson, who has just made her Broadway musical debut. A meteorite lands near the two in Central Park, and an extraterrestrial symbiote attaches itself to Peter's moped. Elsewhere, police pursue escaped prisoner Flint Marko, who falls into an experimental particle accelerator that fuses his body with the surrounding sand and allows him to shapeshift at will as the Sandman. Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn, who knows Peter is Spider-Man and holds him responsible for his father Norman Osborn's death, attacks Peter with new weapons based on his father's Green Goblin technology. Harry injures his head on a pipe and suffers from partial amnesia, making him forget his revenge and that Peter is Spider-Man.

During a festival honoring Spider-Man, Marko robs an armored car. NYPD Captain George Stacy tells Peter and Aunt May that Marko was Ben Parker's killer, and the deceased Dennis Carradine was only an accomplice. While a vengeance-obsessed Peter sleeps, the symbiote bonds with him. Peter wakes up hanging from a skyscraper and discovers his costume has changed and his powers have been enhanced, but the symbiote brings out Peter's dark side. Wearing the new black suit, Spider-Man locates Marko and fights him in a subway tunnel. He discovers water is Marko's weakness and uses a water pipe to reduce the Sandman to mud.

Peter's changed personality alienates Mary Jane, whose career is floundering, and she finds solace with Harry. Harry recovers from his amnesia and, urged by a hallucination of his dead father, compels Mary Jane to break up with Peter. After Mary Jane tells Peter she loves somebody else, Harry meets with Peter and claims to be "the other guy". Later, Peter, wearing the black suit, confronts Harry and spitefully tells him his father never loved him. Harry throws a pumpkin bomb at Peter, who deflects it back, disfiguring Harry's face.

Under the symbiote's influence, Peter exposes Eddie Brock, a rival photographer at *The Daily Bugle*, by submitting doctored photographs showing Spider-Man as a criminal. Furious at having to print a retraction, J. Jonah Jameson fires Eddie.

To make Mary Jane jealous, Peter brings Stacy's daughter Gwen to the nightclub where Mary Jane works. Gwen catches on and storms out. Peter brawls with the bouncers and, after accidentally hitting Mary Jane, he realizes the symbiote is changing him. Retreating to a church bell tower, he finds he cannot remove the suit but that the alien weakens when the bells ring. Peter tears the symbiote off and it falls to the lower tower, landing on Brock, who is praying for Peter's death. The symbiote attaches itself to Brock, transforming him into Venom. Brock finds Sandman and offers to join forces.

Brock hijacks Mary Jane's taxi and hangs it from a web hundreds of feet above a sand-filled construction site. Peter seeks Harry's help, but is rejected. While Peter clashes with Brock, Harry learns the truth about his father's death and goes to help Peter. Harry subdues a gigantic incarnation of the Sandman, while Peter fights Brock. Brock almost impales Peter with Harry's glider, but Harry jumps in the way, and he is stabbed instead. Fighting the symbiote, Peter recalls how the church bells weakened it. He grabs pipes and creates a ring around the symbiote, creating a wall of sonic vibrations. The alien releases Brock, and Peter uses his webs to pull Brock from it. However, the symbiote has gained enough power from Peter and Brock, to live on its own without a host. Peter throws a pumpkin bomb at the symbiote from Harry's glider, but Brock jumps in to rebond with it, and both are killed by the explosion.

Marko explains to Peter that he never intended to kill Ben, but only wanted his car and shot him accidentally when Dennis grabbed his arm. He claims Ben's death has haunted him since. Peter forgives Marko, who dissipates and floats away. Peter and Harry forgive each other, and Harry dies with Mary Jane and Peter at his side. Mary Jane returns to the nightclub and sees Peter while giving a song. The two dance, reconciling their relationship.

## Cast

* Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man / Peter Parker: A superhero, brilliant physics student at Columbia University, and photographer for the *Daily Bugle*.
* Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson: Peter's girlfriend, whom he has loved since childhood.
* James Franco as New Goblin / Harry Osborn: The dedicated son of Norman Osborn, and Peter's estranged best friend, who believes Spider-Man murdered his father. After learning Peter is Spider-Man and his father was the Green Goblin, Harry becomes the New Goblin to battle Peter directly.
* Thomas Haden Church as Sandman / Flint Marko: A small-time thug with an estranged wife and sick daughter. He robs to get enough money to get his daughter treatment. He becomes the Sandman following a freak accident, and is hunted by Peter when he learns Marko was Ben Parker's true killer.
* Topher Grace as Venom / Eddie Brock: Peter's rival at the *Daily Bugle*. He is exposed by Peter for creating a fake image of Spider-Man, and is ready for revenge when he bonds with the symbiote, becoming Venom.
* Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy: Peter's lab partner and good friend, who is also saved by Spider-Man from falling to her death.
* Rosemary Harris as May Parker: Peter's aunt. She gives Peter her engagement ring so he can propose to Mary Jane, and teaches him forgiveness.
* J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson: The aggressive chief of the *Daily Bugle* whom despises Spider-Man.
* James Cromwell as Captain George Stacy: Gwen's father and a New York City Police Department Captain.
* Theresa Russell as Emma Marko: Flint's wife.
* Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors: Peter's college physics professor. He examines a piece of the symbiote and tells Peter it "amplifies characteristics of its host… especially aggression."
* Bill Nunn as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson: A longtime employee at the *Daily Bugle*.
* Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant: Jameson's Receptionist at the *Daily Bugle*.
* Ted Raimi as Hoffman: A *Daily Bugle* employee who suggests a catchphrase to Jameson.
* Perla Haney-Jardine as Penny Marko: Flint and Emma's sick daughter.
* Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin: The hallucination of Harry's late father who encourages his son to destroy Spider-Man.
* Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker: Peter Parker's deceased uncle.
* Elya Baskin as Dr. Ditkovitch: Peter's landlord.
* Mageina Tovah as Ursula Ditkovich: The unassuming daughter of Dr. Ditkovitch.
* Michael Papajohn as Dennis Carradine: The carjacker who was believed to have murdered Uncle Ben.
* Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson: Mary Jane's former boyfriend and a bully to Peter from the original film. He appears in a silent cameo at the end of the film where he attends Harry's funeral.