Spider-Man (film)

## Chronology

*"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility." This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-Man."*
―Peter Parker***Spider-Man*** is a 2002 superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. It is the first film in the film series. The film was released on May 3, 2002 in the United States.

The film is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker and Rosemary Harris as May Parker.

A sequel, *Spider-Man 2*, was released on June 30, 2004, and a second sequel, *Spider-Man 3*, was released on May 4, 2007. An indirect sequel, *Spider-Man: No Way Home*, was released on December 17, 2021.

## Synopsis

Average teenager Peter Parker is transformed into an extraordinary superhero after he is accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider. When his beloved uncle is savagely murdered during a robbery, young Peter vows to use his powers to avenge his death. Deeming himself "Spider-Man", he sets about ridding the streets of crime, bringing him into conflict with malevolent super-villain "Green Goblin."

## Plot

Geeky teenager Peter Parker, along with his love interest Mary Jane Watson and his longtime best friend Harry Osborn go on a school trip to the Columbia University, where Parker's spider-bite takes place as he takes pictures of aforementioned woman. Norman Osborn's company Oscorp develops a device for the United States Armed Forces, but due to many faults in its development, the project is on the brink of losing it's funding. While Peter returns home, experiencing the symptoms of his recent occurrence, Norman Osborn takes it to himself to test the experimental performance enhancers before it's loss of funding. As it goes wrong, the 'Green Goblin' murders Mendel Stromm.

Peter wakes up from his excessive sleep, noticing his enhanced sight and muscular body change. With a boost of self-esteem, Peter, distracted by Mary Jane, misses the bus once again, and sees his first appearance of his sticking powers. Meanwhile, Harry returns to check on his passed out father along with Bernard Houseman and Ms. Simkins. Norman is then informed of Stromm's death. As MJ slips in the cafeteria next to Parker, Peter swoops in to save her from a crucial fall. He yet again experiments his extraordinary abilities and accidentally enrages Flash Thompson with them. Parker, attempting to be unnoticed, flees, but Flash finds him and tries to battle him. Peter beats him however, expecting Mary Jane and other students to be amazed, but they rather find Peter to be a 'freak' and overall strange. He runs out of school, hiding from everyone in an alley. There, Peter finds out more about his crawling abilities and stamina. Having remembered the strange webs, he tries to deploy them, but injures himself in doing so. He returns home at night, having a conversation about future plans with MJ.

Having remembered Mary Jane's amazement over Flash's car, Peter is up to impressing her back with a $2598 car. He thus enters a wrestling match, which would deliver a $3000 for staying in the ring for 3 minutes. He designs a super hero-like costume, rushing to the library once he's finished. Uncle Ben Parker drives him there, however. Talking about the occasion with Thompson, he tells Peter that responsibility is central regarding great power. Peter, focused on the prize, exits the car and enters the building of the wrestling arena. Upon entering, he views an ongoing match with someone being heavily and continuously wounded by Bone Saw McGraw. A wrestler who 'The Human Spider' would go up against. But unbeknownst to 'Spider-Man', as the ring announcer calls him, the battle takes place within a cage. Luckily for Spider-Man, McGraw is no match for him, as he has special powers nobody knows of. Spider-Man uses these abilities upon the wrestler, eventually being titled victorious. Expecting his 3000 dollars, he is only given a total of 100. As Peter leaves, Dennis Carradine robs the man who gave Parker's money and sprints away. As he enters the elevator, he thanks Peter for opening it. Both a security officer and the man are too late to stop him and is outraged by Peter not doing anything. Walking upon the street, he sees his uncle Ben slowly dying. Doing so holding Peter's hand, Parker's inner demons rule him over, hunting down Carradine and unintentionally killing him. Afterwards, Peter, on top of the Chrysler Buidling, thinks about Ben's passing. He'd later inform aunt May Parker of his death. As for the Green Goblin, he'd blow up a project of Quest Aerospace in an unknown location.

Returning home from graduation, Peter lives up to his uncle's words, becoming the crime-fighting Spider-Man that catches the attention of New York City and eventually the *Daily Bugle*, where Parker would later come to work by taking photos of his alter-ego while Norman has his company sold to Quest Aerospace. Peter does his job taking pictures at the World Unity Festival, but puts on his suit when Osborn arrives in his flight suit, vandalizing Times Square and assassinating his board of directors. As Spider-Man, he saves the attendees, including MJ, by defeating Osborn.

As Osborn reads the news of his murder on his coworkers, conversating with his strange alter-ego, he, who J. Jonah Jameson, Parker's boss, dubs the "Green Goblin", storms into the *Daily Bugle*, demanding who takes pictures of Spider-Man. Said hero appears behind him only to be gassed into sleep, turning down the Green Goblin's offer of joining him in his antics when awakening later that night. He meets MJ the next night, who gets ambushed by men down an alley way. Spider-Man saves her and shares a kiss in the rain before his immediate departure.

In an attempt to save people from a burning building, Spider-Man meets the Green Goblin inside and battles him following the proposal. Osborn and Parker would later attend a Thanksgiving dinner, where Osborn finds out Parker's secret identity. Osborn thus wounds aunt May and is hospitalized to the Queens General Hospital. After MJ admits to having a crush on MJ, and May telling him to reveal his feelings to her, Parker tries to call MJ, receiving Osborn on the line.

Spider-Man travels to Queensboro Bridge, where Green Goblin holds a tram car inhabiting children in one hand, and MJ in the other, causing a dilemma for Spider-Man to solve. He manages to rescue both, settling them safely on a boat, while NYC citizens distract the Green Goblin in defense of Spider-Man. Green Goblin however swings him into an abandoned building not far ahead, ensuing a brutal brawl till Osborn reveals that he is underneath the suit, being controlled by an unknown entity inside of his mind while secretly controlling his glider. He has it charge towards Spider-Man, standing in front of Osborn and jumping away when sensing it, having it impale Osborn. Spider-Man brings his corpse in Osborn Mayor, and is discovered by Harry Osborn, who suspects him for his murder on his father. He leaves within seconds.

Attending Osborn's funeral, Parker meets Harry and hugs him after he vowed revenge upon Spider-Man. Parker is later given the opportunity to be with MJ, but leaves the chance be to keep his responsibility while being Spider-Man.

## Cast

* Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
* Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
* Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
* James Franco as Harry Osborn
* Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker
* Rosemary Harris as May Parker
* J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
* Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson
* Gerry Becker as Maximilian Fargas
* Bill Nunn as Joseph Robertson
* Jack Betts as Henry Balkan
* Stanley Anderson as General Slocum
* Ron Perkins as Mendell Stromm
* Michael Papajohn as Dennis Carradine
* Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant
* Randy Savage as Bone Saw McGraw

## Appearances

### Locations

* Earth
	+ United States of America
		- New York City, New York
			* Parker Residence
			* Midtown High School
			* Columbia University
			* Flatiron Building
			* Times Square
			* Osborn Manor
			* Moondance Diner
			* Queensboro Bridge
			* Oscorp Building

### Events

* School Trip to Columbia University
* Rise of Spider-Man
	+ Fight at Midtown High School
	+ Battle Against Bone Saw McGraw
	+ World Unity Festival
	+ Battle on Queensboro Bridge

### Items

* Spider-Man Suit
* Flight Suit
* Pumpkin Bombs
* Razor Bats

### Organizations

* Oscorp Industries
* United States Armed Forces
* *Daily Bugle*

## Production

To develop a feature film based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, the film rights first went to Orion Pictures in the early 1980s, with Spider-Man co-creator Stan-Lee writing a script based on Cold War themes and where Doctor Octopus would be the primary antagonist, produced by Roger Corman. The project was cancelled due to budgetary disputes.

In 1985, the rights were handed over to The Canon Group. Unfamiliar with the character, co-founders Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus had Leslie Stevens write a screenplay based on the concept of Spider-Man being a werewolf-like character, transformed into a human tarantula through experimentation. Tobe Hooper was attached to direct. Lee was unpleased with the project and had Ted Newsom and John Brancato write a new script paying more attention to the source material. With replaced directors and a cast in mind, *Spider-Man: The Movie* received a number of budget cuts until its eventual cancellation with Pathé's acquisition of the production company and Golan's departure from it.

Golan, wishing to revive the project, sold the theatrical rights to Carolco Pictures by 1989 with James Cameron attached to write and direct. Cameron would develop a mature and darker take on the *Spider-Man* franchise, as seen in a script treatment he made by 1993. Cameron would abandon the project for *Titanic*.

Filing for bankruptcy after Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had them sued for fraud, Marvel Entertainment emerged from it and sold the rights to Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1998 when superhero films were making a comeback. With many potential directors listed, former Chairperson Amy Pascal suggested *Spider-Man* fan Sam Raimi direct. Raimi was officially attached to do so in 2000, with the film set to release in 2001. Attached writer David Koepp would take inspiration from Cameron's script.

In July 2000, Tobey Maguire was cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man after Raimi's viewing of Maguire's role in *The Cider House Rules*. James Franco and Joe Manganiello auditioned for the role.

Willem Dafoe was cast as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin by November 2000. Feeling Maguire's casting indicated the feeling of an independent film, Kirsten Dunst auditioned for and was cast as Mary Jane Watson, a role Elizabeth Banks had also auditioned for. J.K. Simmons was unknowingly cast as J. Jonah Jameson.

Filming began on November 2000, set for a November 2001 release. The release date was pushed back to May 3, 2002 due to an expected extended post-production schedule. Principal photography began on January 8, 2001. Filming wrapped in June 2001.

## Videos

### Trailers

Spider-Man - E3 2001 Teaser Trailer (Remastered - Restored) (1080p)SPIDER-MAN (2002) Original "Twin Towers" Teaser Trailer -HD-Spider-Man (2002) Official Trailer 1 - Tobey Maguire Movie

## Music

* *Spider-Man: Original Motion Picture Score*

## References

The Spider-Man Wiki has a collection of images and media related to **Spider-Man (film)**.

1. ↑ SPIDER-MAN™ | Sony Pictures Entertainment
2. ↑ 'WE MADE A GOOD LITTLE FILM': ROGER CORMAN'S ORAL HISTORY OF HIS FANTASTIC FOUR
3. ↑ Unraveling *Spider-Man*'s Tangled Web
4. ↑ The Secret History of *Spider-Man* Movies
5. ↑ Tobe Hooper's Abandoned Spider-Man Movie Was A Body Horror Nightmare
6. ↑ Spider-Man’s First Live-Action Outing Was Almost a Horror Film
7. ↑ The "Never Got Made" File #19: Look Out! Here comes the SPIDER-MAN movie...or maybe not!
8. ↑ *Spider-Man Confidential* by Hyperion
9. ↑ What James Cameron's Spider-Man Movie Would've Looked Like
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 HOW STAN LEE'S LOOSE LIPS DERAILED A JAMES CAMERON X-MEN MOVIE
11. ↑ Cameron Delivers 'Spider-Man' Script
12. ↑ Spider-Man's legal web may finally be unraveled
13. ↑ Marvel’s Superhero Licensing
14. ↑ David Fincher's Spider-Man That Never Was
15. ↑ The History Of Every Canceled Spider-Man Movie
16. ↑ Trivia: Chris Columbus Almost Directed 'Spider-Man' Instead Of Sam Raimi
17. ↑ Sam Raimi to direct Spider-Man?
18. ↑ "Entertainment briefs". *Chicago Sun-Times*
19. ↑ Untangling the Web
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Maguire spins 'Spider-Man'
21. ↑ *Spider-Man* by *Empire*
22. ↑ More From the *Spider-Man* Casting Front
23. ↑ Mt. Lebanon Native lands role in 'Spider-Man'
24. ↑ More *Spider-Man* Casting News: Dafoe is Green Goblin
25. ↑ Actress Dunst hopes to play Debbie Harry
26. ↑ Elizabeth Banks Reveals Which Superhero-Movie Role She Was “Too Old” For
27. ↑ The Ringer on Twitter - December 1, 2021
28. ↑ *Spider-Man* Crawls Into 2002
29. ↑ Greg's Previews - Spider-Man

## External Links

* *Spider-Man* on Wikipedia
* Spider-Man (film) on IMDb
* Spider-Man (film) on Twitter
* Spider-Man (film) on Facebook
* Spider-Man (film) on Instagram
* Spider-Man (film) on YouTube