Sam Raimi will shoot Oz, The Great and Powerful next year, but he already has his next film lined up at Dreamworks, Heat Vision reports. Read the full story

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A long, long while back, it was announced that Sam Raimi would take on an adaptation of World of Warcraft after finishing Spiderman 4. Not long after that, Spiderman 4 got canceled and there was a bit of silence about everything Raimi-associated. Recently, he’s been in talks to take on a Wizard of Oz re-imagining with Robert Downey Jr., but that’s still up in the air

And so Warcraft still lives on, Raimi currently working with Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) on the adaptation. Recently, he revealed some of his ideas for the potential franchise while talking to Collider. Quoted as saying he finds the world “incredibly, engrossingly terrifying and exciting.” He was also claimed as being a fan of the series, having immersed himself in the game and that he has leveled up to 72 (this is a big accomplishment in terms of playing the video game, or something).

He also said that characters are a big priority for the movie, and that he is trying to find the best stories for them in preparation for how they will play out in the script. And, regarding different characters and their weapons, he said he’s interested in “Orcs with axes” and “Human Paladins with warhammers.” Apparently, this is a big deal.

To see all of Raimi’s comments, on both Warcraft and Oz, check out the video below:

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Deadline now confirms our post last week that Sam Raimi will direct Oz, the Great and Powerful for Disney. Robert Downey, Jr. isn’t set but their source says the will develop it for him as the script will be rewritten and “the movie will be happen.” Read the full story

According to Vulture, Sam Raimi has been offered the director’s chair for Disney’s Oz, the Great and Powerful, a 3D prequel to the 1939 MGM classic The Wizard of Oz. Robert Downey, Jr. is attached to star in the title role.

Raimi was hired last year by Legendary Pictures to develop a film based on the wildly popular World of Warcraft video game but there is still some question as to when this film is going ahead. And with Sony dropping the fourth  chapter to his Spider-Man franchise, Raimi’s schedule is open for another film.

The list of directors considered for Oz has been getting longer and more desperate as Disney tries to push this big money project forward.  Adam Shankman, Sam Mendes, Timur Bekmambetov and Guillermo Del Toro have all declined for various reasons. The question now is whether Raimi will take on Oz and begin filming “sometime this year,” at Disney’s insistence. Despite the high-profile, low-expectation vibe that this project is already emitting Raimi could take the reins from Disney and use his skills to produce a high quality film worth seeing.

The project is written by Mitchell Kapner (The Whole Nine Yards, Romeo Must Die), and Joe Roth.

Would you want to see Sam Raimi direct Oz, The Great And Powerful?

Guillermo Del Toro was the perfect director to take on the two-part Hobbit. Very few directors have the dark edge mixed with a knack for blockbuster sensibility. With today’s news that he has left the project, here are ten directors we would love to see take on the this epic blockbuster. Read the full story

Latino Review is reporting (via Coming Soon) that Fox has picked the rights for the comic book hero The Shadow, which originated in the 1930s as a radio serial (voiced by Orson Welles in some episodes). Sam Raimi is still attached to produce the film, despite the studio switch. He may also direct, but that’s most likely not the case. LR reports that Raimi is warming David Slade up to the directing task.

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Breaking news about the Spider-Man reboot coming straight from Sony indicates the movie will be released July 3rd, 2012 in 3D (it’s the 3Dpocalypse).

Sony previously said it would recast the next Spidey pic and replace Tobey Maguire in the title role. Helmer Sam Raimi also is being replaced, with “(500) Days of Summer” director Marc Webb set to lens a screenplay being penned by James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac“). Source [THR]

It should be interesting to see how this reboot will pan out, with rumors swirling of a much younger Peter Parker being cast. Tthis could be a Spider-Man geared towards a younger audience which may upset the die hard fans of the original Raimi trilogy.

Do you think the Spider-Man reboot will benefit from 3D?

Sony Pictures has decided to reboot the Spiderman franchise by replacing all involved with the original trilogy. Including Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire.

Writes Mike Fleming/Nikke Finke: “This means that Raimi and the cast including star Tobey Maguire are out. There will be no Spider-Man 4. Instead, the studio will focus on a reboot script by Jamie Vanderbilt with a new director and a new cast. All this took place today at meeting on the lot today. An official Sony Pictures news release about it is expected.”

Apparently, Raimi told Sony he couldn’t meet the studio’s release date. Sony responded by scrapping the whole project. Fleming reports that Sam Raimi could possibly directed World Of Warcraft next if he wants to stay on a big budget or move to The Given Day, based on a Dennis Lehane novel (Shutter Island, Mystic River).

UPDATE: Sony Pictures has tweeted that “Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.”

So, an entire series reboot within 10 years? Really Sony? Check out the full press release below.

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) — Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade. This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

“Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.”

What do you think of this news? Are you sad to see Raimi’s Spidey go?

With the script/development problems plaguing Sam Raimi‘s next Spidey movie, news from the film’s actors has been slowly leaking out. Two days ago Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe both talked about development of the fourth Spider-Man and how they are eager to return. Now, on a Italian sports show, Quelli Che il Calcio, John Malkovich confirmed his involvement in the project. Thanks to BadTaste.It (and a great translation by Screen Rant) we have the quote below. Read the full story

It was reported a few days ago that production on Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man 4 has been put on hold due to some major script discrepancies. MTV Movies Blog recently sat down with Willem Dafoe about his new film Daybreakers and one of the topics of discussion was the next Spider-Man. Check out what Dafoe had to say below. Read the full story