In a new article by Variety, they take a look back at the original Spider-Man release. It’s filled to the brim with interviews from all the creatives behind the project that would reinvent the modern-day superhero film. Producer Avi Arad highlights how they were looking into innovating through new cameras to bring the swinging to life, or generally how they can approach the project. Sam Raimi talks about ensuring that audiences went into the film “believing that Peter Parker exists and investing wholly into his heart and matters of his soul. And sharing that drama with the audience.“
Amy Pascal, a long-time producer of the franchise, also shared just how different the landscape was when they worked on this project and tried to bring a character that was seen by studios as “old” even if that was purely due to his comic history. IPs also weren’t the main focus at the time, as genre films were the dominant type that is mainly focused on throughout the industry.
We didn’t have a lot of those kinds of characters, but in those days, to be honest, I didn’t really think about things that way. You know, nobody talked about IP. Nobody said “content.” Nobody said you need superhero movies. People didn’t talk like that. We fell in love with Peter Parker. I am not a comic book person. I wasn’t thinking, “Oh, my God, all my life I’ve wanted to make comic book movies.” What I was thinking is “This is a really fantastic character.
Amy Pascal
“Content” truly wasn’t even a wording at the time before Social Media, streaming services and so much more. So, the landscape was much harsher as it wouldn’t be a long-time before anyone within the industry would redefine what it means to be a comic book adaptation. Marvel Studios has redefined the genre back in 2008, but it also took a few years before they would embrace the success they currently have. But, it’s crazy to think that it all started back in 2002 and would eventually snowball into a franchise of this size.
Source: Variety
