Gwen Stacy Inspires 'The Amazing Spider-Man'
Spider-Man is back, finally. It's been five years since we last saw "Spidey" on the big-screen. The Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man trilogy from 2002 - 2007 captivated audiences worldwide and generated $2.5 billion in box office gross.
Spider-Man fans awaited the fourth installment, when Sony Pictures Entertainment announced to the world in 2010, their decision to reboot the franchise. Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) was tapped to direct, with Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) cast to replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. As if that weren't enough, the reboot focuses on Gwen Stacy as the love interest for Peter Parker, not Mary Jane Watson. Peter Parker/Spider-Man without Mary-Jane?
Actually, yes. In fact, the Gwen Stacy character, portrayed by Emma Stone, might end up being the difference maker in this reboot. Gwen Stacy is not a new character in the Marvel comics Spider-Man. In the comics, Stacy has a profound effect on the life of the teenager Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
Gwen Stacy in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is beautiful, popular, loves science and is the valedictorian of her class. Sounds like a girl that would interest Peter Parker, right? Of course, the challenge is how does an orphaned teenager with a less than solid sense of self and a big secret, attract his dream girl?
As much as Spider-Man is about the adventures and battles of a high school student with amazing arachnid superpower, it's also always been about a boy and his love for a girl. Marc Webb is a director that knows how to capture the ebb and flow of relationships between the sexes. Intelligent, beautiful, strong-willed females and the impact they have on the men in their lives is a specialty of Webb. The following clip is proof-positive:
Sony's decision to reboot the beloved Spider-Man franchise is a bold move. Will the Gwen Stacy/Peter Parker relationship, coupled with a tweaked backstory, be enough for Spider-Man fans worldwide?
'The Amazing Spider-Man' opens on July 3, 2012 at 12:01 a.m on Imax screens across the country.
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