Spider-Man 4's release date pushed back over script clashes; Sam Raimi hopefully holding out for screenplay that doesn't suck

My new best friend The Hollywood Reporter reports that the release date of next year's eagerly anticipated entry in the Spider-Man saga has been pushed back from May 6th following clashes between director Sam Raimi and Sony. Raimi is apparently pushing for The Vulture to be the main villain in the film while Sony is apparently keen on a romantic subplot involving Black Cat.

Raimi reportedly wanted to feature The Vulture in the third Spiderman movie but the studio reportedly thought Venom would bring in the kids. Oscar-winning series veteran Alvin Sargent is working on the latest draft of a script. Previous scribes on the Spider-Man 4 screenplay include James (Zodiac) Vanderbilt, playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and writer-director Gary Ross. According to the article Raimi wants to end his participation with the iconic web-slinger on a high note, an implicit acknowledgment that that last Spider-Man movie was a big disappointment despite grossing nearly a billion dollars at the worldwide box-office. Yet we remain, as always, cautiously optimistic.