Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Comic fans get sneak peek at new 'Spider-Man'

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 26, 2006

SAN DIEGO - Spider-Man 3 isn't due until next summer, but about 5,000 fans got an early look at the film at Comic-Con, the country's largest comic book convention.

Director Sam Raimi, producer Laura Ziskin and key members of the cast - Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard and Thomas Haden Church - came to the San Diego Convention Center last weekend to answer fan questions and unveil never-before-seen, unfinished footage of the much-anticipated movie.

So is this the final installment of the franchise?

"There will be some conclusions, though I wouldn't say it's necessarily the end," said Maguire, whose words were nearly drowned out by thunderous applause.

"We're going to leave it open-ended. If there are stories worth telling, then we'll tell them."

The brief teaser footage blended live-action scenes with animation and computer graphics. It showed Sandman, a new villain played by Church, and offered a quick glimpse of Venom (Grace), Peter Parker's spider-like nemesis.

"He's more of a doppelganger to Peter," Grace told the crowd. "It's kind of a case study in if someone very similar to Peter got the same powers but didn't have a good upbringing."

Raimi also revealed that Harry Osborn (James Franco) would become a third villain, taking on some of the powers of his father, the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), who was killed in the first Spider-Man film.

Actor Bruce Campbell, a Raimi-film regular, also makes an appearance in Spider-Man 3, the director said.

He'll play a new character, who fans think will be the villain Mysterio.

[Last modified July 26, 2006, 01:35:22]