More 'Spidey 4' Problems, May Not Open May 2011

Uh-oh. Looks like Spider-Man needs a hero to save him. According to Deadline Hollywood, Spider-Man 4 is facing big obstacles and may not open as planned on May 4, 2011. Right now, the problem is the same thing it's been since Sony announced it: The script. But hey, at least it seems like they care about the script this time, right? Sam Raimi has been through three drafts at this point, two by very reputable screenwriters (Zodiac's James Vanderbilit and Gary Ross), and Nikki Finke cites sources saying the director still "hates" the story he has to work with. She also obtained a memo intended for the visual effects team notifying them that the film wouldn't get underway on time. Sony doesn't have to release this film in May, doesn't have to release it in the summer, doesn't have to release it in 2011 at all, actually. But there's nothing to take its place on at the top of the company's totem pole. Of course, the same studio threw 2012 together fairly quickly, and as expensive as it was, it's one of last year's biggest hits globally. I don't know what Sony might have laying around, but I'm sure there's an "in case of fire" project they could push forward if it had to. Ghostbusters 3, perhaps. But back to the main attraction: Finke writes that Sony is more apt to push the film to later in the 2011 summer session, which is the most crowded I've seen in July: Transformers, Harry Potter, Captain America, and Battleship, all on consecutive weeks. Would Marvel let Sony put Spidey that close to Cap? Would Sony want to be sandwiched between Transformers and the final Harry Potter movie? You could go up against Battleship and that favors the webslinger, but the even larger question is, will two months make all the difference? The screenplay for Spider-Man 3 was not very good, and rushing this to meet a release date, whether it's May or July of 2011, seems like the tail wagging the dog. But something has to give at this point, just to get the project off the ground, whether it's Sony giving into Raimi's demands or the other way around.