UPDATE!! SPIDER-M4N (Not) Delayed Indefinitely??

Merrick again... IESB updated their SPIDER-M4N delay story (HERE) to include the following statement:

UPDATE: Sony has contacted us this morning and they are denying the story. The production is on their expected holiday hiatus, but will ramp up again early next year. Yes, the filmmakers are working on the script, but there is nothing unusual about that at all, productions always are working and tweaking scripts right up until principal photography begins and that is still a few months away. End of update.

The same details...i.e. SPIDER-M4N taking hiatus for the Holidays...are also reflected over at SuperheroHype (HERE).Thanks for the heads-up, Chris. Interestingly (and not surprisingly), neither "update" confirms or refutes Raimi's alleged preference for Vulture -vs- The Suits' alleged desire for a a more marketable villain (per IESB's initial report). Be this as it may, SPIDER-M4N appears to be progressing as announced and scheduled & has not been "delayed indefinitely".

Merrick here...
We first heard murmurs about this a few days ago, but didn't have enough specifics to post anything worthwhile. However, IESB now has details regarding an apparent stall-out of the fourth SPIDER-MAN film - evidently referred to as SPIDER-M4N in the project's offices. An "inside source" tells IESB:

Looks like everyone's friendly neighborhood web slinger has been been placed on indefinite hold [EDIT] Apparently, several department heads working on the SPIDER-M4N production were notified of the halt last Thursday. [EDIT] Looks like Raimi and the studio heads at Sony Pictures can't agree upon a villain for the film.

...reveals IESB HERE. ' The article goes on to indicate that Sam Raimi does, indeed, want to use The Vulture in the movie (previously indicated HERE), but the studio doesn't want Vulture - "they seem to only be interested in featuring which ever character is selling books right now but basically they have no idea, just not the Vulture." Interesting that we hear of these issues so close to learning that Tobey Maguire is in talks to play Bilbo in THE HOBBIT (details HERE, ultimately denied...sorta...HERE). Not saying the factors are connected, or necessarily portend an altogether dire fate for SPIDER-M4N. Just noting the peculiar nexus. Find more details at IESB by clicking the article link above.
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