Introduction

Toby

For some people it might seem strange that somebody who has no experience in the movie business is trying to write a storybook for a blockbuster like Spider-Man IV. But believe me that I am the most surprised myself, after all I had never planned to do this. But actually the original idea came from Tobey Maguire himself, who I met, thanks to Sony Entertainment, at the German premiere of Spider-Man III on April 26th 2007 in Berlin and with whom I had the opportunity to have a lively discussion. The main emphasis of this discussion? A possible storybook for part IV! And after a few quality checks regarding my Spider-Man knowledge he asked me very interested to pass him on my ideas. SpidermanMaybe this wasn’t meant serious in the general euphoria of the German premiere, but I make it a habit to keep my word – regardless of the chances of succeeding.

Consequently I began to work out some thoughts together with my two daughters ( 2 passionate Spider-Man fans just as much), inspired by the talk with Tobey. I supplemented these thoughts with my own ideas and wrote them down in key words. These notes were combined with each other and were phrased out more detailed until chapters were build up to which pictures of Spider-Man comics were added, so that the interested reader could get a general idea of what I wanted to convey, what a Spider-Man fan would expect, or what kind of pictures I was imagining in this context. At the same time I got into different Comic forums and into the feedback of confirmed fans, as well was collecting film critics from the internet and checked them for a possible implementation. In the meantime it was also communicated in the press that Sam Raimi is searching for a screenplay and he is only willing to be the director of it, if the story was good.

Regardless of this, it was also read that Tobey Maguire as well as Kirsten Dunst would only give their commitment for a continuation, if Sam Raimi would direct it. I cannot judge if this is true, but it surely was an additional motivation for me.

A special challenge for me right at the beginning was the selection of the next opponent for a possible continuation, since the measure with Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Sandman and Venom in parts 1-3 has been set up extremely high and spoken from the comics’ point of view the most popular opponents had been chosen already. Also the chronological ‘mess’ Collection of 3000 comics(measured upon the patterns of the comics) which was created by the third part and which would have to be overcome in a continuation, can surely only be done with background information and the necessary portion of passion in order to approach a highest possible number of deep rooted fans (again).

All knowledge resulting from this, as well as my summoned background knowledge from the past 20 years, my collection of more than 3.000 Spider-Man comics and the herewith combined fascination and some additional ideas, are constructing a solid frame for a really good story. The reading expert will surely recognize that I do not have any experience in writing an expose/ treatment/ storybook. But the point of a storybook is to show a main connecting thread, which will be deepened in the further handling and with the production of a script  - and this goal has been reached very well in my point of view.

But even if my discussion with Tobey Maguire was only small-talk, we at least doubtlessly realized at this meet-and greet : sometimes dreams do come true! Or what did Stan Lee say in Spider-Man III himself? –“I guess one person can make the difference…This is what I believe in!”