The Amazing Spider-Man
The untold story begins.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Budget
$230 000 000
Revenue
$757 930 663
Director
Scenario
James Vanderbilt
Author
Composer
Producer
Laura Ziskin
Actors
Andrew Garfield
Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Emma Stone
Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans
The Lizard / Dr. Curt Connors
Denis Leary
Captain Stacy
Martin Sheen
Uncle Ben
Sally Field
Aunt May
Irrfan Khan
Rajit Ratha
Campbell Scott
Richard Parker
Short description
Peter Parker is a shy high school student who was left in the care of his uncle Ben and aunt May as a child and has never learned why his parents vanished. When he finds an old briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins digging into the past, and the trail leads to Oscorp and to the laboratory of Dr. Curt Connors, once his father's research partner. At the same time, Peter is drawn to classmate Gwen Stacy, and a bite from a genetically altered spider leaves him with extraordinary strength, agility and the ability to cling to walls. As Spider-Man, he ends up confronting Connors, whose experiments have turned him into the Lizard.
Marc Webb directed the film, his second feature after (500) Days of Summer and the first of two Spider-Man films he made back to back. Andrew Garfield plays Peter, Emma Stone plays Gwen, Rhys Ifans plays Connors, and Denis Leary, Martin Sheen and Sally Field appear as Captain Stacy, Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves and James Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay.
Made for a large studio budget, the film took in far more than it cost worldwide, and its ratings on IMDb and TMDB sit close to the critics' rating, suggesting broadly similar levels of approval from audiences and reviewers alike.
What's left behind the scenes
- Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) and Sally Field (Aunt May) were born on the same day – November 6th.
- Mark Webb describes the main theme of the film as "the missing link in all of us: Peter doesn't have parents, and he fills that void with Spider-Man. Curt isn't as strong as Spider-Man, but he wants to get his hand back and fill that void, and, essentially, he becomes a big bully."
- Andrew Garfield was cast in the lead role in early July 2010.
- When Spider-Man swings through New York, swinging on his web, at one point he shouts: "Hey, I'm swinging here!" This is a reference to Dustin Hoffman's famous New York improvisation from "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) "Hey, I am walking here!"
- The creation of the setmёts was inspired by the delicate leather wristbands popular in the 60s and 70s, which were intended to protect the glass of wristwatches from damage.
- Andrew Garfield confessed that he shed a tear when he first put on the Spider-Man suit.
- Zooey Deschanel auditioned for the role of Betty Brant, but the role was subsequently cut.
- When Peter first talks to Gwen in the school hallway, he removes both earbuds, but in the next scene, an earbud is still visible in his right ear, with dangling wires noticeable throughout their conversation.
- A friend of Denis Leary—Jeff Garlin (a Spider-Man fan)—told him, “The first time I met you, I thought you were George Stacy!” This inspired Leary to audition for the role of Captain Stacy.
- Gwen Stacy, well-known to fans of the Spider-Man series, first appeared on the pages of comics in December 1965, in the 31st issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.
- According to designer Kim Barrett, Spider-Man's suit was specifically designed to resemble an acrobat's costume: “We wanted to make the suit so that the body looked longer and more flexible, and the spider symbol on the chest was also used to emphasize this.”
- Gary Ross, Michael Bay, James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, David Fincher, and Wes Anderson were considered for the director's position.
- The school's exteriors were filmed on the grounds of two operating schools in Southern California.
- When Peter hands Dr. Connors a cup of coffee in his house, he is seen holding the mug from the top, but in the next shot he is holding it from the bottom.
- The Lizard is a classic villain in the Marvel universe. Readers were introduced to him for the first time in 1963 on the pages of the sixth issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.
- A classic Marvel character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The superhero first appeared in 'Amazing Fantasy' in 1962. The character caused such a sensation that he was soon renamed 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. The hero reappeared on the pages of comics in a new guise in March 1963.
- The Daily Bugle newspaper office (and all characters associated with it) do not appear in this film, the first of all the Spider-Man movies. Nevertheless, towards the end of the film, a news report featuring a frenzied Lizard airs with the "Daily Bugle" logo in the bottom corner of the screen.
- Anne Hathaway, who was going to star in this film as Felicia Hardy, eventually starred in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) as Catwoman (Selina Kyle).
- Initially, Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson was included in the script, and J.K. Simmons was set to reprise the role as he did in the Raimi films. Later, John Slattery, Sam Elliott, and R. Lee Ermey were considered for the role. However, after focusing on high school, the newspaper portion of the script was cut.
- According to the script, the school library was to be the setting for an exciting and very dynamic duel, and required the preparation of a separate set. To fill the library shelves, the props department prepared fake books - real covers filled with foam. If lined up in a row, they would form a line over 900 meters long.
- Filming took place in the pavilions of Sony Pictures Studios and on location in Los Angeles. The crew spent several weeks at Universal Studios, using the New York street pavilion installation, as well as the Falls Lake location.
- The filmmakers noted that the early work of Steve Ditko on “Spider-Man” (2002), and the comic book by Brian Bendis “Ultimate Spider-Man,” as well as the film “Batman Begins” (2005) influenced the creation of the film.
- Many scenes with stunts and special effects were filmed in the interiors of Midtown School. Therefore, it was decided to recreate them accurately and almost completely on the grounds of Pavilion No. 15 at the Sony Studios. One of the largest installations included four classrooms, five corridors, a restroom, a principal's office, and a secretary's office.
- Irfan Khan received the role of Dr. Ratha thanks to his performance in the series “The Treatment” (2008).
- Rhys Ifans refused stunt doubles and insisted on performing the Lizard's stunts himself.
- When Peter returns to school after his uncle's death and Gwen hugs him, there are a lot of people behind Peter, but after he lets her go, the hallway is empty.
- When choosing Andrew Garfield for the role of Peter Parker, director Marc Webb said: 'Although his name may be new to many, those familiar with this young actor's work will understand his extraordinary talent. He possesses a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.'
- When Peter shoves Flash by the lockers, a "Wilhelm scream" can be heard.
- This film marks the first time Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) transforms into The Lizard. Although Curt Connors appeared in Sam Raimi's original film, played by Dylan Baker, the character never actually transformed into The Lizard, despite clear hints.
- Michael Fassbender was initially considered for the role of Doctor Kurt Connors, but he ultimately left to play Magneto in “X-Men: First Class” (2011). Later, rumors circulated that Christoph Waltz could have gotten the role, with whom he had previously starred in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009).
- In this film, Spider-Man uses special devices to shoot webs, created in the image of those he uses in the comics. Marc Webb explained that this was done specifically to demonstrate Peter Parker’s intelligence: “We wanted to emphasize that Peter made these devices himself, and that he is special by nature, even if he doesn’t feel that way.”
- This is the first Spider-Man film that does not feature his love interest Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst in the three original films). Instead, Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in the third film) appears as Peter Parker’s girlfriend.
- Sam Raimi wanted to include only one villain in the film—Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors, so he could finally transform into The Lizard. Baker agreed to star, but Sony forbade Raimi from using The Lizard as the villain because they were saving him for a role in a script written by Vanderbilt, which had no connection to Raimi's sequel (this script eventually resulted in “The New Spider-Man”). This happened because they were unsure if Raimi would be involved with the project. After this ban, Raimi decided to use The Vulture, but Sony didn't want to make The Vulture the main villain. They felt he wasn't a serious enough opponent, nor a popular enough villain for Spider-Man. And they were afraid that after the film's release, too many unsold Vulture toys would be left on store shelves. This disagreement ultimately led Sam Raimi to leave the project. Ironically, The Lizard ultimately became Spider-Man's main adversary in the final film.
- When Peter first enters Gwen's room, a stack of books stands right by the window he enters through. The top book in the stack is the novel "Seabiscuit." Tobey Maguire, who played Peter in the original trilogy, also played the lead role in the film adaptation of "Seabiscuit" (2003).
- When Spider-Man saves Jack from the SUV hanging off the bridge, he gives Jack his mask. When he pulls the boy out of the car, he is still wearing the mask, but after they've climbed onto the bridge, the mask is back on Spider-Man. It's unclear how he put the mask on while holding Jack with one hand and controlling the web they were hanging on with the other.
- The lenses for the Spider-Man costume were made by employees of a company that develops optics for the military and astronauts. The lenses were colored blue, treated with a special anti-glare coating, and a hexagonal pattern was applied to the surface with gold paint.
- Ashley Greene, Mia Wasikowska, Scout Taylor-Compton, Teresa Palmer, Amber Heard, Dianna Agron, Brooklyn Decker, Imogen Poots, Lindsay Lohan, Emma Roberts, Emily Browning, Lily Collins, Anna Kendrick, Ophelia Lovibond, Sarah Paxton, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Georgina Haig, Hilary Duff, and Dominique McElligott were all considered for the role of Gwen Stacy, but Emma Stone ultimately got the part.
- Towards the end of the film, when Peter Parker opens the door to talk to Gwen, Peter opens the glass door to the porch and the house number is painted gold and black. When he closes the door, the numbers are simply white.
- In this film, Captain George Stacy is vehemently opposed to Spider-Man's activities, while Gwen Stacy is simultaneously aware of this and supports Peter in his role as Spider-Man. This contrasts sharply with the comics, where George Stacy was a supporter of the Spider-Man, and confessed on his deathbed that he knew Peter Parker's identity, while Gwen blamed Spider-Man for her father's death, and Peter never revealed his secret identity to her.
- After completing filming in Los Angeles, the film crew moved to New York. Filming took place in the exteriors of the West Side, Manhattan, Windsor Square in Brooklyn, and under an overpass in Woodside (Queens).
- In this film, the Lizard's face looks almost like a human face. This image is taken from the very first comics featuring him.
- The film was the first in Hollywood to be shot on a “RED Epic” camera.
- Initially, Sam Raimi was going to direct “The New Spider-Man” with the following cast: Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), Rosemary Harris (May Parker), J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson), Bill Nunn (Joe “Robbie” Robertson), Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy), James Cromwell (Captain George Stacy), and Dylan Baker (Dr. Curt Connors) all signed on to play their roles. Tobey Maguire would have received the largest fee from this team of actors, amounting to $50 million, but not for a single film, but for the fourth and fifth Spider-Man films combined. However, Raimi and Sony ultimately disagreed on how best to tell a new story about Spider-Man. Raimi left the project, and Maguire left with him. In early January 2010, Sony announced that they had decided to refresh the franchise with a new story and new actors.
- After dinner with the Stacy family, Peter and Gwen kiss on the roof. Gwen's mother calls her inside. Before leaving, she turns to see Peter jump off the roof and swing away to the sound of sirens. He doesn't have his backpack. In the next scene, the backpack reappears, and Peter pulls his suit out of it.
- For the role of the Lizard, Rhys Ifans wore a special motion capture suit: “I had a green suit, and a cardboard head, and huge claws. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever done…”
- Before Andrew Garfield was approved for the lead role, Taylor Lautner, Josh Hutcherson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Logan Lerman, Robert Pattinson, Jamie Bell, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Alden Ehrenreich, Zac Efron, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Xavier Samuel, Jim Sturgess, and Anton Yelchin were considered for the role.
- The Oscorp laboratory was built in the thirtieth pavilion of Sony Studios – it became the largest set. Judging by the layout, the room occupied approximately 1300 m2. It took 12 weeks to build and decorate it.
- In one of the final scenes, in Peter Parker's room, a poster for Alfred Hitchcock's film "Rear Window" can be noticed.
- Martin Sheen played the role of a character previously played by Cliff Robertson for the second time. Previously, they played John F. Kennedy in the miniseries 'Kennedy' (1983) and the film 'PT 109' (1963) respectively.
- Preparing for the role of Doctor Connors, Ivans had to seriously study the lifestyle of one-handed people. In addition, the actor often visited scientific libraries, observing the work of scientists. He spent a lot of time studying mutation syndromes and observing the lives of reptiles.
- The widely known line from Ben Parker, "with great power comes great responsibility," is never spoken in the film.
- When Peter first experiences his powers in the bathroom, the amount of toothpaste on the mirror changes from shot to shot.
- All four Spider-Man films were shot on the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood. Ironically, part of the backlot burned down on June 1, 2008, resulting in the first three films being shot on the old lot and the fourth film on the new one.
- During one of the scenes in Peter's bedroom, a photograph of actor Donald Glover can be noticed. In 2010, when the film was first announced and still casting for the role of Spider-Man, Glover organized an entire Twitter campaign to get an audition.
- The film's producer, Laura Ziskin, passed away on June 12, 2011.
- The filmmakers decided to try to film as many stunts live as possible to reduce the use of computer animation. Marc Webb explained this by saying they wanted to make the film more realistic. During filming in New York, Riverside Drive was built up with auxiliary structures for hundreds of feet, and Andy Armstrong built a car rig with numerous cables to assist the visualizers.
- When Spider-Man is watching Dr. Connors' video in the sewer, it can be noticed that the video's length does not match its runtime. Even though it should have ended, the audio continues to play.
- Both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield started with films by Terry Gilliam before landing the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Maguire appeared in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' (1998), and Garfield in 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' (2009), and Johnny Depp starred in both films.
- When Spider-Man is traveling around the city, you can see the web lines simply disappear behind him.
- To prepare for the role of Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield studied the movements of spiders and tried to use this to the fullest: “Parker is a boy/spider in the way he moves, and not just when he’s in the suit.”
- When Dr. Connors becomes The Lizard, he becomes significantly larger than his normal state. Logically, his clothes should rip in the process, leaving him bare. However, after his first transformation, he is shown wearing a lab coat.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
