The Sam Raimi directed ‘Spider-Man’ franchise with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst playing the lead role of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson wont be seen anymore. Sony Pictures owned Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, creator of ‘Spider-Man’ comics and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, have decided that there will be no more ‘Spider-Man 4’. Instead there will be ‘Spider-Man’ reboot with an entire new star-cast and a new director. The news comes as a shock as reports were in circulation that the pre-production work on ‘Spider-Man 4’ was already underway. With the Spider-Man reboot announced, this leaves Hollywood star Tobey Maguire who has portrayed Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the first 3 installments in the lurch.

Some reports say, the way Sam Raimi directed ‘Spider-Man 3’ panned out was the main reason behind the decision by Sony Pictures to go for ‘Spider-Man’ reboot. It may be known that ‘Spider-Man 3’ was the least successful of the 3 ‘Spider-Man’ movies. Also how important characters like Gwen Stacy, Venom and how Peter Parker’s uncle Ben Parker's death was attributed to Sandman did not go down well with bosses at the helm of affairs at Sony Pictures. As of now the film adaptation of Marvel Comic's ‘Spider-Man’ reboot is supposed to come out by 2012; instead of 2011, which was the date for ‘Spider-Man 4’ release. According to reports the new movie see’s Peter Parker going back to high school and battling today's issues.

According to reports Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ reboot will have original script by James Vanderbilt of ‘Zodiac’ fame. It may be known that James Vanderbilt was initially hired to write the script for Spider-Man 4, 5 and 6. As for who will direct the new ‘Spider-Man’ is reported to be a toss between Marc Webb of ‘500 Days of Summer’, Gary Ross of ‘Seabiscuit’ fame, and Michael Bay. When asked about his reaction to the decision by Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal, Sam Raimi said "Working on the 'Spider-Man' movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a 4th one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job". Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures, said "We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade. This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else's hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable. Now everything begins anew, and that's got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can't wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012."

Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures said "'Spider-Man' will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously. We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.