Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire Officially Returning for Spider-Man 4?!

Back in May, Cinematical was the first to report that Sony Pictures might shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 at the same time using James Vanderbilt's script that the site said spans two films.

Now, Deadline Hollywood Daily has added on that director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire have apparently signed on the dotted line for Spider-Man 4, which the studio is targeting for a May 2011 release.

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Spider-Man Will Return in 2011

The Los Angeles Times reports that "Spider-Man" franchise producer Laura Ziskin said the fourth installment is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in May 2011.

If this ends up being true and Sony does get another Spider-Man made in three years time, let me be the first to say that 2011 is going to be one hell of an incredible year. The Hobbit is going to make its triumphant debut, most likely in the fall, just like Lord of the Rings. Additionally from Marvel, Captain America will make his debut and we'll most likely see the biggest geek dream of all - The Avengers. If Transformers keeps up on its two year schedule, we'll also be watching Transformers 3 in the summer. And if Christopher Nolan keeps up with his three year schedule, we'll probably be watching Batman Begins 3 in 2011 as well. Add Spider-Man 4 to that list and I think most geeks will have fainted.

Already scheduled for the month of May that year are Marvel's own The First Avenger: Captain America on the 6th and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.

Neither star Tobey Maguire nor director Sam Raimi is yet committed to work on the next installment, but Sony has paid Marvel to renew its rights.

Would you welcome the return of Spider-Man in 2011?

Lawrence Kasdan Penning Robotech

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed CHUD's story that veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has been hired to write Robotech Warner Bros.' adaptation of the anime classic.

Lawrence Kasdan, most well known for the screenplays from Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi, has been hired to write the adaptation of the 1980s cartoon series. Tobey Maguire is one of the many producers involved in bringing this series to the big screen previously said that "there is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film." With Kasdan involved, that might actually be a possibility.

Robotech takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion centers on a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's hope for survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots. Robotech was a 1980s cartoon series that was re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series.

As much as I don't want to jump to conclusions so quickly, Lawrence Kasdan's involvement definitely is a good thing. He also recently signed on to the Clash of the Titans remake. I'm very interested in seeing if he's still able to write great scripts, considering his last major film was that horror sci-fi flick Dreamcatcher from 2003. I'm not that familiar with Robotech either, but if Kasdan can actually put together a script that could start a new era of sci-fi action, then definitely count me in. I think the concept sounds promising, but it's so unique that it'll be hard to determine whether it has actual potential until we hear more about the direction Kasdan will take it in. However, it's a great start to hear that he's involved and I think this means that Warner Brothers and Maguire definitely aren't taking this adaptation lightly. Does Kasdan still have it in him?