Sony & Marvel Studios Team Up To Make New Spider-Man Movie

Spider-Man is coming home. As announced via press release late Monday, Sony and Disney-owned Marvel Studios will produce the next iteration of Spider-Man on the big screen. The beloved character -- who has lived at Sony since Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" in 2002 -- will appear in an upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe feature for Disney, before getting his own Sony movie on July 28, 2017. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and outgoing Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal will produce the new film. According to BuzzFeed, current Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield will not return.
"Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building," Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO, said in a release.
"We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man," Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said. "This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans."
Some kind of collaboration between the two studios had been rumored for months, with the hope being that Spider-Man would appear in "Captain America: Civil War." (That speculation was confirmed after Pascal's emails leaked online as part of the cyber attack against Sony in December.) Neither Sony nor Marvel revealed what film Spider-Man would join before getting his own reboot. But assuming Marvel's two 2015 films, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Ant-Man," are off limits, it can be one of three movies: "Captain America: Civil War" (May 6, 2016), "Doctor Strange" (Nov. 4, 2016) or "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" (May 5, 2017).
"I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie," Feige said in a statement. "Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world's most beloved characters. Marvel's involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years."
The arrival of a new Spider-Man film on July 28, 2017 caused a domino effect among Marvel's Phase 3 slate. "Thor: Ragnarok" was originally set to open on that date, but will now arrive on Nov. 3, 2017. "Black Panther," which had been set for Nov. 3, 2017, shifted to July 6, 2018. That bumped "Captain Marvel" to Nov. 2, 2018, which in turn moved "Inhumans" to July 12, 2019. Mark your calendars accordingly.
For the full Spider-Man press release, head to Marvel.com.

Original post found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/10/spider-man-marvel_n_6649908.html

Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal stepping down

Amy Pascal, chairman of Columbia Pictures, arrives at the AFI Awards 2013 honoring excellence in film and television in Beverly Hills, California January 10, 2014. (Reuters)

Following the hacking scandal in November that made the private emails of Sony execs public, the company announced co-chair Amy Pascal would be stepping down.
Pascal, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood and the force behind such critical and commercial hits as "The Social Network" and "American Hustle," will launch a major new production venture at the studio focused on movies, television and theater, Sony Pictures said Thursday. Her career with Sony has spanned nearly 20 years.

 During the hack, Pascal came under fire for racist remarks about President Obama's presumed choice in movies that surfaced in leaked emails. She apologized for "insensitive and inappropriate" comments in her emails that she called "not an accurate reflection of who I am." Pascal also faced criticism for green-lighting the film that may have inspired the hacking to begin with: "The Interview," which starred Seth Rogen and James Franco as bumbling journalists tasked with killing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Pascal will transition to the new venture in May. Sony Pictures will finance Pascal under a four-year contract and retain all distribution rights worldwide to funded films. The venture will be located at the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, California.
"The studio's legacy is due in large part to Amy's passion for storytelling and love of this industry. I am delighted that Amy will be continuing her association with SPE through this new venture, which capitalizes on her extraordinary talents," said Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton in a statement. "In recent months, SPE faced some unprecedented challenges, and I am grateful for Amy's resilience and grace during this period."
Since Pascal has led the studio, Sony Pictures has amassed over $46 billion in global theatrical box office revenue and 315 academy award nominations. Some of the films Pascal shepherded include the last three James Bond films, "The Da Vinci Code," ''Adaptation," ''Eat Pray Love," ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," ''Moneyball," and "Zero Dark Thirty."
"I have always wanted to be a producer. Michael (Lynton) and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support," Pascal said in a statement. "I am leaving the studio in great hands. I am so proud of what we have all done together and I look forward to a whole lot more."

Original post found here: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/02/05/sony-pictures-co-chair-amy-pascal-stepping-down/