***UPDATE*** Sony Released a Press Release regarding the reboot and it’s been added at the bottom of the post

There’s been a load of troubles surrounding the pre-production of the upcoming Spider-Man 4, with director Sam Raimi wanting to use classic Spidey villain The Vulture, but the studio not only wanted a different (unnamed) villain, they also wanted Raimi to introduce Black Cat as a romantic subplot for Peter Parker. The battle over this is very reminiscent of the battles Raimi had during the filming of Spider-Man 3, when, instead of the Vulture, the studio wanted the director to use Venom. And we all know how well THAT movie went. As the battle raged for the fourth installment in the franchise, production was postponed.

Well, now it’s dead all together.

Heat Vision Blog is reporting that Columbia, Sony and Marvel Studios have chosen to drop Raimi, as well as stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, and starting from square one with a reboot of the franchise. Following an Ultimate Spider-Man approach, the movie will focus on Peter Parker in high school. The rebooted film will still be produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios and is still hoping for a summer 2012 release.

Sony has issued a press release regarding the reboot.

Sony Pictures Press Release

Official Press Release

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) — Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth 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,” said Sam Raimi.

“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,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, 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.”

“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,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “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.”

The studio will have more news about Spider-Man in 2012 in the coming weeks as it prepares for production of the film.

So, the studio decided to take back it’s toys and kick Raimi out of their sandbox? This has the great potential to be an EPIC FAIL. Let’s face it, Spider-Man 1 & 2 were pretty damn good films and helped to regenerate any sort of interest in comic book films. The first movie especially was the benchmark that most comic films were measured against (at least until Batman Begins). All of that was due to Sam Raimi and his love for the character. He gave into studio demands for number three and, while it made money, it’s so far below the standards that Raimi himself set. I don’t know very many people, if any, who actually liked Spider-Man 3 (I still can’t hear the BeeGees without thinking of Peter Parker disco dancing down the street! UGH!).

Good for Raimi for fighting back this time. He knew the flaws in the last movie were based on studio demands and he wasn’t having it again. And now, the studio is going to get what they want no matter what. Now, I can’t imagine that this is going to go well. They obviously don’t know how to listen to the fans, especially after the critical response from the last film. But, they are determined to do what they want anyway. Now, I’m not in the know; I don’t write for the studio nor do I have a crystal ball to see into the future. I’m not going to automatically decry the movie simply because I don’t like what they’ve done. But, I will say, as a fan…they are going to have to work hard to bring me into the theater now. Mighty damn hard.