Spider-Man Spinoff ‘Sinister Six’ Names Director

The Cabin in the Woods helmer Drew Goddard is nearing a deal to direct Sinister Six, the Spider-Man spinoff that he’s also writing.

In December, Sony hired Goddard to pen the script for the film, which will focus on the villains in Spider-Man’s world.

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In an effort to expand the Spider-Man universe, Sony in December also hired Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Ed Solomon to work on another spinoff, titled Venom, centered on the black-costumed villain that already made his big-screen debut in the third Spider-Man movie of the Sam Raimi trilogy. Kurtzman will direct that project.

The writers will work with Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach and The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb to form what Sony is calling a “franchise brain to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films.”

When Goddard was tapped to write the script for Sinister Six, there was the possibility that he also could direct. Those plans seem to be falling into place.

The Sinister Six has had several permutations in the comics but originally featured Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Mysterio, Vulture and Kraven the Hunter. Octopus already appeared in Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, while Sandman was the villain (along with Venom) in Spider-Man 3. Electro (Jamie Foxx), the Rhino (Paul Giamatti) and the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) are the villains in Amazing Spider-Man 2.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2, starring Andrew Garfield, is directed by Webb and will hit theaters May 2. Kurtzman and Orci, who did rewrites for Spider-Man 2, are already working on a third installment of Amazing Spider-Man with Jeff Pinkner, who also worked on Amazing Spider-Man 2. Sony has announced a release date for a fourth Amazing Spider-Man movie: May 4, 2018.

Goddard, who worked with Kurtzman, Orci and Jeff Pinkner on TV’s Alias, was one of the saviors of World War Z after that movie ran into third act trouble. He wrote and made his directorial debut with the 2012 horror film The Cabin in the Woods, and will write and executive produce Netflix’s Daredevil. Goddard is repped UTA.

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