Spider-Man (2002 film)

Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by David Koepp, it is the first film in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007). Produced by Columbia Pictures and Laura Ziskin Productions in association with Marvel Enterprises, it stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and Rosemary Harris. The plot follows the timid teenager Peter Parker, who gains superhuman abilities after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider. He adopts the masked persona "Spider-Man" and begins to fight crime in New York City, facing the malevolent Green Goblin in the process. Development of a live-action Spider-Man film began in 1975, but stalled for nearly 25 years due to licensing and financial issues. Columbia Pictures finally licensed the project for a worldwide release in 1999. Koepp was hired to create a working screenplay, which was eventually rewritten by Scott Rosenberg and refined by Alvin Sargent. Various directors were considered before Raimi was hired in 2000. Filming took place in Los Angeles and New York City from January to June 2001. Danny Elfman composed the musical score, while Sony Pictures Imageworks handled the visual effects. Spider-Man premiered at both the Fox Westwood Village Theater and the Bruin Theater in Los Angeles on April 29, 2002, and was released in the United States on May 3, by Sony Pictures Releasing. It received positive reviews fr