Behind-The-Scenes Stories About Emo Peter Parker In ‘Spider-Man 3’
- Photo:
Sam Raimi Didn’t Want To Write The Jazz Club Scene Because He Didn’t Like Watching Parker Go Dark
There was a lot of contention between director Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures during the development and production of Spider-Man 3. Raimi didn't want to include Venom, but the studio pushed for the villain since he is such a fan favorite. Raimi opened up about Parker's transformation into the emo Symbiote, noting:
Well, in this story, Peter Parker falls victim to his own pride. He starts to believe all the press clippings about himself, that he’s really this hero and someone great. He starts to be afraid that he isn’t that person and doesn’t want to act any other way than the person that’s right. That pride manifests itself in a much darker way.
He also explained why he wasn't so big on bringing Venom into the fold:
Working on those sequences with Tobey Maguire and the dark Spider-Man, that was a difficult thing for me actually. It wasn’t fun for me because I didn’t like those sequences. I didn’t like watching Spider-Man go bad. It was unpleasant and I kept worrying, "Gee, do I really have to do this to show how rageful and vengeful he is? Do we really have to show how pride can destroy you?"
But, my brother kept telling me, "Yes, because he’s going to find himself again."
- Photo:
Raimi Wanted 'Spider-Man 3' To Be Split Into Two Films So He Could Explore Venom's Character
Director Raimi wanted to make two separate films so he could do Venom - and emo Parker - justice. The idea to split Spider-Man 3 into two movies was ultimately nixed. Fan emails had Raimi really conflicted as to how to approach this revered character:
So the very nature of that story demands that you either do it two part, if you want to spend more time with Venom, which I didn’t think was fair to the audience, to the fans of Spiderman... I kept reading the fans’ emails that Avi [the producer] would send me saying they’d better not just introduce him to tease us, that would be - I felt that the fans didn’t want that from the thousands of emails that were sent me... So, I said okay, but obviously, through the very nature of it, he’s only going to be in half an act or one act. I’ll just make it as thorough and the best that I can, deliver Venom in the most complete way that I understand the fans might want him.
- Photo:
Tobey Maguire Had Fun Filming The Infamous Dance Sequence
Tobey Maguire spoke with Collider writer Steve Weintraub during the Spider-Man 3 press tour in April 2007. Weintraub touched on the fact that Maguire got to wear a black suit for once (as opposed to the traditional red) and mentioned the dancing-down-the-sidewalk scene. Maguire explained that both the new suit and the dance helped broaden his character:
It was fun. We had fun doing that. It was interesting and fun and I thought really helped define where he was at.
- Photo:
Raimi Didn't Have Faith In Emo Parker
Ultimately, Raimi knew that he had no choice but to include Venom, and so he did everything in his power to combine his and his brother's existing script with an additional villain narrative. Looking back, Raimi admitted on The Nerdist podcast that he didn't have much faith in emo Parker as they were filming:
It’s a movie that just didn’t work very well... I tried to make it work, but I didn’t really believe in all the characters, so that can’t be hidden from people who loved Spider-Man. If the director doesn’t love something, it’s wrong of them to make it when so many other people love it.
- Photo:
Kirsten Dunst Had To Look Away When Maguire Would Do The Awkward Hip Thrusts
There were not one, but TWO cringe-inducing emo Peter Parker dance scenes in the Raimi's third Spider-Man film. One takes place during one of MJ's first singing gigs at a jazz club. Symbiote Peter Parker is feeling it and decides to break out the dance moves once again. Apparently, Maguire's ability to cut a rug was too much for co-star Kirsten Dunst to handle, and she had to turn away. She explained her feelings during a 2007 interview with SuperHero Hype!:
It was so funny and I had to have a reaction of Peter, what’s wrong with you, but I couldn’t even do it, because when I’d see Tobey, I’d laugh when he was dancing. It’s so ridiculous. And I had to be in a shocked, what’s-happened-to-Peter mode. Meanwhile, he’s doing all these pelvic twists and thrusts. I couldn’t watch him do it anymore.
- Photo:
The Dance Sequence Down The Street Was Only Partially Choreographed
To the surprise of no one, only part of Parker's sidewalk sashay was choreographed. Maguire spoke with Blackfilm during the film's 2007 press tour and revealed that some of that incredible meme fodder came straight from him:
I worked with some people, a choreographer and some other people, a couple of dance people and the inside part was pretty much all choreographed and then the outside, the basic idea of it was choreographed, and then we kind of riffed on that and had fun from there.
Maguire expanded on the improvisation process, which involved director Raimi:
Basically the general idea of it was choreographed and then, you know, we riffed from there, and Sam would say throw this out, do this, and then I would throw in some thoughts and ideas and you know, just kind of messed around with it.
- Photo:
The Point Of The Awkward Dance Sequences Was To Get People Laughing
Maguire was well aware people found Parker's dance funny - that was his intention:
It really is like a thing where Peter thinks that he's super cool and suave and really he's a cornball. So we were making fun of that and having fun and our aim was to have people laughing. So I had that in mind while I was dancing.
- Photo:
Maguire Enjoyed Playing Evil Parker More Than Heroic Parker
Anytime either of the dance scenes or the Symbiote in general was brought up during an interview, Maguire commented on how fun (and funny) it was to shoot all of these scenes. Being emo Parker was an absolute trip for him:
He’s got a real self-importance and I love it, the scenes we’re doing with Kirsten where I’m like, where Peter Parker’s trying to give her advice, it’s just hilarious to me. And you know, it’s funny, because nobody really laughs at those scenes, but I’m just sitting there cracking up. I just find them so funny.
And even though director Raimi looks back at Parker's dark turn with a cringe, Maguire was all about exploring the new depths of his character:
It's not a new character. It's a new side to Peter Parker and something that I think is kind of unexpected to see, Peter Parker behaving in some of the ways that he behaves. It was a lot of fun and it was a lot of work for Sam [Raimi] and I to go over it and really think about and discuss the right tone for that part of the movie.
- Photo:
Dark Parker Was Necessary To Deliver 'The Most Complete' Venom Possible, According To Raimi
Director Raimi had a difficult time balancing his creative vision for Spider-Man 3 with what the Sony executives wanted. Raimi thought that by having both Venom and Sandman in the picture, he was ultimately shortchanging the fan favorite Symbiote. In order to create "the most complete" version of Venom, Raimi claimed he had to make Parker go dark. He told Collider:
Yes, but I thought it would be unfair to - the Venom storyline, unfortunately, has Eddie Brock - the establishment of who he is and what he is - the Symbiote coming to Peter Parker first and you’ve got to go through his entire getting of the black suit, the dark Peter, the ridding of the black suit, before it even comes on to Eddie Brock. So the very nature of that story demands that you either do it two part, if you want to spend more time with Venom, which I didn’t think was fair to the audience, to the fans of Spiderman.
- Photo:
The Jazz Club Scene Is One Of Bryce Dallas Howard's Favorites
Bryce Dallas Howard plays Parker's lab partner (and sometimes love interest) Gwen Stacy. Audiences might have been cringing at the infamous jazz club scene in Spider-Man 3, but Dallas Howard had an absolute blast shooting it. In fact, she told SuperHero Hype! that it was one of her favorite parts to film:
That was just wild to shoot. That was my version of a musical practically. It was so cool because there’s this heightened realism in this film that is very playful. I felt like a little kid. We were practically delirious.
- Photo:
It Took Four Nights To Film The Jazz Club Scene
The jazz club scene might run under an excruciating five minutes, but it took infinitely longer to shoot. Actor Dallas Howard revealed that it took four days:
We shot it over the course of four evenings, four night shoots, and there’s just the clapping and laughing and music. We were just so hyper the entire time. It was just really, really fun to shoot.
- Photo:
Maguire Was Only A Little Embarrassed About The Sidewalk Dance Scene
Even though Maguire admittedly had a blast playing emo Parker, he did reveal that it was pretty awkward to be dancing in front of the entire cast and crew - and the city of New York:
You know the thing is you do that, and its not just the crew, we’re shooting on the streets of New York. And there’s tons of people watching, tons of people watching... you want to shout to everybody, "I’m just joking!" you know, because I’m making fun of myself, so you definitely have that desire, but it’s all for the good of the movie.
