Cannon, could
have been.
Spider-Man
(1986)
Link to this page : www.cannon.org.uk/spiderman.htm
click images for larger view
Cannon owned (and lost) the rights for Spider-Man and they
were eventually at all systems go with the sets built (same set
as Masters of The
Universe 2) but they grabbed defeat out of the jaws of victory. They lost the
rights and the financing.
With Scott Leva
(Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Bob Hoskins (Doc Octopus)
Cannon on a roll…
%20%5bpreview%20poster%5d.jpg)
click for larger image
Marvel were all fired up too..
Scott Leva, Amazing
Spider-Man #262
Albert Pyun was contracted (more below from Pyun himself -note
“A TOBE HOOPER
FILM”
on this
promo)
to make Spider-Man and Masters 2 but he ended up using the
sets for:
|
Albert Pyun interviewed by Nicanor Loreti "Cyborg"
was a product of what could have been a career shifting period of my life. I
knew that Cannon had the rights to "Spider-Man" and sequel rights
to "Masters of the Universe". I also knew that the
"Spider-Man" rights were about to expire. I proposed to Menahem
Golan and Yoram Globus that I make both pictures back to back in The concept was
to shoot 2 weeks of "Spider-Man" first. The section of Peter
Parker's story before he was bitten. Then we would shoot 6 weeks of
"Masters 2". The actor cast to play Parker would undergo a
streneuous 8 week workout regimen supervised by a fitness professor at UCLA,
Dr. Eric Sternlicht to build size and muscle mass. After shooting
"Masters 2" we would resume shooting "Spider-Man". Two
weeks away from shooting, it was discovered that Cannon had bounced the
rights check to Marvel, canceling the deal and it was discovered that Mattel
was owed a large rights payment as well. With Cannon in deep financial
straights, the negotiations with Marvel and Mattel fell apart! Remember this
was 1988 and the junk bond market which had fueled Cannon's rise had
collapsed. Having spent
well over $2 million on sets, costumes, and prep, Cannon was desperate to
find away to recoup their spend. I suggested we do a
film that could utilize as much of what had been built and prepped and that
would cost very little in addition. I wrote a first draft of what became
"Cyborg" over a weekend and brought in a young actor - who wanted
to be a screenwriter - to do polishes. His name was Don Michael Paul and he
has gone on to write and direct "Half Past Dead" and Harley
Davidson and the "Marlboro Man". I was
interested in Chuck Norris to star as he was under contract to Cannon.
Instead Menahem suggested a Belgian kickboxer they had just starred in
"Bloodsport". That's how Van Damme became the lead. His accent was
so thick, that we had to change the character from an over the hill ex-Army
Ranger to what the Gibson character became. It pretty much gutted the
character arc. What I remember
most from the film was exhaustion. The turnabout from prepping to shoot
"Spider-Man" and "Masters 2" to writing and shooting
"Cyborg" was punishing. We had to figure out ways to use what had
been built and created for two different films in a short period of time. As
I recall, the budget on "Cyborg" was less than $500,000 including
Van Damme's salary. It was shot in 24 days of principal. All in all, my
expectations were quite low for the film's success given the mad
circumstances." From La Cosa Fantastico. ©
2007La Cosa Fantastico & Nicanor Loreti |
Cannon, could
have been.
Link to this page : www.cannon.org.uk/spiderman.htm
Got a better image, information or
something I’m missing or I have wrong?
Like to add something?
Images and text
© 2009 their respective owners.
This site is an archive for educational
use only and has no
connection whatsoever with
The Cannon
Group, Inc.