Finally, after eight years, MGM has relinquished its rights to do a Spider-Man movie, in favour of Columbia Pictures. Columbia has said it intends to make the movie now, as fast as it can. In fact, you've probably noticed the advertisements in recent Marvel titles announcing the fact that the movie is back on track!
As for who might make the movie... I quote from the recent LA Times news article...
One intriguing question raised by Monday's announcement is whether Columbia will make use of James Cameron's screen treatment for a Spider-Man movie. Cameron's treatment, which he wrote for the defunct studio Carolco for $3 million and which ended up in MGM's possession, has attained near-legendary stature in Hollywood, despite having been read by very few people. Under the Sony-MGM deal, the treatment now belongs to Columbia.
Representatives for Columbia say they have not yet seen the treatment or been in touch with Cameron, who in any event is said to be under contract to Fox Studios for his next picture. "We're not even at the point of investigating" whether Cameron or any other A-list directors are available.
The article also says...
Meanwhile, Sony reached its own agreement with Marvel. For a cash advance between $10 million and $15 million against gross revenues, sources say, Marvel awarded Sony the feature, sequel and TV-series rights and entered into a joint venture to license Spider-Man movie-related paraphernalia. Marvel will retain full rights to non-movie-related Spider-Man licensing, but the license for the manufacture of all toy tie-ins to the movie will go to its Toy Biz subsidiary, giving it the opportunity for further profits.
However, The World Entertainment News Network is reporting that Titanic director James Cameron is declining to direct the newly announced Sony Spider-Man film.
Over the past 10 years, various writers and directors, including Cameron, who wrote a treatment for the project, have been vying for the rights to bring Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's web-slinging superhero to the big screen.
But despite a legal breakthrough which allows Sony Pictures to proceed with the film franchise, Cameron is now refusing to get reinvolved with the venture, even though comic giant Stan Lee has begged for him to direct the film, according to WENN.
Cameron told WENN, "I have definitely moved on. It was something I really wanted to do eight years ago when I was first after the project. But your ideas change and the ways in which you want to proportion your life's energies.
When you make a film every two or three years, you make that decision very carefully and not just because everyone wants you to make it." Cameron added, "They will find some young man or woman to bring it alive."