Although the film was a little hit and miss*, there were some things we enjoyed about Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

One of those things was Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, the sultry half-fish half-woman who spent half the film floating around in a box, and the other half looking longingly at Sam Claflin. We recently caught up with our favourite mermaid (sorry Ariel/Daryl Hannah), and had a chat about experiencing the release of Pirates, the difficulties of working in a foreign language and the merits of deceiving small children.

HeyUGuys: How has it been being so involved with the release of such a big film?

Astrid Bergès-Frisbey: I feel I had an amazing opportunity to learn, and to work with amazing, talented people. It was a challenge for me. It’s always a bit strange to watch yourself on screen for the first time. I remember having people saying ‘I watched you as a mermaid’ and seeing my picture is a bit strange, but sometimes that is a good [thing]. I feel really lucky to have had this opportunity, it was amazing for me.

HUG: If there was something in the film that you could change, what would it be?

ABF: If I had the opportunity to be cast before – I don’t know if you know, I jumped from the movie I did just before to this one in one weekend.

HUG: So it was very quickly straight on then?

ABF: I did a movie with Daniel Auteuil just before, I was the lead. I finished on Friday night, and on Monday, the next Monday, I was on set in Hawaii. It was quite tiring, and if I could [change] something, it would be that, to redo that, and to have the opportunity to prepare myself a bit more with the English, and to be a bit more comfortable with the team. Sometimes it was difficult to talk it was complicated at the beginning of the journey, so I’d change that, just to be a bit more comfortable.

 HUG: So, are you now looking to work on expand outside of European productions and work on more American or British films?

ABF: Not at the moment. In a way it’s important for me to be strong in my countries, in France and in Spain. If I [spread myself too thin] I think I’ll just be lost. And obviously, at the moment, I can’t really do an English-speaking  part, like a British girl, or an American girl. Maybe I could do it now with six months of preparation, but my feeling is that it depends on the project. It depends on the script, depends on the characters, depends on the director. I will go where my heart wants me to go.

HUG: There has been talk about a Pirates sequel, I’m sure Disney are quite keen for it. Is that something you think you’ll be involved with?

ABF: Everything is possible in a Pirates movie. In the previous one, some of the dead characters came back. Everything is possible. I don’t know at the moment. I know Jerry Bruckheimer, at the moment is more focused on The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp. Obviously I wish to be part of the next one because the opportunity to work with an excited and marvellous crew would be a pleasure, and to continue the story with Syrena could be amazing, but we don’t know at the moment.

HUG: You mentioned in previous interviews that you were looking forward to showing your little sister the film. What was her reaction to it? Did she enjoy you as a mermaid?

ABF: Yes, a lot. This summer she was telling me secrets like, ‘look, I’m like a mermaid, I swim like a mermaid’. She was completely without voice after the movie, going, ‘how could you do that?’ I don’t know if I told you the story, but the first picture I showed her of me as a mermaid, when I was in creature form she was completely speechless, [and then asked] ‘How is that possible? I want to be like that’, and I told her that Rob Marshall is a bit like Santa Claus he’s magical, like a magician, he transforms me every day on set like that. At the moment she still believes that.

 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is out on DVD and Blu-ray now.

*Mostly miss

Earlier today we posted an article giving details about the forthcoming Captain America film. The information in that article came from an interview Box Office carried out with the film’s director, Joe Johnston. In the same interview he also spoke about Jurassic Park 4:

“Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen. It breaks away from the first three—it’s essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It’s going to be done in a completely different way. That’s pretty much all I can tell you.”

This isn’t the first time Johnston has spoken about a forth film in the Jurassic Park franchise. Back in Novermber last year, the director of Jurassic Park 3 spoke to Ain’t It Cool News. During the conversation he told the site:

“Well, there is a great story for the fourth one that I would be interested in getting involved with and it’s nothing like the first three. It sort of takes the franchise off in a completely different direction, which is the only way I would want to get involved.”

While a forth Jurassic Park film could possibly be great fun, it’s hard not to think we’ve been here before.

Way back in 2002 Steven Spielberg and Sam Neill both spoke about the project, with Neill stating “Steven just blew me away with the story… Something frightening is happening concerning those dinosaurs that doesn’t necessarily bode well for us humans”. Universal even went so far as to talk about a summer 2005 release date for the pic, but despite the enthusiasm, nothing happened.

A few years later, just months before the summer 2005 release date, Stan Winston gave an update, explaining that Spielberg wasn’t happy with the script, and nothing would go before a camera until he was. Ten months later, producer Frank Marshall announced that there was a “good script”, and that production would begin in 2007, for a 2008 release.

2008 flew by without a dinosaur in sight, and there was no more mention of a forth Jurassic Park film until December of that year, when Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy told reporters at the junket for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button thatthe existingplans had fallen through. Kennedy, Marshall’s co-producer added, “when Crichton passed away, I sorta felt maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s a sign that we don’t mess with it.”

Since then it’s been all quiet on the Jurassic front until Johnston’s comments at the end of last year. No doubt we’ll hear some more about it next month, when Johnston is doing press for Wolfman, but given Spielberg’s insanely busy production schedule, that currently stretches past 2013, don’t expect to hear anything other than talk about Jurassic Park 4 for quite some time yet.

The news that Spider-Man 4 is being cancelled, and the series rebooted, seems to have caused something of a geek civil war to break out on the internet. One faction believes that the a trip to the re-bake factory is just what the doctor ordered for Peter Parker and his buddies, while others hail this ‘instant reboot’ as evidence that Hollywood has finally jumped the shark.

While it’s too early to be certain exactly what will happen with the new Spider-Franchise, a few facts that are already clear:

• It’s starting a fresh, with a new cast and new director
• It’s been on the cards for at least a few weeks, as there is already a script, written by James Vanderbilt, who’s previous credits include Zodiac and The Losers.
• According to Entertainment Weekly, the studio are looking to take the franchise in a ‘more gritty’ direction.
• The story will not only focus on Spider-Man’s super-heroics, but also on the teenage turmoil of Peter Parker.
• The release date has been pushed back to Summer 2012 (Read 1st weekend of May 2012).
• As with all previous Spider-Man films, Avi Arad (Marvel Studio’s CEO) is still involved as a producer.

Speculation based upon this limited information has been rife.

Within minutes of the announcement, many commentators, and a huge number of Spider-Man fans were talking about the possibility of the new films being based on Brian Michael Bendis’ Ultimate Spider-Man comics.

While this is nothing but wishful thinking at the moment, the fact that Sony seems to want to skew the story as some sort of teen melodrama lends credence to the idea. The focus of the comics is very much on the interaction between Peter Parker and his schoolmates, and they manage to combine web-shooting action with the mundane elements of Peter’s life in a wonderfully comic fashion*.  Quite frankly, Sony would be mad to reboot the series without using Ultimate Spider-Man as the template.

That said, Bendis has responded to the many fan queries about his possible involvement with the film through Twitter, and the signs are not good:

“a stunning amount of ultimate spidey love coming at us because of the movie reboot. i have no info on any of this.”

“if this spidey movie reboot sounds intriguing you should REALLY be reading ultimate spider-man thank you on sale now ”

“i work as a consultant on the marvel movies. this is a sony movie. i have no involvement. but maybe if you all scream loud enough ”

A few hours later he followed up with what seemed like conclusive proof that he would not be involved with the project:

“i am truly overwhelmed by the spidey love today. you guys are awesome. very inspired to make some cool comics. eff movies. comics is it.”

Hopefully Sony will see sense, and at least hire him as a script consultant before they start the production process proper.

One of the other topics of discussion has been the cast. Both HitFix and Empire have suggested a list of possible Peter Parkers, and amongst the ludicrous suggestions is one that might be a possibility: Anton Yelchin. In fact, if Sony were simply intending to mimic the previous series he’d be an utter shoe-in. But what if they aren’t?

In their press release Sony made a big point of Peter Parker’s return to high school. It’s not too much of a leap of the imagination to suppose that they would want to keep him in high school for as many movies as possible.

Part of the appeal of Spider-Man, at least to the core audience of young teens, is that he is one of them. The moment he moves on from high-school, a lot of that appeal dissipates. If Sony have Peter as a fifteen year-old, rather than the eighteen year-old of the original series of films, then they can squeeze out three ‘adolescent Peter’ films, before having to worry about him growing up and going to college.

In fact, if they cast an actor who is actually around fifteen, and crank the films out at a rate of one every eighteen months or so, then they might even be able to make six before they have to think about their next reboot.

With that in mind, it’s more than likely that the future Peter Parker, as well as the supporting cast, will be young unknowns, rather than an established actor.

Raimi’s replacement is another hot topic, and again, Empire have cobbled together a list of possible helmers. While it presents some interesting talking points, and it’s hard to argue with the idea of Edgar Wright taking the reins of the franchise, none of the names on the list are particularly realistic.

Various sites have suggested Michael Bay or James Cameron for the job, but it’s pretty safe to assume neither is seriously being considered. Quite apart from the potential scheduling clashes, not to mention the potential ego clashes, there is no way that Sony would be willing to pay the sort of money either man would cost.

Gary Ross, who is set to direct Venom** has been mentioned by Entertainment Weekly as a possible director, and if the spin-off has been cancelled, then he might have a shot at the job, but he’s got an insanely busy schedule, and if Sony want to begin production any time in the next six months, then it’s unlikely he’ll be involved.

The other name mentioned by Entertainment Weekly was Marc Webb. Of all the directors who have been suggested by the citizens of the interwebs, Webb seems most likely. 500 Days of Summer was a fairly likeable film, and certainly didn’t do too badly at the box office. It certainly showed he can handle the complexities of his character’s relationships without letting them overwhelm the film. He’s also relatively new to the industry, so will be unlikely to have arguments with studio executives over the integrity of his ‘vision’.

What’s really been getting people excited, however, is the possibility of Peter Parker somehow being incorporate into the wider Marvel universe.

If Marvel were still an independent studio it’s fair to assume Sony may have played ball, and allowed their new Peter Parker to interact with Tony Stark and co., if only as a way of courting the smaller studio. Now that they are a part of the House of Mouse, it’s less likely that Sony will be quite so willing to jump into bed with Marvel Studios. That said, back in the eighties Disney did manage to play nice with Warner Bros., Universal and a slew of other companies to produce Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so it’s not without precedent. The real key to a cross fertilization is Avi Arad, CEO of Marvel studios, and producer on just about every film based on  a Marvel property. If he can persuade Sony that it will help the film make money, then we may just stand a chance of seeing Spider-Man join the avengers some time in the future.

Over the next few weeks, if not the next few days we’re expecting to hear some news on the project, and we’ll make sure to keep you informed. In the mean time you can occupy yourselves by letting us know what YOU would do with the Spidey Rebake below. Who would you cast? Who should direct? What should the story be? Best answer gets either my respect, or a romantic night out with HeyUGuys very own Ed Whitfield.

*Yes, I am a huge fan.

**If there is still a Venom film, that is.

At least not as far as we know, but while we have your attention:

Yet more actresses have been linked to a role in the forthcoming Spider-sequel.

On Tuesday UGO reported that Julia Stiles was in talks with a casting company to discuss a role in the film, while yesterday Deadline Hollywood revealed that Anne Hathaway had met with the film’s producers.

Will either of them land the role? Maybe. Do we care anymore? Not really.

While we published our own Spider-rumour last week, we at least tried to move the story forward, including a confirmation that The Black Cat was in the film, and an attempt to cobble together details of the plot based on what our source had seen.

Since then, at least three more actresses have been linked to the part, while McAdams has public denied her involvement, and Garai has explained to Digital Spy just how unlikely she is to get the part.

From here on in we’re declaring a moratorium on new Spidey rumours. Until we hear something either concrete or incredible, and preferably from our own sources, we have no intention of writing any more copy about actresses lining up to sit on Raimi’s “˜casting couch’.

That is until we hear that Kirsten Stewart really has been linked to the part. We need the hits.

Seems like there’s a bit of Spidey 4 news coming out every day at the moment. It’s not surprising really, the film is currently casting the minor characters, so lots of people who haven’t signed non-disclosure agreements are getting bits of information about the production, and then talking about it. That’s why, over the next few weeks we should expect some fascinating news, and then a complete blackout until the official publicity machine starts “˜leaking’ on set photos early next year.

The latest bits of news are a casting call for ginger-haired toddlers and an official denial from Rachel McAdams that she’s up for the role of The Black Cat.

It’s not really surprising that McAdams has shot down the rumours of her involvement with the project. She’s just one of at least three actresses up for the part. She’d look pretty daft if she were to confirm that she was in the running and subsequently be turned down. It might also not be looked upon too favourably by the production team behind Spider-Man 4 if she were to start talking about it openly. At any length, it’s not worth counting her out of the running just yet.

As for the ginger-haired toddler, this casting call has been posted on spoilertv.com:

Spider-Man 4 – Official Casting Call for Baby Boy with Red Hair

[TODDLER BOY]

2 or 3 year old boy to play 2 year old, Caucasian with RED HAIR, an adorable toddler with an engaging personality, on set experience preferred. IDENTICAL TWINS ONLY

Their take on it is that the child could be playing the child of Peter and Mary Jane, or a young version of Cletus Kassady, who becomes Carnage in the comics.

It seems pretty safe to dismiss the carnage idea. Raimi only included Venom in the last film at the behest of the studio, and besides, it wouldn’t fit with any of the details we published previously.

It’s more likely that he is the son of Peter and MJ, but you have to wonder whether it would really serve Raimi’s purposes to make Peter a family man.

So who could the child be?

Our guess is a flash forward to Peter’s future, although there is one other intriguing possibility: What if MJ got her naughty on with Harry while Pete was being a dick during the last film? What if the baby is what drives Pete away from MJ and towards Felecia Hardy? What if there was actually some character development in the next film?

Feel free to suggest your own plot line for the spider-tot below.