James Franco returns as Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 2 and Superhero Hype! had the opportunity to talk to Franco about the anticipated summer blockbuster, opening Wednesday, June 30th.
Franco says it’s great to be back working with Tobey, Kirsten, and director Sam Raimi. “There was a great rapport. You know, there’s a thing about movies. Sometimes it feels like, related to baseball or sports, it’s kinda like an All-Star Game in a way that you have a bunch of players that are good, but they haven’t really come together and worked as a team. I have a little theater group that I belong to who are really used to working with each other, and there’s something to that. There was a bit of that coming back. I think it only adds that if Peter is supposed to be my friend of many years, it helps that I know Tobey a bit. And just a great rapport with Sam, just a higher level of comfort and being able to work with him with more ease.”
This rapport helps in Harry and Peter’s characters. “I guess at the beginning of the first film, it was established that Harry has a hard time kinda making it at school and fitting in. He’s been kicked out of a lot of schools. Probably lived an isolated existence just because of his background. He’s just kind of a troubled guy. So when he meets Peter, who is very genuine, and actually reaches a hand out to him and helps him with his school work and shows him kindness, Harry latches on to that because it’s so rare and he really hasn’t seen that kind of attention or kindness anywhere else in his life. Opposites attract.”
As far as Tobey as an actor, “On all the scenes we do together, in this film and the previous film, there was a lot of discussion with him, Sam and myself and other actors involved. So everything is very well discussed. I don’t know, he strikes me as kind of a student of film and acting. I know a lot of actors watch a lot of movies, but there’s another level of study or seriousness to when he watches people, I think. I wouldn’t say his performance looks calculated, but he thinks things out very well. The trick of being an actor is to make everything look spontaneous and I think he does that. I think he’s a very thoughtful guy and a very thoughtful actor.”
Our new villain in Spider-Man 2 is Doctor Octopus (aka Doc Ock), played by Alfred Molina. Franco commented on the uniqueness of working with this character. “Well, I think Alfred had to deal with it a lot more than I did. Every scene that I was in with Alfred there were probably about six to eight guys in black controlling the arms right behind him. That was unusual. He had to do that for every scene. I’m sure that was a little difficult.”
What’s to be coming soon in Franco’s career? Well, his next movie is called “Annapolis” at Disney. “It’s directed by Justin Lin who did a movie called ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’ that got picked up by MTV Films and made a splash at Sundance.” Franco plays a welder who grew up in Baltimore and is admitted into the Naval Academy. “He’s kind of a black sheep but he proves himself on the boxing team.” No one else has been cast yet and shooting will not start until mid-August.
Spider-Man 3? Is Franco in it? “Yeah, that’s one of the most frequently asked questions that I get. The films are pretty loyal to the comics. It’s the spirit of the comics. It’s no secret that Harry does become the second Green Goblin, or Green Goblin 2, but I know that I’ve talked a little bit with Sam about the 3rd one already, and nothing obvious is gonna happen. I don’t think, it’s not like we’re going to redo number one. There will be surprises.”
Shooting for Spider-Man 3 is expected to begin in January, 2006.
Source: Chuck the Movieguy
