Tom Holland Says He "Hated" One Cut of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY - "It Totally Didn’t Work"
By the time Spider-Man: Brand New Day swung into theaters, it was already carrying a lot of expectations. Thankfully for Marvel and Sony, the movie has landed exactly where they hoped, earning glowing reviews from critics, winning over audiences, and setting itself up for a huge box office run.
But according to Tom Holland, there was a point during post-production when the movie almost turned into something very different. In fact, Holland says there was one version of the film that he and the creative team couldn't stand.
Speaking with Quotable, Holland opened up about the editing process and explained that the filmmakers experimented with several different versions of the movie before settling on the final cut that audiences are now enjoying.
"What's really interesting is, we've seen loads of different cuts of this movie. One of the cuts was, they took all of the notes from all of the random people that saw the film, and they changed the movie. And then, we watched it, and we hated it."
It's a fascinating glimpse into how much influence test screenings can have on a major studio blockbuster. Studios often gather audience feedback to help fine tune a movie, but Holland's comments suggest that trying to satisfy every note can sometimes pull a film away from the creative vision that made it work in the first place.
Holland didn't reveal exactly what had changed in that version of the movie, but he explained why it ultimately didn't make the cut.
"It totally didn’t work. And it's what the people were asking for, but it wasn't quite what we wanted as the creatives. But they learned lessons from that experience. So, a movie can change in a thousand different ways in the edit room."
Thankfully, it sounds like Sony trusted the filmmakers enough to pivot back toward their original instincts, and that decision appears to have paid off.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been met with an enthusiastic response since its release. I personally loved the film and an think that fans are going to love what it delivers as well.
The movie is also sitting at an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently tracking toward one of the biggest opening weekends the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen in years.
The story picks up four years after the events of Doctor Strange, when the world's memory of Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man was erased. Peter is struggling more than ever, but when a mysterious villain that no one can see begins terrorizing New York City, he's forced to step back into action and protect the city once again.
The film also brings back Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds while welcoming Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Jon Bernthal as Punisher, and Sadie Sink in a still-mysterious role.
Considering how much can change during editing, but judging by the reviews and early reactions, it certainly looks like the filmmakers trusted the right instincts in the end.