It's Official: Spidey 3 Tribeca-Bound -- Sort Of

(UPDATED: April 4, 1:20 p.m.)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

As reported last month on The Reeler, Spider-Man 3 will make its American debut at the Tribeca Film Festival -- in Queens. Yes, Queens, Peter Parker's "hometown," a one-hour subway ride from the festival's namesake and the first outer borough to host a TFF premiere.

But: It should be noted that today's announcement was not a release from the festival itself, and that the premiere is only the cap of a week of events not affiliated with Tribeca:

The City of New York and Columbia Pictures announced today that the week of April 30 through May 6 will be Spider-Man Week In NYC. A variety of festivities are planned for all five boroughs, involving New York City landmarks such as the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, the American Museum of Natural History and the Apollo Theater. A highlight of the week will be the Tribeca Film Festival's premiere of Spider-Man 3 in Queens, Peter Parker's hometown, with additional screenings in all boroughs.

"Movies like Spider-Man 3 generate a lot of interest and excitement in the city, and events like Spider-Man Week are a great way to give all New Yorkers and visitors a chance to join in the festivities," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. "Cultural, charitable and educational events in every borough will also be a lot of fun for fans of all ages. Just as important, it provides our shops, restaurants and cultural organizations the opportunity to benefit from a week-long celebration which is sure to attract residents and tourists alike."

Got it. According to Lou Lumenick, who's been hitting the Tribeca beat pretty hard of late, Sony/Coumbia reps said premiere tickets would not be available to the general public. This can't be that surprising after the exclusivity of the '06 premieres, nor can it be that flexible considering that movie palaces along the lines of the Ziegfeld (the home of last year's gala events) aren't really dotting the Queens landscape. The undersized Museum of the Moving Image is definitely out, according to a spokeswoman; a few facilities at Queens College could be adapted along the lines of Sony's retrofitting of Tulane University's McAlister Auditorium, which hosted last year's All the King's Men premiere in New Orleans.

Anyway, the rest of today's Spider-Man 3 Week press release -- with details of everything from a spider exhibit at the Museum of Natural History to "Spider-Man inspired raps" at the Apollo Theater -- follows the jump. Check back tomorrow for news from Tribeca itself.

UPDATE: Tribeca just sent along this scheduling update:

Stars of the film, including Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, will land in New York, their final destination after an eight-city international tour and join a crowd of 3,000 people at the UA Kaufman Astoria 14 in downtown Astoria on Monday, April 30th. With a marching band leading the stars to the ‘black carpet’ and local fans lining the streets, this spectacular premiere will be one of several events throughout the festival celebrating Spider-Man Week in NYC.

In addition to the U.S. premiere in Queens, the Tribeca Film Festival will also present, with Columbia Pictures, simultaneous screenings in the other four boroughs. These free advance screenings will be open to the public and details about how these tickets can be secured will be released as the event approaches.

Good for them! I stand corrected. Also, Sony now notes that the Asian leg of that aforementioned tour is being bumped up to April 16, which means the world premiere originally slated for May 1 in Tokyo will take place two weeks earlier. So there you have it.

New York City and Columbia Pictures Announce Spider-Man Week in NYC

Hometown Hero Returns for Five-Borough Celebration

NEW YORK, April 3 -- The City of New York and Columbia Pictures announced today that the week of April 30 through May 6 will be Spider-Man Week In NYC. A variety of festivities are planned for all five boroughs, involving New York City landmarks such as the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, the American Museum of Natural History and the Apollo Theater. A highlight of the week will be the Tribeca Film Festival's premiere of Spider- Man 3 in Queens, Peter Parker's hometown, with additional screenings in all boroughs.

"Movies like Spider-Man 3 generate a lot of interest and excitement in the city, and events like Spider-Man Week are a great way to give all New Yorkers and visitors a chance to join in the festivities," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. "Cultural, charitable and educational events in every borough will also be a lot of fun for fans of all ages. Just as important, it provides our shops, restaurants and cultural organizations the opportunity to benefit from a week-long celebration which is sure to attract residents and tourists alike."

New York City's very own Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) will return home later this month after a seven-city international tour that launches in Japan on April 16. Keeping with the spirit of his comic book origins, Spider-Man Week in NYC includes themed events, talent appearances and giveaways in all five boroughs. Details of the Tribeca Film Festival premiere and screenings of Spider-Man 3 will be announced on Wednesday. Spider-Man 3 opens worldwide on May 4.

"Because New York City is Spider-Man's hometown, we wanted to find a way to make the launch of the summer movie-going season and Spider-Man 3 really special for the city and its people," said Jeff Blake, Vice Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The studio's Columbia Pictures is releasing Spider-Man 3 in theaters worldwide on May 4. "We're so excited about the range of events that celebrate so much of what this city has to offer. We want residents, businesses and visitors in every borough to enjoy Spider-Man's homecoming in a very special way."

Spider-Man Week in NYC is the result of a partnership between Columbia Pictures and NYC & Company, the City's tourism, marketing and events organization. The week kicks off Monday, April 30, with a cast appearance and street festival in the Today plaza in Rockefeller Center. The week continues with Spider-Man-themed programs offered through partnerships with the Tribeca Film Festival, and dozens of the city's cultural institutions and tourist attractions, including a special volunteer day for children
through the Little Apple Heroes program (http://www.littleappleheroes.com), "spidery" tales for kids at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, "Spidey Chats" at the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, Green Goblin mask-making at the Children's Museum of Manhattan and a spider exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. Original Spider-Man comic books will be on display at the New York Public Library, and the Apollo Theater in Harlem will host the closing day celebration with performances of Spider-Man inspired raps.

Spider-Man Week in NYC is one of the first integrated, citywide initiatives spearheaded by NYC & Company, the official marketing and tourism arm of the City of New York. "We are pleased to join forces with Columbia Pictures to coordinate and promote this large-scale event, which will benefit families, businesses and everyone who participates. We are also thrilled to be working on the U.S. premiere with the Tribeca Film Festival, which contributes so much to the cultural and economic life of our great city," said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. "This is the kind of creative alliance we hope to do more of in the future."

For a complete Spider-Man Week in NYC calendar of events, go to http://www.spider-manweeknyc.com

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Posted at April 4, 2007 1:25 PM