Monday's announcement that "Spider-Man 4" was as dead as the Green Goblin reportedly came as a shock not only to fans, but also to the series' stars, who were at least entertaining the possibility of returning. Few, however, have had as much riding on the sequel as Kirsten Dunst.
Undoubtedly the most divisive of the series' leads (whereas you'd have a hard time finding any Spidey fans who hate on Tobey Maguire or James Franco), it's been a long time since Dunst has had a hit. Aside from the little-seen "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," Dunst's last non-Spidey films were the back-to-back-to-back duds "Elizabethtown," "Wimbledon" and "Marie Antoinette" nearly a half-decade ago.
Something tells us that Kirsten might have a few bucks in the bank, and she'll be just fine — especially when you consider the actress is only 27. But if she wants to re-establish herself as a major star, girlfriend needs to get to work. Below, we examine the five known projects KDunst currently has in various stages of development to take a peek at what kind of career web she can cast now that she's no longer Mary Jane Watson:
Untitled Kirsten Dunst/ Jacob Soboroff documentary"
Kirsten serves as producer, narrator and possible co-director of this doc exploring the reasons why America lags behind most other countries in voter turnout. The film is currently in post-production and has no pending release date.
"All Good Things"
A love story and murder mystery based on what might be the most notorious unsolved murder case in New York history, this film co-stars Ryan Gosling and a hugely entertaining supporting cast (Kristen Wiig, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Phillip Baker Hall, Frank Langella) and marks the narrative debut of "Capturing the Friedmans" filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. Cast as an '80s-era bad girl who turns up missing, Dunst was recently seen in some first images from the film, but rumors persist that the flick may go straight to DVD.
"Upside Down"
A romantic drama about a starry-eyed young man who begins searching for his long-lost love through his belief in alternate universes, the flick casts "21" star Jim Sturgess (taking over for Emile Hirsch) opposite the former "Spider-Man" star. Some movement occurred recently with the film, and it appears as though further casting announcements will be coming soon; it's likely the next movie Dunst will shoot.
"Sweet Relief"
A drama based on the real-life story of Marla Ruzicka, a relief worker, peace activist and modern-day Mother Teresa figure. By all accounts, the script is a passion project for Dunst, and she certainly does look like Ruzicka. The main problem with the film, however, is that it continues to reside in development hell nearly five years after Dunst became attached.
"A Jealous Ghost"
A thriller about an American woman in London who is visited by disturbing spirits and demons based on A.N. Wilson's novel of the same name, Dunst attached her name to this project way back in 2006 and also had plans to produce. The film is expected to be in the same tradition as "The Shining" and "Repulsion" and would return Kirsten to the "Interview With the Vampire" thriller genre that made her famous — that is, if it ever gets made.
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