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The studio had expressed interest in actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Elijah Wood, Edward Furlong, Jude Law, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Klein, Wes Bentley and Heath Ledger for Spider-Man. Furlong had been considered by James Cameron for the role in 1996, while Sam Raimi joked of Prinze that "[he] won't even be allowed to buy a ticket to see this film." In addition, actors Scott Speedman, Jay Rodan and James Franco were involved in screen tests for the lead role with Franco later being cast as Harry Osborn.
The first film to gross $100 million in its opening weekend alone. At the time, no movie had done so, even when adjusted for inflation.
Tobey Maguire said he had never read a Spider-Man comic book but took the role because he liked the script.
The first Marvel movie to showcase the flipping pages Marvel logo.
One of the chief difficulties that Tobey Maguire experienced in the now-famous upside-down kissing scene was that his sinuses kept filling up with water as it was performed in driving rain.
Stan Lee: (at around 1h 7 mins) The creator of Spider-Man appears in the scene where the Green Goblin attacks the balcony at the World Unity Festival.
Lucy Lawless: (at around 55 mins) as a punk rock girl who says "Guy with 8 hands. Sounds hot." Sam Raimi previously worked with Lawless on Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). Lawless kept the punk rock costume, and wore it on the plane ride home.
Bruce Campbell: (at around 37 mins) the wrestling referee who gives Peter the name The Amazing Spider-Man. Campbell makes a cameo appearance in each Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie, but always as a different character.
Nicholas Hammond: actor who played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man (1977) is at the World Unity Festival.
Sam Raimi: [car] The 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, also known as The Classic, appears in the movie as Uncle Ben's car.
Sam Raimi: [mirror] Dual personalities of one person looking in a mirror, also exhibited in Evil Dead II (1987), directed by Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi: [supporting cast] Cameo appearances by longtime friends Bruce Campbell and Lucy Lawless, and by brother Ted Raimi.
Sam Raimi: [whip pan camera shot] (at around 1h 26 mins) when Norman Osborn walks into Peter Parker's bedroom.
Sam Raimi: [shaky cam shot] This technique, created by Raimi, is used on a shot of the Green Goblin.