‘Hipster’ Harry Osborn and what you didn’t know about ‘Spider-Man 2’

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‘Hipster’ Harry Osborn and what you didn’t know about ‘Spider-Man 2’

Niko Tavernise

Who was cut from the movie? How long did it take to transform into the Green Goblin? What did Jamie Foxx's daughter say about his roles? Answers here

MANILA, Philippines – Ready, set, go. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in theaters Wednesday, April 30, in Manila. 

Andrew Garfield and real-life girlfriend Emma Stone return to the big screen as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This time around Peter/Spider-Man faces off against best friend Harry Osborn/Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan), the Rhino (Paul Giamatti), and Electro (Jamie Foxx), plus the powerful Oscorp institution itself. 

Plus, Peter faces what all regular people go through – the possibility of having to let loved ones go. In the movie, Gwen gets an opportunity of a lifetime to study abroad. Will this be end end of the Peter-Gwen pairing? 

View photos from the film here: 

Here are 6 cool facts about the movie:

1. ‘Hipster’ Harry Osborn?

Peter’s best friend Harry is played by Dane DeHaan. In the movie, Harry learns that he’s got the same long-term illness that his dad has, and this triggers the rest of the film’s drama. How did Dane come up with his own spin on the character?

FRIENDS. Harry and Peter start out friends, but is this their destiny?

“My take going in was that Harry was a trust fund baby – a hipster New York kid,” says Dane. “That’s a very specific place, a very specific type of person – right down to the way he looks. Harry latches on to his material possessions, because they are the only things that he’s not afraid of showing – he can use this materialistic quality to hide what’s on the inside.

2. Shailene Woodley’s (as Mary Jane Watson) scenes were cut from ‘Spider-Man 2’ 

Back in 2013, The Hollywood Reporter said that Shailene Woodley’s scenes as Mary Jane Watson were cut from movie. This was because director Marc Webb opted to “streamline” the story and shine the spotlight on Peter and Gwen. 

Aside from Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson is another one of Peter Parker’s love interests in the comic’s long-running stories. 

3. On Spider-Man’s unique fighting style 

PLAYFUL. Spider-Man's fighting style plays on the lighter side of things

Unlike other superheroes, Spider-Man’s fighting style is more playful, with a dash of physical comedy.  

“Peter Parker trips over his own two feet, but Spider-Man can trip anybody up. He’s a trickster,” says Andrew. “One of the defining characteristics of the trickster is they turn their enemies’ weaknesses against themselves – rather than throwing punches and kicks, they are making their opponents beat themselves.”

To pull it off, Andrew trained and practiced and studied the masters. “Cal McCrystal was our ‘Clown Deviser’ – our name for a physical comedy consultant. There were certain scenes, certain ideas, that came directly out of conversations that I’d had with Cal. And I love Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton – I admire that skill. We had an opportunity to explore that as Spider-Man has the same kind of physical foolishness. 

4. Jamie Foxx’s daughter had something to say about his character, Electro 

JAMIE FOXX. The actor is almost unrecognizable as Electro

“When I told my daughter that I was going to be in a Spider-Man movie, she said, ‘Who are you gonna play?’ I said, ‘Electro.’ She said, ‘Oh, Dad, you know you’re gonna get beat up. You know that, right?’” 

5. It took about 4 hours for Dane DeHaan to become his on-screen alterego

GREEN GOBLIN. This is a far cry from polished, clean-cut, wealthy Harry Osborn

“The makeup designer, Sarah Rubano, and I developed together a whole evolution of the makeup,” says Dane. “It starts from a pimple on my neck and starts to spread to his face –something Harry tries to hide but can’t. 

“And then, once he takes the spider venom in this desperate attempt to save himself, it accelerates the disease to an almost fatal stage – the same stage that Norman Osborn is at when he dies. I wore a few prosthetics – ears and a nose tip – but it was mostly individual sores and wounds that we fairly specifically chose. I also wore teeth and contacts – he has the Goblin’s menacing smile and those big eyes. The shape of my hair pays homage to the purple hood that the Green Goblin wears in the comics.”

6. Paul Giamatti got the role of the Rhino after an appearance on Conan

PAUL AS RHINO. Paul Giamatti apparently got the role after an appearance on 'Conan'

“As a joke, Conan asked me if I could be in one of the Spider-Man movies, what would I want to play, and I said the Rhino,” says Paul. “I guess Marc Webb saw it, and when they were coming around to do this one, I met him and he asked, ‘Would you seriously want to play the Rhino?’ It’s such a weird fantasy thing – I feel like I’m seven!”

He goes on to say that the Rhino was actually his favorite character growing up. “He’s just brute force, and a little kid loves that sort of thing,” the actor says, describing the Rhino’s appeal. “You can just destroy everything, go through a brick wall. The Rhino had that great mean face all the time and was cool-looking.” – Rappler.com

All photos courtesy of Columbia Pictures. Unless otherwise indicated, trivia from press releases provided by Columbia Pictures

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