Screenwriter Alvin Sargent has signed to write the third "Spider-Man" movie and may write the fourth, Daily Variety said Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

The paper said Sargent has already started work on "Spider-Man 3," which has a tentative release date of May 2007 and has an option to write another "Spider-Man" screenplay after that.

Sargent, 73, is a two-time Oscar winner who began his career in Hollywood working on such '60s TV series as "Route 66" and "Ben Casey." He won Oscars for "Ordinary People" in 1980 and "Julia" in 1977 and was nominated for an Oscar for "Paper Moon" in 1973.

Sargent is widely credited with fixing a variety of problems on last year's "Spider-Man 2" screenplay and ended up getting sole screen credit for his work. He also worked -- uncredited -- on the screenplay for the first "Spider-Man" movie in 2002.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has not yet announced a storyline or villain for "Spider-Man 3," but Variety said Sargent has already worked up a story with director Sam Raimi and his brother, "Darkman" and "Army of Darkness" writer Ivan Raimi.