After much speculation about a fourth film in the ‘Spider-Man’ series, it is reported that star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi have signed up for the blockbuster.

Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that Sony Pictures wants the film in cinemas for May 2011.

It adds that there is no deal at present for Kirsten Dunst to return as Mary Jane Watson, but that her character will be featured in the film and the studio would not recast.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily: “The studio is trying to figure out if it can feasibly shoot ‘Spider-Man 4′ and ‘…5′ at the same time because doing that is so cost effective and ‘it wasn’t so easy to get everybody back together’.”

Principal photography is not scheduled to start until the autumn of 2009.