Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. The sequel to the 2002 film Spider-Man, it is the second film in Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco reprised their roles as Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, respectively. Set two years after the original, the film focuses on Peter Parker struggling to manage both his personal life and his duties as Spider-Man. The main villain in this film is Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), who takes a turn for the diabolical following a failed experiment and the death of his wife. Using his mechanical tentacles, Octavius is dubbed "Doctor Octopus" and threatens to endanger the lives of the people of New York City. The film was released in 2004 in the United States by Columbia Pictures, and received high acclaim! from critics. It grossed over $783 million worldwide, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The film's success led to the final sequel, Spider-Man 3. A novelization was written by Peter David and published by Del Rey in May, 2004.