Andrew Garfield IS Spider-Man

From ComingSoon.net:

Sony Pictures has officially announced that Andrew Garfield has landed the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in director Marc Webb's untitled Spider-Man [reboot]! The film focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises. The action adventure will open in 3D and 2D theaters on July 3, 2012.


Here's the official press release followed by the announcement photos:

'After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Today's confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.

The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.

On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, 'Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.'

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, 'Spider-Man is a classic superhero -- a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker.'

Producer Avi Arad added, 'I'm incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.'

Producer Laura Ziskin said, 'We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen.'

The selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun, Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside, some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him international praise.

Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for Spike Jonze on his robot love story I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance this year. He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, due for release later this year.

Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger; Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films' Red Riding Trilogy – 1974 directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's Boy A, for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008."

Too bad Spider-Man is no longer an American icon.

SPIDER-MAN goes to Pandora!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Avatar producer John Landau revealed to MTV that Marc Webb, director of new untitled Spider-Man film, met with James Cameron last week to discuss the movie in 3D. It was announced last week that the studio intends to go that route.

'Last [week] we met the director of [the next Spider-Man film],' Landau said. '[Webb] wants to do the next one in 3D, which they've announced that they want to do. So, we want to try to support that as much as possible.'

Landau added that they want to support filmmakers who will shoot in 3D from the get-go.

'Other movies are turning to it now, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't agree with. Clash of The Titans is coming out in 3D; they're converting it very hastily into 3D. I'm not in favor of that,' Landau explained. 'If you want to shoot a 3D movie, shoot it in 3D.'"

Caught In the Webb

From ComingSoon.net:

"Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe-nominated Best Picture (500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, 'At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.'

Arad and Ziskin added jointly, 'Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.'

Webb said, 'This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.'

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, 'I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next.'

Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, 'The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world's most iconic superheroes is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.'

Marc Webb has won acclaim with his film debut (500) Days of Summer. He has several MTV VMAs™ including 2009's Best Director award for Green Day's '21 s', 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI's 'Miss ', and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects' 'Move Along'. The Music Video Production Association honored him in 2006 as the Director of the Year for his work with Weezer, AAR, and My Chemical Romance.

In addition to two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (musical or comedy), his first feature film, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature. Webb was also awarded the Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts, by the National Board of Review."

That was actually the good news. Here's the bad news:

"Marc Webb is going to direct the Spider-Man reboot. In reporting on the news, the Risky Business blog has some possible more details on the project:

'Webb, who has options on two sequels, will now tackle a Jamie Vanderbilt script that sees a Spider-Man movie that will look and feel very different from the big movies that went before it.

The plan for the movie is to be in the $80 million range and feature a cast of relative unknowns (so you can quash those Rob Pattinson or Gordon-Levitt rumors at this point). And the story will be pared down to center on a high school kid who is dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though the teen had the power to stop it.

The touchstone for the new movie will not be the 1960s comics, which were the inspiration behind the movies by Raimi, who grew on up on them, but rather this past decade’s 'Ultimate Spider-Man' comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley where the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst."

Who will replace Sam Raimi?

From ComingSoon.net:

"After Monday's big announcement that Sony is rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, the attention has turned to which director and star will bring the new version to life.

According to Deadline Hollywood, (500) Days of Summer and music video director Marc Webb is the frontrunner for the director's chair, but that the studio has a 'wish list' of directors that also includes James Cameron [who was interested in directing a Spider-Man film before Sam Raimi was on board for the first film and his scriptment apparently matches the studio's request to make the film darker and edgier], David Fincher and Wes Anderson. You would think that District 9 helmer Neill Blomkamp is somewhere on that list as well.

The site says that Webb has met with the Spidey producers and studio executives to talk about getting the movie underway later this year for a summer 2012 release. The studio is also reportedly wanting to shoot the film in 3D."

Okay. Not the worst of directors but nobody's heard of this guy. Only one noteworthy film. Sam Raimi had Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness (my favorite Evil Dead film), The Quick and the Dead (a Western), For Love of the Game and The Gift under his belt when the proposal for Spider-Man came along.

I still say nobody can outdo the fun of the original Spider-Man films. Nobody. And it's because of that it will take some doings by Sony to say "This is the Spider-Man that fans are waiting for." Oh, wait. No, it's not because the majority of them loved the originals!!