In what has been an absolutely tiring merry-go-round of would-be actors vying for the starring role in Columbia Pictures’ franchise reboot of Spider-Man, we FINALLY get word of who will be shooting the spidey web at baddies….with teen angst.

Back in April we asked who you thought should play Spider-Man and the overwhelming response was that whoever he was going to be, he better be good and he better deliver! Back then, the list was full of younger contenders who would give us that “high school Peter Parker” that Marc Webb was looking for. Someone that could really deliver a character driven role of a teenager struggling with being both human and super.

Columbia Pictures has announced that British actor Andrew Garfield will dawn the red tights and swing into action on July 12, 2012 as the new Spider-Man. From the official press release, “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.”

Marc Webb, the director of the darling (500) Days of Summer had this to say about the casting, “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.”

In case you, like me, aren’t familiar with his work, here are some of his highlights: Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, he supposedly won a BAFTA (British version of Academy Awards) for his role in Boy A, and he will be starring in David Fincher’s upcoming The Social Network, the film about the guys who started Facebook.

So, what does this news do to your anticipation or lack thereof for Spider-Man? Can he pull it off and make you forget Spider-Man 3?

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We reported just last week about the possible rumor that (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb would be taking over as the director of the new Spider-Man franchise that Sony is rebooting, and yesterday Sony made it official in a press release.

Before we get to the official word from Sony, some of the more interesting news that’s come out so far about the entire deal include the possibility of Webb directing a complete trilogy of new Spider-Man films, as well as the story focusing more on the high school Peter Parker who already has his powers and has to cope with being a teenager and Spider-Man at the same time. According to the press release, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony, is really in love with Webb’s vision and has this to say about the story:

“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.”

CULVER CITY, Calif., January , 2010 – 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 superheros 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 Guns,” 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI’s “Miss Murder,” 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.

What do you think? With an estimated budget at only $80 million, how does a smaller, more focused-on-character Spider-Man film sound to you?

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According to Mike Fleming over at Deadline Hollywood, (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb has jumped to the top of the list of directors that Sony would like to helm its new Spider-Man franchise. There have been some big names already talked about like James Cameron, David Fincher, and Wes Anderson, but the emergence of Webb to the top is a huge surprise to everyone.

Supposedly, according to Fleming’s sources, Webb has already met with the film’s producers and executives, “looking to get the picture into production later this year for a Summer 2012 release.” Webb has no superhero experience to date and although at first that might make some of you loyal fans nervous, remember that both Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan had never done a superhero film before.

What do you think? Ryan, since you’ve seen (500) Days of Summer, do you think Marc could handle the new Spidey world?

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I am just learning, from Nikki Finke the queen of breaking news, that Sony has decided to scrap plans for the upcoming Spider-Man 4 film and instead reboot the entire franchise without Sam Raimi and company.

According to the report, Raimi apparently told Sony, “I can’t make your date. I can’t go forward creatively” and as soon as Sony heard that, they immediately scrapped plans for Spider-Man 4 and went into “franchise reboot” mode based on a script by Jamie Vanderbilt with a new director and a new cast.

I think all of us saw this coming with as many problems that the film has had getting off the ground, with script problems, with the amount of casting indecision, with the villain rumors, and even the fact that Raimi wanted to go “back to the basics.”

Now, let’s start the discussion on the most mysterious part of the story: rebooting the franchise? What’s that going to be like? Didn’t we already see Peter Parker start from a nerd and turn into Spider-Man? Is there a completely new storyline that hasn’t been touched yet? Was Peter Parker actually black?

What do you guys think?

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While browsing around the “inter-movie-net” the other day, I stumbled across an exclusive article over at our friends at FirstShowing that they received from Movieline that detailed information about two more villains joining Spider-Man. As of right now, Movieline is reporting, cited by a very close inside source, that none other than John Malkovich is in talks to star as the villain “The Vulture.” I won’t try and explain to you who he is because as is the comic book world, he has a very long and exhaustive history and has had many incarnations. Essentially, he is an older villain who employs a flying harness that gives him super strength and youthful energy, enough to fight Spider-Man I would assume.

The other interesting tidbit from that same article is that the great Anne Hathaway (who has been previously linked to other Spider-Man roles) is rumored to be playing a character named Felicia Hardy, who is the altar ego of a villain known as the “Vulturess.” Connection perhaps?

I personally love both of those actors and would love to see them join the Spider-Man universe, but that’s it. Don’t add anymore than this. Two villains who may possibly be father and daughter are enough. Malkovich is greatness and Hathaway will add some much-needed cred to the strong female lead.

What do you guys think of this rumor?

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According to their report, a production insider has confirmed that the storyline only calls for one villain, Dr. Curt Connors himself. Last week, UGO reported that Dylan Baker, who portrayed Dr. Connors, got a call from Sam Raimi about the project. Who knows what was said on the phone, but one doesn’t have to take too many guesses as to what they talked about. Until anything comes out officially, we’re going to continue to consider this story a rumor, but the idea of a more streamlined Spider-Man film with just a solitary villain is exciting.

What do you think about all of this? Patrick, being our Truth On Cinema Comic Book Junkie, what say you?

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Discussion: I am not a fan of her and never have been, so this news doesn’t excite me really, but I guess for continuity, it makes sense. How do you see her fitting into the new movie? Personally, I’d like to see her get killed off early and turn Peter Parker loose on a revenge-thirsty mission…what do you think?

source: The Movie Blog

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In the article, /film discusses who the next villain will be and they surmise that Dr. Connors will be playing “Lizard.” Dr. Connors was played by Dylan Baker in Spider-Man 2 and 3.

Discussion: What do you think about the possibility of shooting back to back? What villain do want to see included? What did/didn’t you like about the Spider-Man franchise?

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