3 Jul – After months of speculation and talent scouting, it seems the producers behind the "Spider-Man" franchise have settled with their latest Spiderman: Andrew Garfield. According to Columbia Pictures, Andrew Garfield will join director Marc Webb ("500 Days Of Summer") for the revamped version of the "Spider-Man" franchise, due to start production sometime later this year.
Andrew Garfield ("The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus") might be a new face to the Hollywood entertainment industry, but he has starred in "Lions For Lambs" with Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, as well as "The Other Boleyn Girl" with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. He will also be seen in upcoming movie "The Social Network" alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake. The studio's decision came as quite a surprise when most of the shortlisted actors have made quite a splash in the film industry. They are: Aaron Johnson ("Kick-Ass"), Anton Yelchin ("Star Trek"), Logan Lerman ("Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief"), Jamie Bell ("Jumper"), Alden Ehrenreich ("Tetro"), Frank Dillane ("Harry Potter and the Half -Blood Prince"), Michael Angarano ("The Forbidden Kingdom") and Josh Hutcherson ("Bridge To Terabithia").
According to press, Columbia Pictures is said to have scaled down the budget for "Spider-Man" for fear that that original director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire would be too costly. Eventually, Marc Webb was roped in to helm the movie. Webb also released a statement, praising the future Peter Parker: "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." The untitled "Spider-Man" movie is slated for release 5 July 2012 in Malaysia, while Singapore release is yet to be confirmed.