You may have heard that the Spider-Man franchise is getting the reboot treatment – after the centerpieces of the franchise, director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire, couldn’t commit to making Spider-Man 4 as quickly as the studio desired, execs decided it was about time to just start the whole thing over anyway (why does Hollywood freeze up at the idea of making a superhero flick that isn’t an origin story? we know how Spider-Man got started, find some other interesting angle on his character, it’s not that freaking hard). Director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) has signed on to helm the new and improved Spider-Man franchise, which should get started some time in summer 2012.
Meanwhile, rumors have been swirling for weeks over who would be cast as the intrepid Peter Parker; over a dozen names have been tossed around at one point or another, including Jamie Bell, Josh Hutcherson, Anton Yelchin, Logan Lerman and Aaron Johnson. But, yesterday Columbia Pictures announced that the role has been filled by Andrew Garfield.
You may not recognize Garfield now, but odds are you’ll know him by the end of the year. The young Brit has already received quite a bit of attention already in his native country for his stunning performances in two made-for-TV dramas, Boy A and the Red Riding trilogy- 1974. He plans on making his presence known in Hollywood this fall, where he’s got plum roles in the uneasy sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go and David Fincher’s Facebook flick, The Social Network.
So, this film has definitely got some serious talent – will it translate into blockbuster success? The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most lucrative in film history, but are we really ready to go back to the whole high school geek plot-line again already?
Alright. I confess. The BBC is higher, but yours was more informative!
So let me get this straight.. they’re redoing the whole thing? As in… we’re going back to Peter Parker is a nerdy high school kid in love with the girl next door Mary Jane? Who gets bitten by a spider on a field trip and transforms? REALLY? AGAIN?! What is the point of doing it again?? Besides, I loved Tobey Maguire as Spiderman. This is so strange. I do not understand. And I was almost excited that this kid is British, but then realized he’d have to get rid of the accent for the film. And I like how they considered every dorkily cute young guy in Hollywood for the role. I’m still in love with Anton Yelchin from “Star Trek.”