Andrew Garfield, a virtual unknown British actor whose highest profile role was a part in last year’s Heath Ledger bomb, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” will play Spider-Man in the new sequel.
The move to tap Garfield to play mild-mannered geek Peter Parker, who morphs into Spider-Man, is a calculated gamble by Sony and new director Marc Webb.
The studio is hoping the character, not the actor carries the film, after Toby McGuire built the franchise in three previous films.
He dropped out of Spider-Man 4 along with previous director Sam Rami over story and scheduling issues, more code words that Sony is into this sequel solely for the money.
The untitled movie starts shooting in December and is slated to debut in July 2012.
“Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents,” Webb said.
“He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”
But whether Garfield can pull off the all-American role is subject to debate.
He’s never carried a movie on his own, much less had a major role in a major film, and his only other major film 2007’s “Lions for Lambs” was another major stinker.
Among Garfield’s other credits are director David Fincher’s upcoming “The Social Network,” about the founders of Facebook, and “Never Let Me Go.” with Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan.
Besides, he’s thoroughly British, while Peter Parker is thoroughly American.
“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,” said Avi Arad, one of the producers on the “Spider-Man” franchise.
“We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”
The new film, which will be shot in 3-D, focuses on a younger Peter Parker. Garfield is 26, while Maguire is 35.
Sony!Please explain,What happened concerning Josh Hutcherson? Great young American actor.He is the right age,versatile and talented.They could film years of Spidey sequels with him, not quite 18 yet.Was it agents,money,or something else? Andrew Garfield is 27,and looks his age. I just don’t get it.
I have to say I also loved BOY A, and think Garfield was marvelous in that film. But as Spider-Man? In A Word…No. He’s way too old – and old LOOKING – for the part. The producers are kidding themselves to think that this casting will work – just because Christian Bale has been stellar as Batman does NOT mean that casting a Brit will work. They would have been much better off to go with a teenager like Logan Lerman or Josh Hutcherson, or even Brit Aaron Johnson, who already pulled off the wide-eyed teenager in KickAss. I’m so disappointed in Avi Arad this time – usually he’s a pretty smart cookie.
Im sorry but has the person that wrote this article ever seen “Boy A” he carried that film and he was amazing in it..
i agree that he is miscast as ‘Peter Parker’ especially if the movie is supposed to take place in High School.
But hey in the end this always happens, people bitches and whined when Tobey was cast for the part..i bet history will repeat itself…
[...] work, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and a handful of other films. While The Improper.com calls it a âColossal Mis-Castingâ, The Hero Complex told us that Amy Pascal, co-chairman [...]