Garfield Swings With "Spider-Man"

Actor Andrew Garfield has been cast as 'Peter Parker' in Sony's upcoming "Spider-Man" feature reboot.

Garfield is currently in director David Finch's "The Social Network," playing Facebook co-founder 'Eduardo Saverin'.

Marc Webb will direct "Spider-Man 4" from a screenplay by Jamie Vanderbilt, for producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin.

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

"Spider-Man is a classic superhero, " said Columbia Pictures, " -- 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."

"Spider-Man 4" will focus on the character's early high school years, as published in Marvel Comics "The Ultimate Spider-Man", that defined Parker's adult life as the radioactive spider-bitten wall-crawler, aka 'Spider-Man'.

Director Webb ("(500) days Of Summer") is looking to bring some fresh romance to the angst of 'Peter Parker', attracting more of a teenage female audience.

"At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world., " said Amy Pascal, co-chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president, Columbia Pictures.

"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."

The new film starts shooting later this year.

"I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity, " said Webb.

"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'."

Webb has won several awards including MTV's 2009 Best Director award for Green Day's "21 Guns" music video, the 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 also honored him in 2006 as 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, was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "(500) Days Of Summer", Green Day's "21 Guns" and The All-American Rejects' "Move Along"...

Radical Imprints Worthington's Full Clip

Radical Publishing and Full Clip Productions report they have entered into an 'imprint' deal, with Full Clip, a company headed by actor Sam Worthington ("Avatar") and his partners Michael Schwarz/John Schwarz, to develop intellectual property, to be produced under the Radical banner.

Worthington and John Schwarz will also star in the film adaptations of select projects.

The first project in development under the imprint is "Damaged", created by John and Michael Schwarz, written by Eisner Award winner David Lapham, following two brothers committed to justice in different ways – one inside the law, one outside of it.

"...Now, with the end of their careers approaching, they must train their replacements, hoping to remake each in their image. But the vigilante code has changed and the brothers are left unprepared for the true lawlessness and corruption that is about to be unleashed..."

"As a lifelong fan of comics, I'm so excited to have the chance to create material which I can then personally bring to life on screen," Worthington said. "This is a great opportunity..."

Radical Publishing, run by Levine and Jesse Berger, recently reported development of a feature adaptation of its soon-to-debut graphic novel, "Legends: The Enchanted", with Imagine Entertainment.

Radical is also adapting "The Last Days of American Crime" with Worthington attached to star/produce, as well as the property "Oblivion", currently being developed with "TRON: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski.

Radical Publishing currently has 19 titles in circulation, published in 7 countries, as well as a catalog containing more than 70 properties and 500 characters.

Click the images to enlarge...