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"...