Caffeinated Clint
(Not that he was ever lost)
It was announced today – at a Sony presentation in Cancun, Mexico – that young British actor Andrew Garfield (soon to be seen in “The Social Network”) will play cinema’s next Peter Parker.
One of the most coveted roles in recent months, everyone from Josh Hutcherson (“Zathura”) to Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot”) and Anton Yelchin (“Terminator Salvation”) is said to have tested for the role. But it’s Garfield, barely 16, who shot white goo from his wrists the best.
“Spider-Man” director Marc Webb says, “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.”
Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, “Spider-Man is a classic superhero — 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.”
Producer Avi Arad added, “I’m incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. 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. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”
Producer Laura Ziskin said, “We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen.”
The new “Spider-Man” flick – which unspools in 3D in 2012 – takes Peter Parker back to Highschool where he’ll ostensibly be dealing with achy-breaky heart feelings for fellow student Mary Jane Watson and struggling to deal with jock, Flash Thompson.
Speak amongst yourselves.
