After a long search and a list of contenders that included Jamie Bell (“Jumper,” “The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn”), Josh Hutcherson (“Zathura,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Alden Ehrenreich (“Tetro“), and Frank Dillane (one of the evil kids from the recent “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince“), Aaron Johnson and Anton Yelchin, the man to play Peter Parker has been found.
Sony has officially announced that Andrew Garfield is “Spider-Man.”
Director Marc Webb had been on the hunt for an actor to take on the iconic role for quite time, amassing a strong list of potential candidates. Screen tests went underway earlier this month and Garfield has emerged from a strong pack of young actors vying for the part. Garfield isn’t as well known as some of his competition, but he earned considerable acclaim for his turn in “Boy A,” appeared in Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus” and has roles in two highly anticipated films this fall, Mark Romanek’s “Never Let Me Go” and David Fincher’s “The Social Network.”
We actually listed the actor in our Actors To Watch/Breakthrough Performances of 2008, so yes, we think he’s a great choice.
We honestly thought that an announcement wouldn’t be made until Comic-Con, but with that event only a few weeks away we’re guessing more news on the film will be unveiled at that time. Let’s not forget that Garfield was one of our top choices when we wrote a Who Could Direct & Star In “Spider-Man” feature back in January of this year. The film starts production in December and as previously announced, will be shot in 3D. The newly rebooted “Spider-Man” will sling into theaters on July 3, 2012.
Small update. In case you’re in denial and are complaining that Garfield is too young (they’re apparently going to age-up the character in college, don’t worry), and you think maybe this is just all a bad dream. Sony threw a press conference and unveiled Garfield with the filmmakers in the flesh. [via Collider]