New Spider-Man Image Shows Mask & Web Shooters

Just over a week ago the very first image of The Social Network star Andrew Garfield in costume as Spider-Man hit the web (pun intended) and since then, details and set photos have been surfacing almost daily.

In what ways will director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) differentiate this movie from the (very) recent Spider-Man films? We know Daily Bugle’s infamous J. Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker love interest Mary Jane won’t be around this go. Outside of the character selections, the biggest change for the film, at least visually, will be in the new Spider-Man costume which we have only see so far from the official mask-less Garfield pic and some distant set photos.

MTV shared the latest photo, released from the set of the Sony Pictures Spider-Man reboot, which reveals the best full look yet of Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man in action. This is also our first legitimate close look at Spidey’s new mask and the confirmed mechanical web-shooters, built into his costume.

Click to enlarge:

The new Spider-Man outfit designed for Garfield’s lankier build is noticeably a lot brighter in color, looking and feeling more like a comic book or cartoon (or an Olympic swimmer). A part of the reason for the significant design change over Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy design is to differentiate it from the familiar Tobey Maguire look and more importantly, to compensate for the downside of shooting in 3D, the darkening caused by shooting it in RED EPIC 3D.

So, what you see here is not quite how it’ll look in the final product. Obviously. From the images thus far, I still do prefer Maguire’s sleek and modern costume over this design but I’ll give Garfield a chance to show me it in action.

As for the mechanical web-shooters, you can see what they look like built into the costume here. But what catches my attention is the same metallic look on his feet.

With a solid idea of what the new iteration of the Spider-Man franchise title hero will look like, we wait anxiously for a look at The Lizard (Rhys Ifans).

Share your thoughts in the comments and with us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

The untitled Spider-Man reboot hits 2D and 3D theaters July 3, 2012.

Source: MTV

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Spider-Man Set Photos Catch Masked Spidey in Traffic

It’s been a busy week for Spider-Fans. Five days ago we debuted an official photo of Andrew Garfield wearing Spider-Man‘s iconic red and blue tights and yesterday, we reported on Emma Stone’s confirmation that Peter Parker will utilize mechanical web-shooters in the reboot.

Today, we’re getting a batch of on-the-scene set photos from the Spider-Man shoot in Los Angeles – including one long-range shot of the comic book hero in action.

Despite its New York storyline, the Spider-Man reboot is scheduled to shoot primarily in Los Angeles – to take advantage of the West Coast/Hollywood resources. This particular set of photos comes from last night’s shoot outside of the Museum of Contemporary Art – on Grand Avenue.

The first image, courtesy of OnLocationVacations, features Spider-Man on foot – dodging traffic. The quality of the photo is poor (to say the least) but should give eager fans a quick snack, ahead of more official images.

Despite featuring a fully costumed Spider-Man, mask and all, the image quality makes it hard to do much speculating – or to give us an indication of whether we’ll be seeing a “Classic” Spidey visage or the more-modern “Big Eye” mask introduced by Todd McFarlane in the 90s (as well as featured in the Ultimate series).

In addition to the Spidey-in-action shot. The Daily Blam! has some static shots of prop-vehicles from the set including a Daily Bugle van, a NYPD SUV, and a caution sign featuring a curiously lizard-like animal.

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Aside from the not-so-subtle lizard preparing to nip at the finger in the caution sign, the prop photos don’t hold much mystery – only offering a simple glimpse at how director Marc Webb is transforming Los Angeles into the Big Apple for the Spider-Man reboot. Even the website for The Daily Bugle (as featured on the side of the van) merely redirects to the website for the Mid-Ohio Comic Con.

Last, we’ve got set photos from an earlier shoot featuring Denis Leary as George Stacy, courtesy of PacificCoastNews (via ComingSoon).

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We’ll keep you posted as more photos from the Los Angeles Spider-Man shoot appear.

The Spider-Man reboot swings into 2D and 3D theaters around the U.S. on July 3rd, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know what you think of the photos.

Sources: OnLocationVacations, The Daily Blam!, PacificCoastNews (via ComingSoon)

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C. Thomas Howell Joins the Spider-Man Reboot

Some projects in Hollywood seem like they never get off the ground (see all the turmoil surrounding The Three Stooges), while other project like The Social Network go from idea to potential Oscar winner in only a few months.

The Spider-Man reboot seems to fall in the latter category (Oscar-winning potential excluded) because it feels like just a few months ago we were discussing the news of how Sony let everyone attached to the Spider-Man 4 project go, decided to reboot the series, hired Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) to direct and announced Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) would be the new web-slinger.

Even as production on the Spider-Man reboot began last month – as verified by the set pictures of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) – Webb is still adding actors to the roster and the latest to join his crew is C. Thomas Howell. There is no official word by Sony on Howell’s character in Spider-Man other than that his name will be Ray.

There aren’t many characters from the Spider-Man canon named Ray, so the only comic book-related possibility to choose from is the father of Peter Parker’s current comic book girlfriend, Ray Cooper. With the knowledge that Gwen Stacy is going to be Peter’s main squeeze in this film, the chances of the character being Ray Cooper are slim.

It was rumored that Zooey Deschanel could be joining the cast as Betty Brant and maybe Howell will play her father – of course that’s only speculation on our part. More realistically, Howell’s character is new to the Spider-Man universe and was created specifically for the film.  We already know the Curt Connors and Flash Thompson are returning to the story and Denis Leary will be Gwen Stacy’s father, George.  Only time will tell how many other characters will join the party, but as production ramps up over the next couple weeks I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of news.

Howell had a great run during the ’80s with roles in popular films like The Outsiders, Tank and Red Dawn. Unfortunately, the quality roles available to him started to decline as he has starred in mainly direct-to-video films such as War of the Worlds and The Da Vinci Treasure, both produced by The Asylum.  Maybe a role in Spider-Man is exactly what he needs to kick-start his career once more?

Spider-Man swings into theaters July 3rd, 2012.

Follow us on Twitter for TV and Movie News @Walwus and @ScreenRant

Source: EW

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‘Spider-Man’ Reboot Set Images: Gwen Stacy at a Funeral

Filming for Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot – starring Andrew Garfield as the titular superhero and Emma Stone as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Gwen Stacy – is officially underway. Somewhere, Sam Raimi is wringing his fists toward the heavens and screaming, “Damn you, Sony, and your rebooting ways!”

Earlier this week, we brought you pictures from the red carpet displaying Emma Stone in her beautiful, natural blonde glory (as opposed to, say, the synthetic red hair we’re used to). And today, JustJared has pictures straight from the set of the Spider-Man reboot – depicting what appears to be a funeral.

Gloomy cathedral? Check. Relentless rain? Check. Black umbrellas? Check. Black Cars? Check. Dark clothing? Double check. Yeah, it’s a typical movie funeral, all right.

There’s no telling whose funeral it could possibly be – after all, nearly 200 people die in New York City every day – but using context clues and the visual absence of Captain George Stacy (played by funnyman and star of FX’s Rescue Me, Dennis Leary), we can assume that it’s probably Gwen’s father in the casket.

Check out the photos of Gwen at the (funeral?) below:

Gwen Stacy’s father – named George in the main 616 Marvel Universe and John in the Ultimate Universe – was a New York police captain. In the 616 Universe he appreciated Spider-Man’s work and tried to prove to the public that the red and blue wallcrawler wasn’t a menace. In the Ultimate universe, John admired Spider-Man’s vigilante justice, sort of, but was no fan of the hero nonetheless. In 616, he was old (ish) and had the white hair to prove it. In Ultimate, he was fairly young and tough, much like Dennis Leary. In both universes, he died sacrificing his life to save someone else’s.

Therefore, you can pretty much guarantee that the funeral is his.

Meanwhile, The New York Times recently talked to Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) about his role as the villain Van Adder. His response was certainly…telling:

“Is that his name? These science-fiction names don’t mean a lot to me. He’s a character who, I think, was not in the comics or perhaps a minor character. I’ve read some pages, but the whole script hasn’t been made available to me.”

Well, it’s good to know that we’re not the only ones in the dark. I guess.

The Spider-Man reboot hits theaters July 3, 2012.

Sources: JustJared & The New York Times

Header image: John Romita Jr., Amazing Spider-Man #600

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Andrew Garfield Talks ‘Spider-Man’, Web-Swinging & Character

MTV recently caught up with Social Network star Andrew Garfield, who will of course be playing the new Peter Parker in director Marc Webb’s upcoming Spider-Man reboot.

In the interview, Garfield talked (more) about what it’s like being tapped to play one of the most iconic and recognizable superheroes in the world, how his web-swinging skills are fairing and how Marc Webb’s vision of Peter Parker / Spider-Man will be all about character.

Former Mary Jane Watson Kirsten Dunst recently gave a piece of advice to new cast franchise stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (who will play love interest Gwen Stacy): Get your web-swinging skills in order. (OK, so I’m paraphrasing.) MTV asked Garfield if he was truly ready to heed Dunst’s advice and ride the web, and we’re not sure the actor understood the question correctly:

Andrew Garfield: I’m OK with swinging. I’ve been swinging since I was four. Wait, no, that can be misinterpreted!

Hey, if you can’t make a few jokes about “swinging” what good is it playing Spider-Man, am I right?

As for the challenge (and immense pressure) of playing iconic fanboy favorite, Spider-Man, Garfield had this to say:

AG: I was told by someone who should be listened to — I’m not going to say who it was — he said, “Don’t try and live up to it. Don’t think you have to live up to what that image and that symbol means to people.” And first I thought that was really reassuring. But then you go, “No, I really want to live up to that symbol.”

When I was 12-years-old I saw the struggle Peter Parker was going through to be of use to society, I wanted to live up to that. And I realized that even Peter Parker is trying to live up to that symbol of Spider-Man he’s created. That’s what makes him so special: he’s undeniably human and going through the same struggles as everyone else. So you try to live up to that symbol and then you have to be OK not living up to it, because not even Peter Parker can do it.

Finally, while answering a different question, Garfield addressed how Marc Webb is approaching this Spider-man reboot from the all-important angle of character matters first and foremost – an attitude that Garfield wholeheartedly supports:

AG: …I’m really excited for Marc Webb, because he’s a real stickler for that sort of stuff. He wants everything to come from Peter Parker’s dilemma, Gwen Stacy’s dilemma, Uncle Ben’s dilemma — everyone’s struggles, so that in those bigger sequences, it’s actually not just a cool fight, but there’s heart and specificity.

Garfield also talked about what it’s like acting in front of a green screen; the advice about Peter Parker given by Stan Lee; and finally, what Garfield learned about creating an effective comic book character onscreen while working with the late Heath Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. To read those portions of the interview, head of over to MTV.

When Andrew Garfield was first announced as the new Peter Parker I (like many Spidey fans) was scratching my head. But after seeing the kid act in The Social Network and his moving turn in Never Let me Go, I dare say we have one really talented rising star portraying the new Peter Parker. The fact that Marc Webb (who proved with 500 Days of Summer that he can be stylish, innovative and yet intimate and focused) is seemingly attacking this film from the right angle – character first – is also a very positive sign.

As former Screen Ranter Jamie Williams recently told me over on Twitter: based on the way this film is shaping up, and based on what the stars and filmmakers are saying, we shouldn’t be surprised if they end up titling this reboot Peter Parker: Spider-Man.

The Spider-Man reboot is slated to start filming in December and the film will be released in 3D on July 3, 2012.

Source: MTV

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Denis Leary To Play Gwen Stacy’s Dad in Spider-Man Reboot

With production expected to begin next month, Sony is hard at work locking down its principal cast for the 3D reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. This new take on Spider-Man will focus on Peter Parker’s days in college and will explore his relationship with Gwen Stacy while also touching on his earlier years when he was a young child when his parents were alive.

Andrew Garfield will be playing the title character and joining him so far are Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field reportedly in talks to play Parker’s aunt and uncle. Now comes word that Gwen Stacy’s dad is about to be cast…

The Hollywood Reporter has the exclusive scoop that Rescue Me star Denis Leary is currently in negotiations to play the character of George Stacy opposite Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. George is the father of Gwen and a captain of the police and in the books, his character crosses paths with Spider-Man on many occasions and is known for being a defender of his cause. At least, that’s his character in the mainstream Marvel Comics universe.

In the Ultimate Marvel Comics however, George Stacy is a younger man who’s not fond of Spidey but digs his vigilante style. The one key story point that sticks in both universes is that Mr. Stacy dies at the hands of Spider-Man”s villains so that could be an emotional trigger for Gwen in the film, should the script follow a similar path.

Since we know Mary Jane will not be a character featured in Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot, this lets the story focus on only one love interest of Peter Parker and delve deeper into her character and relationships, an opportunity not taken advantage of previously in the Sam Raimi-Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy where Bryce Dallas Howard and James Cromwell played Gwen and George respectively.

I applaud Webb and Sony Pictures for continuing to think out of the box in adding another unexpected but likable actor to the growing Spider-Man cast.

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

Spider-Man is directed by Marc Webb and written by James Vanderbilt. Filming starts in December and the film will be released in 3D on July 3, 2012.

Source: THR

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Zooey Deschanel Rumored To Join Spider-Man Reboot

Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) might not be the only attractive young lady that turns Peter Parker’s head in Sony’s Spider-Man reboot – and no, we’re not backtracking on the “no Mary Jane” promise again.

Word is that Zooey Deschanel may reunite with her 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb for the webslinger’s new movie, which officially shifts into production mode beginning next month.

Deschanel would reportedly star in the Spider-Man reboot as Elizabeth “Betty” Brant, the assistant to Peter’s fast-talking, hard-edged boss J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle. Actress Elizabeth Banks dyed her blonde locks brown to play the character in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, but Miss Brant was never a major player in those films. Showbiz Spy indicates that that could change in Webb’s reboot and claims that the director has “big plans” for the character and “wants a strong performer to carry the role and Zooey fits the bill perfectly. The role is hers if she wants it.”

The female half (naturally) of the musical duo She & Him, Deschanel is a charismatic actress who delivered memorable performances in films like Almost Famous, Elf, and Webb’s Summer indie rom-com (see what we did there?), among others. She would be a welcome addition to the Spider-Man reboot cast, which recently added Sally Field and Martin Sheen to its ranks as well.

Joseph Godon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in '500 Days of Summer'.

What exactly are these “big plans” that Webb has for Miss Brant? The character was romantically involved with Peter Parker a handful of times in the original Spider-Man comics, but things never seemed to work out between those two crazy kids (supervillains and Peter’s hero duties always tended to get in the way). Will the reboot set Betty up as a future love interest for Mr. Parker? Or might she have more of a platonic relationship with Peter in future Spider-Man installments?

Miss Bryant will definitely appear in the webslinger’s new movie, regardless of whether or not Deschanel plays her. A larger role for the character would help the reboot further distinguish itself from Raimi’s Spider-Man and provide some additional personal drama for Peter to deal with – and he can never have enough of that, right?

What do you think of the latest Spider-Man casting rumor?

Source: Showbiz Spy (via MTV)

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