Garfield as Spider-Man?
The new Spider-Man has been cast… and yes, it’s Garfield.
Andrew Garfield.
Never heard of him? Us neither. But apparently he’s up and coming very fast, as can be imagined by a casting decision this high-profile for what will be Sony’s big tentpole movie of 2012.
And apparently, he’s willing to work cheap. Deadline Hollywood says that his pay scale on the film is around $500,000 salary on the first film,
$1 million for the second one, and $2 million for the third film. Considering Tobey Maguire was making at least ten times those numbers, that takes a huge weight off the cost of the film. If we assume other actors are similarly priced, this thing could actually come in under budget.
Press release follows…
CULVER CITY, Calif., July 1, 2010 – After a comprehensive worldwide
casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker
when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The
new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb
from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will
produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Today’s confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly
anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop
culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed
every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of
the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin
preparing for the coveted role.
The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film
history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed
more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.
On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, “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 selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun,
Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting
upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment. B-roll footage of the
announcement will be available via satellite later this evening — see
uplink times coordinate information below.
Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after
young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning
only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside,
some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him
international praise.
Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the
upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for
Spike Jonze on his robot love story I’m Here, which premiered
at Sundance this year. He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley
and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go, due for
release later this year.
Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam’s The
Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer,
Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger, Robert
Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford,
Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films’ “Red Riding Trilogy –
1974” directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including
Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a
young ex-con in John Crowley’s “Boy A,” for which he earned the best
actor BAFTA in 2008.
Garfield’s career began in theatre and in 2006 his performances in
“Beautiful Thing” (Sound Space/Kit Productions), “The Overwhelming,” and
“Burn / Chatroom / Citizenship” (Royal National Theatre) won him the
Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard
awards and the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the
Critics Circle Theatre Awards. Other notable theatre credits include
“Romeo and Juliet” (Manchester Royal Exchange) and “Kes” (Manchester
Royal Exchange), for which he received the Most Promising Newcomer Award
at the Manchester Evening News Awards 2004.
And a hat tip to Marc Alan Fishman for putting the cat in the body stocking. Hope the scratches heal soon.
And a hat tip to Marc Alan Fishman for putting the cat in the body stocking. Hope the scratches heal soon.