Brit Actor Andrew Garfield Cast as Spider-Man!

Is it just me or is it difficult to imagine Peter Parker having tea and crumpets? This, however, might be what you see on the set of the next Spider-Man movie since Sony Pictures just announced British actor Andrew Garfield will portray the web slinger in the upcoming Spidey reboot. The 27-year-old, who was born in California and raised in the UK, is expected to start working on the film in December.

Spider-Man producer Avi Arad said: “We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”

The announcement comes after Garfield’s predecessor, Tobey Maguire, along with Kirsten Dunst, and director Sam Raimi moved on from the Spider-Man franchise. The next installment will retell the story of Spider-Man’s beginnings, when ordinary Peter Parker was bitten by a radio-active spider and became a superhero. The upcoming film has not been given an official title yet, but is scheduled to hit theaters July 3^rd, 2012.

Garfield steps into the legendary red and blue tights as a relatively unknown talent. The dual British-American citizen earned his early acting credits on numerous UK telly series including Freezing, Doctor Who, and Red Riding. In 2008 Garfield won a BAFTA TV award for best actor resulting from his work in the drama Boy A. Subsequently, Garfield earned supporting roles in well-known Hollywood films including Lions for Lambs, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus opposite the late Heath Ledger. The rising star can next be seen alongside Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in the dramatic thriller Never Let Me Go being released later this year.

Regarding the announcement, Marc Webb, who will direct Garfield in the next Spider-Man installment 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.”

I am marking Marc’s words and hoping I will love a British actor’s interpretation of a beloved American super-hero! What’s next, Geri Halliwell as Mary Jane and Margaret Thatcher as Aunt May!?!?

Knightley and Mulligan Join Forces to Never Let Me Go!

The trailer for an upcoming Brit film called Never Let Me Go was recently released and it looks, to say the least, very intriguing.

Two of our most cherished Brit actresses, Keira Knightley (The Duchess) and Carey Mulligan (An Education), will share the silver screen in the dramatic thriller. The cast also features English actors Andrew Garfield, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sally Hawkins. Garfield, along with Mulligan, was featured on the telly series Doctor Who; Gleeson is to play Bill Weaseley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; and Sally Hawkins previously worked with Mulligan in An Education. Hawkins also played the lead character of Poppy in the successful independent film Happy-Go-Lucky (one of my personal favorites.)

Never Let Me Go is based on an award-winning novel of the same name that was written by Japanese-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro. The movie was primarily filmed in the countryside of Norfolk County, England and tells the story of three friends, Kathy (Mulligan), Ruth (Knightley), and Tommy (Garfield), who reunite years after attending a strange English boarding school together and proceed to uncover the dark mysteries of their shared past. The film is slated to be released at the end of 2010 and will be distributed in the US by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

I am curious to see just how interested American audiences will be in this very British artistic-looking sci-fi/drama/thriller film… only time will tell…

Carey Mulligan Can Do Cannes!

Our little Sally Sparrow (from Doctor Who) is all grown up now, looking very sophisticated and glamorous.

Brit actress Carey Mulligan recently joined her co-stars Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, and director Oliver Stone at the Cannes Film Festival to promote their film, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. With little happening at Cannes to write home about this year, Mulligan’s appearance definitely added a touch of glamor and allure to the festival.

In the Wall Street sequel, Mulligan plays Winnie, the estranged daughter of Michael Douglas’s character, Gordon Gekko. I say her naturally innocent-looking demeanor made her the perfect person to counter-balance the dodgy-looking Wall Street cast.

Scheduled to be released September 24th, this is Mulligan’s first major Hollywood studio film.

You’ve certainly come a long way from the TARDIS…!

Is Mulligan The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?!

So, I make no secret of being a massive fan of actress Carey Mulligan, who came to my attention after I watched her playing the unforgettable character – Sally Sparrow in BBC’s Doctor Who.

Now, according to reports, Carey has won the approval of director David Fincher, and the family of the late acclaimed writer, Stieg Larsson, landing the lead role in the movie adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, beating numerous big name actresses to the part, including Twilight’s Kristen Stewart.

My insiders tell me that Oscar-nominated Mulligan, and KStew were down to the final two being considered for the part of bisexual computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander. But it appears Tinseltown’s casting directors have made right choice (for once) and apparently are keen on giving Carey the coveted role.

Yippee! ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ was a sensational book, and I can just see Carey Mulligan playing the lead… Ooh, I’m tingling at the thought already…

However, Sally Sparrow (in my opinion) is still a tough act to follow, Carey!

Educating Carey…

I love British born starlet, Carey Mulligan, her career has gone into warp drive since the release of An Education.

Following her Oscars nomination for Best Actress last month, Carey has walked on red carpet after red carpet, leading to a whirlwind of awards shows and paparazzi flash bulbs.

Her face has graced cover upon cover, including this month’s Interview magazine, which incidentally in my book is one of the coolest you can get!

The actress is currently lined up to star as cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, to be directed by John Madden, with a planned release sometime in 2012.

But although Carey’s portrayal of naïve schoolgirl Jenny Mellor in An Education was nothing short of sensational, it doesn’t even match up to the fantastic performance she gave playing Sally Sparrow in BBC’s Doctor Who. You’ve got to see it; every self-respecting Carey Mulligan fan (like myself) has to check out Blink…

So, I say more Sally Sparrow please Carey my dear… Because I’d pay top dollar to see you reprise that role again!