Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield to Face Welsh Actor Rhys Ifans!

Sony Pictures recently announced that Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has been cast as the villain in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot movie. Ifans joins the growing cast, which includes Brit Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as the heroic web-slinger, and American actress Emma Stone (Easy A) as love interest Gwen Stacy. Sony also stated that the filmmakers prefer not to reveal which character Ifans will be playing.

Ifans is best known for portraying the misfit character Spike in Notting Hill alongside Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. He was also recently featured in Nanny Mcphee Returns starring Emma Thompson and can be seen in the highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The revamped Spider-Man flick is expected to sling into theaters in July of 2012.

Although we do not know exactly which character Ifans will be playing, it is easier to imagine him personifying an evil super-villain than it is to envision Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Besides, if we must have a British Peter Parker, I reckon we might as well have a Welsh enemy for him to battle against.

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British Actresses Compete for Spider-Man Lead Role!

Now that British actor Andrew Garfield has been established as the next to play Spider-Man/Peter Parker in Sony Picture’s upcoming retelling of the wall-crawler saga, the studio is on the hunt to cast Spidey’s leading lady, the role of Mary Jane Watson. Reportedly, Imogen Poots (pictured left), who was featured in V for Vendetta; Lily Collins (pictured middle) from The Blind Side (and Phil Collins’s daughter); and Ophelia Lovibond (pictured right)who starred in the UK film Nowhere Boy; are all in the running to play the red-headed beauty. Coincidentally, or maybe not, all three of these young starlets are British.

However, these three are not the only ones competing for the role, as it appears Julia Roberts’s niece Emma Roberts and Australian actress Teresa Palmer are also being considered, but the Brits certainly seem to have the numbers in their favor.

I say if Peter Parker is going to be portrayed by a Brit, we might as well have a British Mary Jane also.

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James Bond has a Date with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo!

Although we will not be seeing Daniel Craig as James Bond again anytime soon, due to MGM’s bankruptcy, Craig fans will still be able to get their dose of the British actor in the upcoming Hollywood remake of the popular Swedish film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as first reported by Deadline New York. Craig is rumored to have beaten out George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt for the lead role.

Originally a novel by late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson titled Män som hatar kvinnor (which literally translates to “Men Who Hate Women”), the story follows a middle-aged journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Craig), as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a girl who went missing forty years earlier at the age of sixteen.  The story is the first of three that make up what is called The Millenium Trilogy. The next two books in the series are titled respectively The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest.

If Sony Pictures Entertainment goes forward with adapting all three Millenium books into films, Craig will be the first Bond actor to have been featured as the lead character in two separate movie franchises. The rest of the cast of the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has not been announced yet, but the film has been slated for release on December 21, 2011.

Congratulations to Mr. Craig for winning the highly coveted role!

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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!?!?

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