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Andrew Garfield to star in 'Spider-Man' reboot

Andrew Garfield has been cast as Peter Parker in Sony's "Spider-Man" reboot, the studio announced via press release on Thursday. Sony managed to keep secret one of the most sought-after scoops in Hollywood history. Garfield only learned late this afternoon that he's been chosen to play Peter Parker. He was just presented to the international press in Cancun, Mexico who had gathered to see previews
/ Source: TheWrap.com

Andrew Garfield has been cast as Peter Parker in Sony's "Spider-Man" reboot, the studio announced via press release on Thursday.

Sony managed to keep secret one of the most sought-after scoops in Hollywood history.

Garfield only learned late this afternoon that he's been chosen to play Peter Parker.

He was just presented to the international press in Cancun, Mexico who had gathered to see previews of Sony's upcoming movies, a spokesman from Sony told TheWrap.

Garfield happened to be at the event promoting Sony's big-budget thriller "The Social Network," in which he plays Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

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He was told that he got the part and then immediately went out to be introduced a the new Spider-Man to a room filled with journalists from around the world.

Marc Webb directs the film from a script by Jamie Vanderbilt. Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin produce.

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.”

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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.”

Garfield previously appeared in Robert Redford's "Lions For Lambs" and Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." He recently starred in IFC Films' "Red Riding" trilogy. He next stars in Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go," which Fox Searchlight will now release on September 15.

He beat out a number of Hollywood's most talented young actors for the coveted role, including Jamie Bell, Josh Hutcherson, Aaron Johnston, Anton Yelchin, Frank Dillane and more.

Garfield is represented by CAA and The Collective.