Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Thursday, July 1, 2010

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010

ANDREW GARFIELD CAST AS SPIDER-MAN

After what Columbia Pictures called "a comprehensive worldwide casting search," Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the big 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.

On selecting Garfield, 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."

Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said in a joint statment: "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.

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: Robert Redford's Lions For Lambs; Revolution Films' Red Riding Trilogy Ð 1974, directed by Julian Jarrold, where he led a cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey; and a portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's Boy A for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008.

PREDATORS CLIPS

20th Century Fox has released six clips from Predators, in theaters on July 9.

For the "A Rude Awakening" clip, CLICK HERE.

For the "It's Here!" clip, CLICK HERE.

For the "Over Here!" clip, CLICK HERE.

For the "We're the Game" clip, CLICK HERE.

Here's how Fox describes the movie:

"Predators, a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, shot under the creative auspices of Robert Rodriguez, stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet... as prey. With the notable exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers -- mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members -- human 'predators' that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators."

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD: JASON ISAACS

The Continuum continues a series of reports on Batman: Under the Red Hood -- due for release from Warner Home Video on July 27 -- with a studio-provided question-and-answer with Jason Isaacs, who provides the voices of Ra's al Ghul.

In Batman: Under the Red Hood, Isaacs gives Batman's nemesis Ra's al Ghul a sympathetic twist as the villain attempts to right his own wrongs and help Batman in his efforts against both Red Hood and the Joker. Isaac's credits include Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films and the Showtime series Brotherhood.

For an edited transcription of the interview, CLICK HERE.

And for a video of voice director Andrea Romano talking about the role and Isaacs, CLICK HERE.

RADICAL TEAMS WITH SAM WORTHINGTON, FULL CLIP

Radical Publishing has announced an agreement with Full Clip Productions -- the company headed by actor Sam Worthington and his partners Michael Schwarz and John Schwarz -- to develop intellectual property to be produced under the Radical banner.

Plans are for Worthington and John Schwarz to star in the film adaptations of select projects.

The first project in development under the imprint is Damaged, created by John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz, and written by David Lapham. The story centers on two brothers committed to justice in different ways -- one inside the law, one violently beyond it. Now, with the end of their careers approaching, they must train their replacements, hoping to remake each in their image. But the vigilante code has changed and the brothers are left unprepared for the true lawlessness and corruption that is about to be unleashed.

"We are thrilled to have Full Clip in the Radical family," said Radical Studios President Barry Levine. "An imprint deal of this nature is unprecedented in the industry, and we couldn't ask for better partners than Sam, Michael and John."

"As a lifelong fan of comics, I'm so excited to have the chance to create material which I can then personally bring to life on screen," Worthington said. "This is a great opportunity for my partners and I to work alongside a dynamic company like Radical."

DARK HORSE COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For covers and three- to six-page previews of Dark Horse Comics titles arriving in store on July 8, CLICK HERE.

Titles include Conan the Cimmerian #22, Hellboy: The Storm #1 and Star Wars: The Old Republic #1.

ARCHIE COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For cover and six-page preview of Archie's Double Digest #210, arriving in stores on July 8 from Archie Comics, CLICK HERE.

Look for more First Looks soon here in The Continuum.

BRIEFLY

Activision has released a 360-degree screenshot of Spider-Man 2099 from Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

To view the screenshot, CLICK HERE.

* DC Entertainment has announced that select Zuda titles will be available through comiXology and the PlayStationNetwork. Each Zuda issue will feature approximately 20 pages of content; the first issue will be available for free and each subsequent issue will be priced at 99 cents. Effective today, www.zudacomics.com will be shut down.