Hey guys! Horrorella here...
Amid tons of rumors and casting ideas, it looks like Marvel has finally found their next Spider-Man! Tom Holland (THE IMPOSSIBLE, WOLF HALL) will be stepping into the role of the web slinger for the latest installment of films.
The young actor has been in the running for the role for the past couple of months, along with Asa Butterfield, Charlie Rowe, Matthew Lintz, Charlie Plummer and Judah Lewis. It's an interesting choice, and a great opportunity for a young actor. Aside from Butterfield, most of the contenders didn't have a ton of titles under their belts, so Spidey was always going to be taken on by someone new. It will be interesting to see a much younger Spider-Man ining up alongside Cap and the rest of the team.
Speaking of which, Spider-Man will make his first appearance in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR when it opens next May. He will then go on to a solo film, due out in 2017.
Marvel has also announced that a director has been found for that first solo film. Jon Watts (the upcoming COP CAR) will be helming, and it is said that this will kick off a new series of Spider-Man films, Word is, Sony is hoping that the new series will follow Peter Parker through high school and into college, and that fans will be able to see the character grow and develop throughout the films.
You can check out the full press release below. What do you guys think of the casting decision?
Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their ‘Spider-Man’ Star and Director
Tom Holland Cast as the Web-Slinger, Jon Watts to Direct the Next Spider-Man Adventure
Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017. The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of “Cop Car,” the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director. The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in “The Impossible,” “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming “In the Heart of the Sea,” and by a series of complex screen tests. Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job.
Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, said, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job. The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding. I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception. I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent. For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special. All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”
Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life. We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”
Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world. With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Sony Pictures will finance and release worldwide the next installment of the $4 billion Spider-Man franchise on July 28, 2017, in a film co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the Web-Slinger.
Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.
