Sony linked up cinemas around the world last night to give eager Spider-Fans the chance to see a sizzle reel and the premiere of a new trailer for Marc Webb’s film.

Twitter fell into a predictable lovefest for the reboot, which has the (500) Days of Summer director take on one of the most beloved characters in the comicverse with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone bringing Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy to life on screen and, as is very much the custom these days, in three sparkling dimensions.

Dave and Adam were in attendance last night and you can read Adam’s take on what was shown here, suffice to say that when the 4th of July rolls around there’ll be plenty of webheads desperate to see if Sony’s sudden reboot tactic has paid off. Given the talent involved, and the hyperbole spun last night, it seems The Amazing Spider-Man may well live up to its name.

Here’s the trailer!

The Amazing Spider-Man is still a good six months from our cinema screens but tonight we were invited to a very special peek at the film’s new trailer, followed by a tantalising sizzle reel.

That wasn’t the only surprise of the night, as key figures from this new take on the iconic webslinger were present in a truly global capacity, with Rhys Ifans taking the stage here in London, Emma Stone and producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach broadcasting live from Rio, and director Marc Webb and Peter Parker himself Andrew Garfield being beamed over from across the pond at LA and New York, respectively.

For anyone whose Spidey-senses were tingling a little after the first rather lacklustre glimpse of the friendly neighbourhood crime-fighter a couple of months back, you can all now relax. From the footage screened tonight, Webb appears to have made a sleeker and grittier version of the character, framing him in more of a real-world setting (or as close as can be for a guy who is able to crawl up walls) and re-tweaking the origin angle to provide a slightly different interpretation of the legend.

An early scene between Gwen Stacey and Peter Parker at school offered a funny and awkward interaction between the pair, echoing that same astutely-observed look at young romance which characterised Webb’s debut feature 500 Days of Summer. Thankfully, the director looks like he has more than what it takes when dealing with the bigger, action-heavy carnage, and the shots of Spidey swinging through his beloved Manhattan really benefit  this time around from the technology  being at a level which can really sell that web action. Everything looks a little ramped up this time around, and in particular, the sequences shown where Parker discovers and begins harnessing his new-found powers had a thrillingly visceral and grounded feel to them.

Time will tell if all these segments will add up to a truly spellbinding whole, but for the moment, I’m sure the lucky fans who had the chance to view this footage (the trailer is being released in the wee small hours of the morning) will undoubtedly be bumping The Amazing Spider-Man back up to the top of their most-anticipated summer features of this year, alongside the Bat.

UPDATED! (See below!) Well this is a nice way to end the week! We’ve just been sent this rather nice photo from HeyUGuys reader Brian who has spotted this rather awesome Spider-Man logo projection which is currently lighting up the streets in Camden for what must be Marc Webb’s new Spider-Man movie, The Amazing Spider-Man (either that or someone has got a little carried away with their projector!). As tends to be the case with these sort of promotions, it’s quite possible that more of these will appear in and around London like we saw with the likes of Knowing back in 2009 (how I remember that I have no idea!) so keep your eyes peeled for more and please send them into us using the contact drop down on the site.

The Amazing Spider-Man sees the lovely British actor that is Andrew Garfield playing the title role with Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen and Sally Field co-starring alongside him. It hits UK cinemas 4th July.

The film, which is now in production and is being shot entirely in 3D, will be released on July 3, 2012. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the Marvel Entertainment production for Columbia Pictures. The executive producers are Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, and Michael Grillo.

We’ll update this post if we receive anything more. Click the image below to make it GROW!

Update! OK, so we’ve just been sent another image, from another reader named Gary Evans who has snapped a picture on Clerkenwell Rd which gives us a date (6th February) and a website addres: TheUntoldStoryBegins.co.uk (if you’re not in the UK, other cities are also involved). Head to that site and it takes you to a Sony booking form with the title: ‘A Sneak Peek into the Untold Story’ and a form for you to bok tickets!!!

Head there now before they all go! BOOK BOOK BOOK! Once you go through the options, it takes you to a ticket to a sneak peak on the 6th February! This is getting more exciting with every passing second!

UPDATE #2. Just got back from a nice evening out to find a large batch of more images of the Spider-Man logo being snapped across London. I’ve uploaded numerous sightings including China Town, Covent Garden, Inverness St. to name but a few. You can click them all below to enlarge.I’ve also placed the awesome Spider-Man logo that we found when you go to the Sneak Peek site listed above.

It looks like these logos will be appearing in LA, New York and Rio according to ComingSoon. If you see one, make sure you send it over. Thanks to everyone who’s sent one in so far.

They event projected on Parliament!

The adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s critically acclaimed 2001 novel, The Corrections, has long been in the making, and has recently transitioned from its initial expected film adaptation to be turned into a series for HBO.

We heard late last year that the brilliant Ewan McGregor had signed on to join Chris Cooper and Dianne Wiest for the project, which is being co-written by Franzen and the Oscar-nominated writer-director Noah Baumbach.

Now comes the excellent news, via The Playlist, Deadline, and the Daily Mail, that the already terrific casting continues with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, Greta Gerwig, and Bruce Norris all in talks to join the project too.

Courtesy of Waterstones, the original novel’s plot looks a little like this:

“From the author of ‘Freedom’, a panoramic vision of America at the beginning of the 21st century, seen through the turbulent lives of the Lambert family. The Corrections is now seen by many as one of the greatest American novels of the last decade. The Lamberts — Enid and Alfred and their three grown-up children — are a troubled family living in a troubled age. Alfred is ill and as his condition worsens the whole family must face the failures, secrets and long-buried hurts that haunt them if they are to make the corrections that each desperately needs. Stretching from the Midwest in the mid-century to Wall Street and Eastern Europe in the age of globalised greed, ‘The Corrections’ brings an old-time America of freight trains and civic duty into wild collision with the era of home surveillance, hands-off parenting, do-it-yourself mental healthcare, and New Economy millionaires. It announces Jonathan Franzen as one of the most brilliant interpreters of American society and the American soul.”

Cooper and Wiest are set to play the parents of the Lambert family; McGregor is to play Chip, the middle son; and Gyllenhall is in talks for the role of Denise, the youngest child, a bisexual Philadelphia chef. Ifans would be taking a cameo as a Lithuanian gangster drawing Chip into his world; Norris would play the eldest son, Gary; and Gerwig would play Chip’s film producer girlfriend.

The exact nature of the project until now has been kept under wraps, but it seems that the intentions are now becoming clear, with a two-hour pilot planned under Baumbach’s direction, and then if all goes well and everyone is impressed, a further four seasons each made up of ten hour-long episodes, which is certainly a significant adaptation. Franzen’s original novel is quite a long book at more than five hundred pages, but a four season-long adaptation suggests that the intention is to add more to the characters’ stories than is in the Franzen’s original, which I’m really excited about.

I’m a really big fan of Gyllenhaal’s, so the news that she’s in talks to join the already brilliant cast is definitely exciting. Getting to see her, McGregor, and the whole cast for four full-length seasons of HBO quality (you can’t deny HBO’s impeccable programming) is a prospect almost too good to be true. More news as we get it.

Marc Webb’s upcoming take on Spider-Man, rebooting the original trilogy with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in the leads this time around, is one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, and is sure to be one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters, along with The Dark Knight Rises.

We caught our first look at the trailer last summer – can you believe it’s been six months since we first saw it? – and Marc Webb’s spoken to ComicBookMovie about when we can see the next:

When can we expect to see a new trailer?

“Soon. Within the next month.”

Awesome. The first trailer looked absolutely brilliant, and if you weren’t entirely sure about Garfield for the lead, that should have squashed any concerns you may have had. It should be immense.

Webb is a brilliant director, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with this. Along with Garfield and Stone, the film has a great cast that includes Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, C. Thomas Howell, Denis Leary, and the expected Stan Lee cameo.

The Amazing Spider-Man will be with us on 4th July this year, in less than six months’ time, and according to Webb, we can expect a new trailer within the next few weeks. You can sleep safe in the knowledge that we’ll be bringing it to you the moment it hits. I can’t wait. In the meantime, you can catch up on all things The Amazing Spider-Man right here.

I’ve really liked all the promo material that Sony are putting out for The Amazing Spider-Man and these two new images are no exception. They show us a new view of Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker / Spider-Man) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) in the Marc Webb directed movie that will be with us 4th July.

The film also stars Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, Stan Lee and if you’ve missed the trailer and other coverage for it, click here!

The film, which is now in production and is being shot entirely in 3D, will be released on July 3, 2012. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the Marvel Entertainment production for Columbia Pictures. The executive producers are Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, and Michael Grillo.

Click the images below to make them grow BIG!

Source: Super Hero Hype

In the past week, a lot of attention has naturally been focused on one of next summer’s biggest blockbusters, The Dark Knight Rises, as we got the immense first full-length trailer that pretty much drops your jaw to the floor.

The Nolan brothers’ conclusion to their Batman trilogy is of course not the only superhero blockbuster we can look forward to next summer, with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man hitting our cinemas two weeks earlier at the start of July.

We got our first look at the film when the trailer hit back in July this year, and since then we’ve seen plenty of great posters, images, and banners. Marvel have now put out half a dozen brilliant new images from the upcoming film, via ComicBookMovie.com, and they give us another awesome look at the film’s leads, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.

Webb is taking the films back to the beginning, withGarfielddonning the Spidey suit once worn by Tobey Maguire, and Stone playing Gwen Stacy this time around, rather than Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson. From what we’ve seen so far, the film looks to be a darker take on the superhero than the original three films, and I can’t wait to see what Webb’s done with it.

Along with Garfield and Stone, both of whom are very much deservedly rising young stars, the cast also includes Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Ben and May Parker, Denis Leary as Captain Stacy, Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson, and Irrfan Khan as Dr. Ratha, with a script from Steve Kloves (the Harry Potter films), James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), and Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2 and 3).

Webb’s feature directorial debut, (500) Days of Summer, was so good, and pretty different to what I imagine The Amazing Spider-Man will be, which is yet another reason to be looking forward to this. I have a feeling the story is in safe hands. Garfield and Stone have been looking brilliant in their respective roles so far, and that only continues in these new images from the film. We’ll be getting it here in 3D next summer on 4^th July, and if that isn’t a date already marked in your calendars, then set it down right now. And as usual with the first three and the last of these new images, click to enlarge.

While we were fast asleep last night, Sony was making some rather awesome changes to the official website for The Amazing Spider-Man updating it with brand new images and full character descriptions for all the main characters. We’ve seen so many Spider-Man films now that it’s becoming a little old hat but that doesn’t stop people clicking to see the new images of which there are many. Scroll down below to view and click them to enlarge.

I absolutely love the image of Garfiled (Spdier-Man) sitting down with the mask looking up at him. In fact, there isn’t an image here I don’t really like!

The Amazing Spider-Man stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, is directed by Marc Webb and hits UK cinemas 4th July.

Peter Parker – Ever since Peter’s parents disappeared 13 years ago, he has struggled to find his purpose in life. Now, on the brink of unlocking the mystery about what happened to them, he must face the ultimate challenge – one that has been created within the laboratories of Oscop.

Gwen Stacy: Smart, charismatic and rebellious, Gwen is the chief Intern at Oscorp, a position she takes very seriously. But her life takes a complicated turn as she watched both her boyfriend, Peter, and her mentor, Dr. Connors, undergo radical transformations.

Captain Stacy: An esteemed police officer for over twenty years, Captain Stacy is the public face of the NYPD who leads the department’s investigation into Spider-Man’s vigilantism. The only thing Captain Stacy vows to protect more than the city is his family – and particularly his only daughter, Gwen.

Dr. Curt Conner: One of Oscorp’s leading scientific minds, Dr. Connors attempts to engineer a revolutionary regeneration serum to help re-grow limbs and human tissue. His motivations are unclear as to why he elects to be the first human test subject – but what becomes evident is that something goes horribly wrong.

Thanks to CBM for the heads up

Not quite as good in my opinion as the new dark poster that was released on Friday night but still loving these three new banners for The Amazing Spider-Man which come from ImageShack via Comic Book Movie.

Marc Webb directed this latest installment in the Spider-Man franchise with a cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, Denis Leary, Chris Zylka and Irrfan Khan.

Peter Parker (Garfield) grapples with both human problems and amazing super-human abilities.

The Amazing Spider-Man, the first instalment in a possible new trilogy, is expected to be released in U.K. cinemas on July 4, 2012.

Click the images below to enlarge and let us know what you think of the images in the comments below. Prefer the darker style or this more cartoony look?

Columbia Pictures have premiered a brand spanking new poster for Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man, and it’s a doozy.

Directed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, Denis Leary, Chris Zylka and Irrfan Khan.

Peter Parker (Garfield) grapples with both human problems and amazing super-human abilities.

The Amazing Spider-Man, the first instalment in a possible new trilogy, is expected to be released in U.K. cinemas on July 4, 2012.

Check out the new poster below:

Source: Super Hero Hype

Occasionally, highly anticipated characters from summer blockbusters will be revealed months before in toy form at merchandise fairs, despite the studios best attempts to keep a lid on the reveal until the hype machine really kicks in. Below is one such example, although it’s in a slightly more abstract form, namely a Pez Dispenser!

How close this crudely designed sweet holder will actually resemble the villainous alter-ego of Rhys Ifans’ one-armed scientist Curt Connors is debatable, but fans will undoubtedly be hoping that he doesn’t look like a cross between the aliens from the 80’s version of V and Swamp Thing.

Hopefully the first real images of the Lizard will arrive soon to put any fears to rest.

Thanks to Comic Book Movie.

Here’s some nice new photos from the set of The Amazing Spider-Man where Andrerw Garfield appear to have either had a nosebleed or has blown his nose and forgotten to remove the tissue! These new images come via The Daily Mail who also have photos Rhys Ifans on set who also have photos of Garfield in full Spider-Man costume swinging down a zip-wire while filming the movie in New York.

I’ve placed a few of the images below but you can head over to the source for more.

The Amazing Spider-Man is directed by Marc Webb and sees Andrew Garfield take the leading role as Peter Parker​ alongside Emma Stone​, Rhys Ifans​, Denis Leary​, Campbell Scott​, Irrfan Khan​, Martin Sheen​, Sally Field​ and with no doubt a cameo from comic book legend, Stan Lee​.

It comes creepy crawling it’s way to UK cinemas 4th July 2012!

To be or not to be, that is certainly the subjective question of whether director Roland Emmerich’s new film will excite or disgust. Indeed, with the covering of one of our greatest playwright’s names in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon in protest of Anonymous, William Shakespeare might be thrilled at the reignited interest in him.

In writer John Orloff and Emmerich’s version of Elizabethan events, the playwright (played by Rafe Spall) is actually an illiterate fool, a scheming charlatan who grabs the opportunity for easy fame – and to make money (it could be argued, like a former-day version of a reality TV contestant) – by laying claim to a series of plays written by Anonymous that delight the crowds at the local theatre. Unbeknown to all, these were actually penned by Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans), to silence ‘the voices’ in his head. But as a member of the Royal Court, he is unable to be open about his creativity, or face disgrace. Meanwhile, the English throne, headed by theatre-loving Elizabeth I (played by both Joely Richardson and her real-life mother Vanessa Redgrave), is being manipulated by the Cecil Family of father William (David Thewlis) and later, by his son, Robert (Edward Hogg), so that a Scottish successor can take over.

Depending on how much you hold the bard dear to your heart, what must not be forgotten is this is an entertaining piece of imaginary work in itself – as suggested by the opening prologue by Derek Jacobi. The fact that there has always been speculation about the origins of Shakespeare’s works only goes to fuel how fitting the mystery is for cinematic purposes. Everyone likes to question history’s great mysteries when there is an ounce of doubt, from who shot JFK to the death of Princess Diana. So, without sounding flippant, the emphasis here is on ‘imaginary work’, and the film-makers certainly grab our attention.

This film is equally about the Royal Court power struggles, as it is the Shakespeare parts, and it is the former that is the film’s true momentum – not whether aristocrat de Vere will be found out. Hence, if period-based deception, temptation and pure decadence appeal, Emmerich’s rich ‘Old Masters’-style cinematography and sumptuous settings – some of which scream CGI at times – are a delight to behold.

Nevertheless, any upset at the ‘raw deal’ Shakespeare is getting in this, is not the question mark over the plays’ true author, but how the film-makers portray our great bard as an utter clown. Spall is certainly amusing, raising sniggers and having a ball in the role – if only employed to make Ifans look wise and credible as De Vere. But some might feel a little perturbed in the scene when Shakespeare asks De Vere whether ‘published’ means ‘in a book’? That said comedy makes a fool out of anyone, and this scene is little more ‘offensive’ than a TV comedy sketch, in all honesty, with Spall as Shakespeare as a parody of one of his own literary fools that provide the comical aspect in often a turbulent time.

These moments are also counterbalanced by the film’s celebration of the works in general, and there are some magical re-enactments of The Rose and The Globe theatres that make you yearn for a good Shakespearean evening out. The other delight is watching fine British acting at play, and the added surprise of Ifans in a serious role as De Vere that makes for a rousing spectacle, not too deft as to be unfitting for the whole gay affair, but with just enough deadpan theatrics to yet again remind you that you are watching a well-directed and staged interpretation of the reality.

Without going down the long, arduous road of comparing historical facts to add to the scholarly and fan-based denouncement of Anonymous, there are some extraordinary claims made that don’t add up after researching the characters. However, as we are prompted in the film’s lines to place our trust in the power of the words – these being merely another opinion to add to the rest of history’s sceptics, the overall sentiment after watching this is one of awe of the work in question, and that can only be a good thing.

***~~ (3/5)

To celebrate the release of Anonymous, HeyUGuys and Sony Pictures UK are giving three lucky readers the chance to win an Anonymous Coffee Table Book.  Anonymous is out this Friday (28^th October) and stars a star-studded British cast including, Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson and Jamie Campbell Bower.

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Sigmund Freud, namely: who actually created the body of work credited to William Shakespeare?  Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when scandalous political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles lusting for the power of the throne were brought to light in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.

To find out more info, become a fan of the official Facebook page here, the Sony Twitter account here or click here to see  all our coverage.

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question using the form below:

Who plays the character of William Shakespeare in the film Anonymous?

1. Rafe Spall
2. Rhys Ifans
3. Jamie Campbell Bower

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Terms and conditions

• Competition close date – Monday 31st October at 23:59 GMT
• The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• Sony Pictures UK and HeyUGuys do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.
• No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
• Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is open to all GB residents of 18 years and over, except employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).
• This competition is a game promoted by HeyUGuys. HeyUGuys’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. HeyUGuys reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. These rules are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
• Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and HeyUGuys reserves the right to either offer the prize to the entrant whose name is next drawn at random or to re-offer the prize in any future competition.

Another step on the long road to Bond 23, which may or may not be called Skyfall, has been taken today with the long rumoured role for Javier Bardem confirmed by the man himself.

It’s not a particularly detailed conversation but it’s the first time that Bardem has spoken publically about his role, which will see him face off against Britain’s finest secret agent in the form of Daniel Craig. He’ll be joined by Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes and Dame Judi Dench and the whole shebang will be under the hand of Sam Mendes which points to a fine return for Bond.

Here’s the short clip, from MI6-HQ (via ComingSoon)

The build-up to next summer’s release of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man continues today with a couple of new shots of Andrew Garfield as Spidey, courtesy of Uruloki.org.

The first shows him in the sort of introspective pose he’ll no doubt adopt during some of the movie’s more emotionally complex scenes, while the second gives us a glimpse of him in a far more dynamic, web-slinging pose.

We’ve already seen a couple of photos of Garfield in costume – as well as a handful of ropey on-set images showing him awkwardly standing around in tracksuit bottoms between takes – and while these latest two don’t really show anything particularly new, we won’t complain about having the opportunity to look at the heavily textured new costume from a couple of different angles. Is it just me or does it look like he’s wearing football boots?

The Amazing Spider-Man opens next July. Expect plenty more photos of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man between now and then.

Report by Tim Leng.

Not wanting to slow down the Spider-Man hype for a second, Sony have announced a 2nd May, 2014 release date for the sequel to the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man, just shy of two years after the first film comes out on 3rd July, 2012, /Film report.

In case you’ve missed it, you can catch up with all the fantastic Spidey news we’ve been getting for The Amazing Spider-Man here.

Given that the first film is still just under a year away from release, Sony are certainly showing that they’ve got a lot of faith in director Marc Webb and what he’s done with the reboot. As one Sony executive told Deadline,

“I think it speaks volumes about our confidence in what we are seeing on the new film and our desire to move quickly on the next installment.”

The cynic in you might say that they know Spider-Man is a money-generating machine that they would happily milk a trilogy from regardless of quality, because they know it’s likely to do well at the box office all the same. But everything that we’ve seen so far suggests that Webb* really has made something awesome in this reboot, and that we should definitely have a little faith, and be encouraged by the fact that a sequel – and an all but inevitable trilogy – is looking likely to come our way.

From the first look we got of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man back at the start of the year, to the set of photos we got from the film that showed us a close-up of his web shooters and the rest of the major characters last month, to the awesome first teaser trailer that we got just a few days later, it’s all been very encouraging. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt, who wrote the screenplay for the first film, was hired back in March to get to work on a screenplay, so it’s good news that he’s been working on it for some time already, and that it’s someone who already knows the story inside-out.

With a cast as awesome as The Amazing Spider-Man has, with Garfield in the lead, supported by Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Ben and May Parker, and Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, and a director as talented as Marc Webb, it’s all but a sure thing that The Amazing Spider-Man is going to one hell of a movie next year. So with that in mind, confirmation that Sony are moving ahead with the sequel is definitely good news in my books.

*N.B. I’ve only just realised how apt Marc Webb’s surname is to helm a Spider-Man film.

Comic Con 2011 is slowly coming to a close but that hasn’t stopped Sony releasing this nice shiny new International poster for The Amazing Spider-Man. If you missed the Sony panel, you can read Ezequiel’s write up of the panel including a video of Andrew Garfield arriving right here.

The Amazing Spider-Man is directed by Marc Webb and sees Andrew Garfield take the leading role as Peter Parker alongside Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field and with no doubt a cameo from comic book legend, Stan Lee.

This new poster is pretty much the same as the one we saw from SDCC itself but I’d say it was slightly more polished.

It comes creepy crawling it’s way to UK cinemas 4th July 2012!

Source: CBM

Yesterday saw the biggest gathering of people in Hall H I’ve seen this year and it was pretty obvious what people were waiting for.  Sony actually brought four films to the stage of Hall H this year.  Directors Neveline/Taylor were on hand with Nicholas Cage to present footage from their new film “Ghostrider: Spirit of Vengeance”.  “Zombieland” Ruben Fleischer was on hand with stars Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson and Michael Pena to bring audiences a hilarious look into “30 Minutes of Less”.  Len Wisemen was sowing off some early work of his reboot of “Total Recall”.  The beautiful cast present for the panel included Colin Farrell, Kate Bekinsale and Jessica Biel.  However, the film batting clean up, and the one we had all waited for that day was Marc Webbs “The Amazing Spider-Man”.

With all the great discussion that took place and the fantastic footage we saw, nothing compares to how the panel began.  This moment will be what people talk about longer after the con is over and is the exact reason you come to this convention in the first place.

As local radio show host Ralph Garman was set to bring out the Spidey panel, a nervous skinny kid ran up to the audience mic and interrupted Ralph.  He said he only had one thing to say as Ralph asked him to leave because he needed to start the panel. The boy seemed obviously nervous underneath his extremely cheap Spider-Man costume.  As Ralph did his best “acting frustrated” impression, the boy took off his mask to reveal our young new star, Andrew Garfield.

In a moment that could only happen at San Diego Comic-Con, Andrew went into what could only be described as one of the most heartfelt introductions I’ve seen.  He spoke about how he had always wanted to come to Comic-Con and felt that the best way to do it for the first time was to get down on the floor to talk to us.  I was able to grab my camera fast enough to record the best part. Bare with me as the video is from my iPhone.

He goes on to talk about why Spider-Man was so important to him growing up and how he felt at the opportunity to play this character.  Really, I feel like he was saying, I love Spidey too and I want to know that you will accept me as, 1.) a fan and 2.) Spider-Man himself.  It was easily the highlight of the day to see him completely overwhelmed, not at the fact that he’s playing the title character, but that he had finally made it to Comic-Con.

After he introduced the rest of the panel that included the beautiful Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Fleischer and Marvel god Avi Arad, the panel got rolling,

We watched the new trailer, which actually debuted earlier in the week online.  However, I knew they would show it during the panel so I abstained from watching it online.  Thank god I did because seeing it in 3D on the big screen with that audience only made the trailer that much better.  I think it looks great and that first-person ending was really impressive.

The panel continued with a basic Q&A from the crowd that brought now incredible highlights.  However, unlike the “Total Recall” panel that proceeded Spidey, the cast/crew seemed seriously devoted and in love with not only the movie they’ve made but with the characters they’ve helped create.

We were treated with an exclusive detailed look as some much more tender moments in the young boys life.  The film seem much more grounded in the drama this time around.  Andrew Garfield feels like me when I was in high school.  The film deals with the idea of Parker having to hide this secret and how that plays out over the course of the film.  Then the action started and it didn’t disappoint. Marc Webb has been pretty vocal about not relying too much on CGI, like the first series did, and sticking to practical effects as much as they could.  It shows and it’s fantastic.  In fact, some of the footage was so raw that we could still see some of the wirework from the web slinging.  I have to really say that the practical effects really seem to ground the film in reality.  If feels like Parker has a talent more then a superpower, I fell like that will be easier to relate to when people see the finished product.

Now, the film does has a great deal of CG so don’t except all stuntmen all the time.  After we screened that sizzle reel of goodness, it was clear that we hadn’t seen our villain yet.  In another con surprise Rhys Ifans, who plays Dr. Curt Conner’s aka The Lizard, took to the stage as they ran an exclusive look at his character and transformation.  This is where that CGI comes into full view.  Conner’s Lizard looks really impressive as a design element, but I’m afraid the real web-slinging mixed with the switch to CG could be an issue, albeit a small one.  I feel strongly about supporting this film.  All the right elements seem to have come together on this film.

Word came last week that Rhys Ifans, best known for his role as Hugh Grant’s brilliant, bumbling, Welsh best friend in Notting Hill, would be starring in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Bond 23.

MTV Movies now have it that this was just a rumour after speaking to the actor at Comic-Con over in San Diego. I was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of role he’d be given, but sadly it looks like this isn’t to be.

It’s interesting that Ifans now looks to not be attached to the film, given that director Mendes was the one who confirmed his involvement. But Ifans probably knows best of all his own schedule, so we still have much to wait for in regards to who will be joining Daniel Craig.

Javier Bardem is thought to be the film’s antagonist, which I’m quite looking forward to, and Ralph Fiennes’ name has also been rumoured to be attached, though no confirmation on that yet. Naomie Harris is set to be taking the role of Moneypenny for the upcoming film, with Judi Dench expected to reprise her role as M.

Mendes is a brilliant director who won an Academy Award for Best Director for his debut, American Beauty, and this new Bond film has all the making of something brilliant, with a script written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Last Samurai) and veteran Bond writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. Craig is my own personal favourite Bond to date, and though I was looking forward to seeing Ifans in a Bond film, I’m of course still excited that this is taking shape. Filming is expected to begin at the end of this year, with a release date scheduled for October next year, so we can expect more concrete casting details in the coming months. More news as and when we get it.