Andrew Garfield lands starring role in next ‘Spider-Man’; production starts in December

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Andrew Garfield lands lead role in ‘Spider-Man’

LOS ANGELES — There’s a new Spider-Man in town.

Andrew Garfield, whose credits include last year’s Heath Ledger film “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” has been cast as Peter Parker, the average youth who transforms into a superhero, in the next “Spider-Man” movie, distributor Sony Pictures announced Thursday.

The “Spider-Man” film begins shooting in December and is due in theaters July 3, 2012. Marc Webb, who made the romance “(500) Days of Summer” is directing.

Garfield and Webb got the jobs after star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi, who made three blockbuster “Spider-Man” films together, departed amid story and scheduling issues over a fourth movie.