The last few months have been full of speculation about Marc Webb’s reboot of the Spider-man franchise with many names being considered for the pivotal roles. With production scheduled to commence in December, casting decisions are being made for the various characters. A big surprise was Emma Stone who was presumably in the running for the red headed Mary Jane character but instead landed the role of Gwen Stacy.
One of the biggest parts of any story is the villain or possibly villains and news broke in recent days which indicates where the new story is heading with the casting of Spidey’s nemesis going to 42 year old Rhys Ifans. His character will be Dr Curt Connors who in the comics loses an arm when he goes to help GI’s in the war and in a search for regenerative treatment similar to that of reptiles, he eventually becomes The Lizard. The character of Dr Curt Connors has been present in two of the previous Spidey films and was played by Dylan Baker though his story never progressed past the role of university professor.
Reports over the last few months suggested that the filmmakers might revive the Venom character seen in the third flick and that Philip Seymour Hoffman was in the running for that character or the father. However that rumor has since been debunked with sources close to production saying that Venom will not be featured in this film, still no word on whether Hoffman is being considered for other villainous roles.
There is the possibility that the Lizard is just one of the bad guys with a statement released by Sony co-chairman Matt Tolmach indicating that there might be more than one nemesis.
We have been very fortunate to attract some of the best actors working today to play the villains in the Spider-Man movies, and it is exciting to see that trend continue with Rhys Ifans. After seeing his performance in our upcoming film Anonymous, we’re in awe of his talent and think he’s the perfect choice to take on this role.
Director Marc Webb commented about the casting of Rhys Ifans as The Lizard:
What sets the Spider-Man villains apart is the complexity of their relationships with Peter Parker. Rhys’ incredible ability to embody both warmth and rage makes him the ideal choice for this character.
Casting calls have also gone out for young boys to fill certain roles. For the part of Peter Parker as a child a 4-6 year old is needed and to play the son of Dr Curt Connors, studios are looking for an 8-11 year old for the part of Billy Connors. In the comics of the Ultimate Spider-man which is said to be where the tone of this new film draws inspiration, the alter-ego of the Lizard is almost a schizophrenic one that wants to hurt his human half and almost kills his wife and son in the process.
The Spider-man reboot is scheduled for a July 3rd 2012 release.
No comments yet.