Mwanza Flat Headed Agama lizard | Spitting image of SPIDER-MAN

Mother nature appears to have a created replica of comic book superhero Spider-Man.

The Mwanza Flat Headed Agama lizard has distinctive red and blue markings that make it a dead ringer for the web-slinging superhero.

Photographer Cassio Lopes snapped the super creature clinging to a rock in the Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya, in a pose almost identical to spidey’s famous crouch.

The lizards are native to Africa and live in groups with one dominant male — usually the most colourful.

And just like the superhero’s secret alter-ego Peter Parker, this creature is extremely shy, vanishing as soon as the camera had snapped.

Cassio, 38, was looking out for leopards when he spotted the creature basking in the sun and grabbed his chance for a photo.

He said: “I think this lizard was even more shy than Spider-Man himself. It must have brought us luck though because afterwards we managed to see the leopard we were looking for.”

The species’ popularity has rocketed since the comparison was noted, with exotic pet stores reportedly selling out of the lizards.

But Spider-Man's spidey-senses would be on full alert if he saw the amphibian.

In the blockbuster “The Amazing Spider-Man” the hero will be battling against a 9ft lizard, Dr Curt Connors, played by Rhys Ifans.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN | Swings to Cinemas tomorrow!!!

Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure “The Amazing Spider-Man” was shot in 3D, and for the filmmakers, it is a key choice.

“3D isn’t right for every movie, but 3D was made for Spider-Man,” says producer Avi Arad. “It is another way we have of keeping the audience immersed in the storytelling. You see the world through his eyes and you feel like Spider-Man – the exciting moments are even more exciting. But what might be surprising is that 3D makes the intimate moments more intimate as well – I can think of some scenes that are quite emotional that are even more emotional in 3D. It’s a perfect choice for this movie.”

“We wanted to put people in Peter Parker’s shoes and Spider-Man’s shoes in this film, to let them experience the thrills themselves. What better way to do that to enhance the reality than through 3D,” notes director Marc Webb. “It’s the ideal format to allow the audience to viscerally experience the quality of moving through space, flying through the air, swinging through Manhattan.”

Webb referred to the “3 Vs” – “Velocity, Vertigo, and Volume” – as keystones for his approach. “It seemed to me that Spider-Man was the perfect venue for immersing the audience into the experience of flying with the character,” he says. “I like to shoot things from a subjective point of view, so in creating a connection between the camera and the character, the three dimensionality of it gives you the feeling of the sense of velocity when Spider-Man swings through the streets.”

Marc Webb adds, “3D enabled us to capture not only the thrills of a huge action sequence, but the portable handheld rigs allowed us to capture emotionally charged, more intimate scenes, such as a scene between Peter and his Aunt May that felt palpable, real and authentic. I wanted to create environments that felt realistic and not super stylized. You wanted to spend time in this world and there was beauty and sophistication in even the simplest of moments.”

“The Amazing Spider-Man” will also be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology for IMAX theaters. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

"We couldn't be more excited to be able to offer this extraordinary new Spider-Man adventure in IMAX," said Rory Bruer, President Worldwide Distribution, Sony Pictures Entertainment. "Marc Webb and the entire production team have been working tirelessly to deliver a 3D motion picture that will take the Spider-Man experience to a whole new level. Audiences will literally feel like they are swinging through the streets of New York and that will only be accentuated when seen in IMAX."

"I was blown away after getting a sneak peek at some early footage for 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and this latest installment in the iconic franchise is a perfect DNA match for IMAX," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "The film is an important addition to our 2012 film slate and we're excited to be working with Marc Webb, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and the team at Sony Pictures Entertainment to take IMAX and Spider-Man fans around the globe on this next adventure in IMAX 3D."

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, June 29, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads.

ANDREW GARFIELD | A hot geek that amazes in the new “SPIDER-MAN”

“Peter Parker is a hero, not a superhero,” says Andrew Garfield, who takes on the iconic role in Columbia Pictures' eagerly anticipated 3D action-adventure, “The Amazing Spider-Man” which focuses on an untold chapter that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story. “He’s already good before the spider bites him. After that, he gets the power to act on what he already knows is right.,” the actor adds.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker, an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to OsCorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Garfield says he feels a special responsibility being the man inside the suit. “When I was younger, I sometimes felt trapped in my own skin,” he says, “but we all have that. That’s why this character is the most popular of all the superheroes: he is universal and uniting. The reason Spider-Man means so much to me is the same reason he means so much to everyone: he’s a symbol, an imperfect person in the way that we’re all imperfect, but trying so hard to do what is right and what is just and fighting for the people who can’t fight for themselves. It’s overwhelming to represent him – and believe me, I’m just the guy in the suit. I’m honored to be that, but Spider-Man belongs to everyone.”

“The character of Spider-Man has meant a great deal to me since I was a child; my attraction to the character began early,” says Garfield. “I found hope in Peter Parker’s struggles and the trials he went through week in and week out in the comics, and I connected with that. I found it fascinating; there was something very real in the way Stan Lee wrote him and created him with Steve Ditko.”

To help him physically prepare for the role, Garfield underwent a rigorous and intense training regimen. Health and fitness trainer Armando Alarcon oversaw Garfield’s strength, agility, and core training, as well as nutritional monitoring. “The physical preparation was very challenging, to be sure,” recalls Garfield. “For six months, Armando and I worked together six days a week. He pushed me harder than I thought I could be pushed; however, our work ethic is quite similar, so I tended to push myself as hard as he pushed me. He had a holistic approach that was invaluable in terms of my body confidence, health, strength and nutrition. We have become great friends.”

Garfield also trained under the tutelage of stunt coordinators Vic and Andy Armstrong, in order to be prepared for the stunt work he would perform as Spider-Man. “Andrew trained and rehearsed with us for over three months, doing trampoline work, power core moves, perfecting basketball skills, as well as martial arts, gymnastic and parkour work, all with instruction from some of the top people in the world in each discipline,” notes Andy Armstrong.

“I think one of the traits which makes Spider-Man so interesting is how quickly he can moves, how fast he is,” notes director Marc Webb. “Spiders are tiny creatures that can move with incredible speed and efficiency, and that was important to reflect in the character. Andrew spent a lot of time studying how spiders moved, and he came up with a body language that felt spider-like. His work ethic and performance is just extraordinary – it was remarkable to watch.”

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, June 29 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

RHYS IFANS is The Lizard in “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

British actor Rhys Ifans plays Peter Parker's mentor slash nemesis Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard in Columbia Pictures' new 3D action-adventure, “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

A giant reptilian powerhouse with superhuman strength, jagged claws and fangs, and a prehensile tail which can be used as a weapon, The Lizard is the alter-ego of the tragic scientist, Dr. Curt Connors, the world’s foremost authority on genetic engineering. Which may prove useful, as Connors is consumed with one particular quest above all others: to, somehow, find a way to regrow the right arm that he lost in an accident years ago.

And when he teams up with the brilliant budding young scientist, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), Connors finally finds a formula that works, including the DNA of reptiles. His joy at regrowing his missing arm doesn’t last long, as Connors slowly finds himself transforming into The Lizard, the vicious, twisted , scaly-skinned Hyde to his mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll.

Peter’s last link to his father is Dr. Connors, his father’s former partner and the only man who might have some insight – not only into what happened to Peter’s father, but into why Peter’s life turned out the way it did.

However, as producer Matt Tolmach notes, the connection between Peter and Connors goes beyond the scientist’s relationship to Peter’s father. “They are both incomplete, one physically, one metaphorically,” he explains. “Connors is an incredible character – there’s something compelling and quite tragic about him. He becomes blinded by his own condition and to the repercussions of what it is that he’s trying to do, and that makes for great drama.”

“The Lizard, a manifestation of Dr. Connors’ desire to fill a void, is one of my favorite Marvel villains of all time, because the character’s story is about loss,” says producer Avi Arad. “His alter ego, Dr. Connors, is a brilliant scientist who is totally consumed with the field of cross species genetics and regeneration, desperate to regain his missing right arm.”

“To me, the thing that sets the Spider-Man villains apart from other comic book villains is that they’re human, and real, and flawed, as much as Peter Parker is,” Ifans says. “Particularly with Dr. Curt Connors, what makes him a more emotional presence in Peter’s life is that he was very close to Peter’s father. That makes Peter’s relationship with him a very complex and emotional one.”

Ifans was drawn to the film by its complexity and the emotional elements of the role: “Connors is not a villain as such, and I’m not portraying him as a villain. He does feel kind of cheated by God, and he’s looking for answers in science. He is a man with genuine needs and anxieties. There’s a palpable pain and pathos to him, and when he crosses the line into self-experimentation, the true tragedy begins.”

Ifans prepared for the role by learning how to live as a person with one arm – becoming quite skilled at tying a tie, making coffee, and many other tasks with his right arm tied behind his back. “It’s a real revelation to discover to what level that a disability can affect a person, but also how it can actually make you more deft than a person with both arms,” says Ifans.

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, June 29 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

EMMA STONE is Gwen Stacy in “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

Fast-rising star Emma Stone plays Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s first love and more importantly, his first real connection to the world around him, in Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure, “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

It’s a very different relationship from the one that audiences might be more familiar with. “I feel like Mary Jane fell in love with Spider-Man. Gwen falls in love with Peter Parker,” Stone explains.

In the film, Stone’s Gwen -- a high school valedictorian, all-round brainiac and head intern for Dr. Curt Connors at OsCorp -- comes to the fore as the girl who helps Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker keep his feet on the ground even as his tremendous powers let him soar through the sky.

“She’s his confidante,” says Stone, who returned to her natural blonde hair for the role, a far cry from the redhead she’s sported through most of her movie career. “She’s the only one who knows that he’s Spider-Man, which is kinda great. And the nice thing is that Gwen falls in love with Peter first. She loves the boy, in spite of him being Spider-Man, rather than the other way around.”

And, as the romance between the high school sweethearts blossoms, Gwen, whose father, Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary) is the police chief charged with finding Spider-Man and bringing him to justice, finds that her life just may be in danger.

“Getting involved with Peter is the first irresponsible thing she’s ever done. She knows that this boy is dangerous and there’s probably some complex about her father having a dangerous job,” admits Stone. “It’s her first time really standing up to her father and doing something he wouldn’t approve of. She has her whole life planned out and Peter really changes that for her. You’re going to see Gwen experience being out of control for the first time.”

The heart of the film, Stone says, is the relationship between Gwen and Peter. “Director Marc Webb’s biggest goal was working out that relationship,” she says. “We’re operating in a superhero universe, but that relationship has to feel grounded and real. I think the reason that so many fans of the comic books feel so protective of Gwen – or Mary Jane – is that those relationships did feel real and did feel grounded. As actors, it’s nice to have that material to build from – it already feels genuine.”

“The relationship between Peter and Gwen is very significant – the previous movies haven’t explored this until now,” says producer Matt Tolmach. ”Gwen is a very self-assured character; she’s his rival intellectually. And her father happens to be Captain Stacy and let’s be honest, it’s hard enough to meet your girlfriend’s parents for the first time, but when he happens to be the head of the police force that’s chasing you, it makes things that much more complicated. But there’s an emotional honesty and partnership that’s unique to their relationship. Gwen is really the only person who truly knows Peter – and because of that, there’s a closeness that develops between the two of them that neither of them have with anyone else in their lives.”

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, June 29 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

The untold story of PETER PARKER begins with “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

Spider-Man returns to the big screen for the untold story of Peter Parker in Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb. Screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.

As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to OsCorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

In beginning a new chapter in the Spider-Man saga, it was important to the filmmakers to show a side of Peter Parker that moviegoers haven’t seen before.

Avi Arad, formerly the head of Marvel Studios and now a producer who has shepherded the Spider-Man films from the very beginning, notes, “Spider-Man has filled thousands of pages of comic books with hundreds of stories since he debuted fifty years ago. That’s a deep vein of resources to mine as we look to continue the story of Peter Parker on the screen.”

“Since we were reestablishing Peter Parker, we had to build the audience’s relationship with him from the ground up,” notes director Marc Webb. “In order to do that legitimately, we begin the story with Peter Parker as a seven-year-old boy. We see him before his parents left, before they handed him off to Aunt May and Uncle Ben. This allowed the audience to experience the significant emotional cues in his life.

“This Peter Parker is a little different: he’s still an outsider, but he’s an outsider by choice,” continues Webb. “He has a chip on his shoulder – he’s the kid who rejects people before they can reject him. The humor, the sarcasm, the rebellious streak emanates from that little kid who got left behind so long ago.”

“For this film, we talked a lot about Peter Parker, a boy who lost his parents at a very young age – and lost them in a way that’s still a mystery to him,” adds Tolmach. ”It leaves him with a lot of formative questions – Where am I from? Who am I? Why did my parents leave? Why did this happen? Who am I going to become? These are all the primal questions that face our hero. This angle had not been heavily explored, yet it’s so critical to who Peter Parker is – this is the essence of a young man’s journey. So we were incredibly excited to go down this road with the story and these characters.”

“The things that are unresolved, the things we have to live with, send us down a road – and that road can make us better people or not,” says Webb.

“A key part of our orchestration of the story is that everything in Peter’s journey happens because of his yearning to find out about his father,” says Webb, concurring. “The sequence of events which leads him to OsCorp and to Dr. Connors results in his being bitten. I didn’t want the spider bite to be an arbitrary occurrence, but a representation and result of his desire to fill a void.”

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, June 29 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN | A peek at the 1st scene as Spidey! Video clip!

This is cool! A clip featuring Spidey discovering his skills! It even shows a certain difficulty crawling up the side of a truck and swinging uncontrollably through a bus haha!

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, fully Spider-suited-up, dodging New York cops, running up the side of lorries, cracking crap one-liners to himself and so on.

Me thinks eet eez cool and I can't wait! Check it out! Toink! :o)

The Amazing Spider-Man, 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.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN director MARC WEBB talks about his new film

Given his surname, you might think that it’s inevitable that Marc Webb would end up directing a Spider-Man movie. But the 37 year old would be the first to admit that he’s something of a leftfield choice to oversee this latest iteration of the friendly neighbourhood webslinger, with The Amazing Spider-Man representing only his second film, following 2009’s hit romantic comedy, (500) Days Of Summer.

That movie’s wry humour, flashy setpieces and focus on characters, though, persuaded The Amazing Spider-Man producers, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and the late Laura Ziskin that Webb was their Spider-director. And Webb has risen to the challenge, with an earthy, grounded aesthetic that sees the webslinger’s legendary story take place in a very recognisable universe: ours.

We caught up with Webb in his Culver City editing suite, and talked to him about his decision to get involved with the project, the challenges of making Spider-Man swing, and finding Andrew Garfield...

How did you get involved with The Amazing Spider-Man?

I was meeting with these guys [Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach] and they brought up the idea. I was meeting with them on something else and I thought it was totally ridiculous. I said, I don’t make movies like that. They said, that’s why you should do it.

This is a new version of the Spider-Man story. How different is it?

There’s so much to tell in terms of who this kid is. My favourite thing about Spider-Man, is Peter Parker, the fact that he’s a kid from Queens who’s not a billionaire and he’s not an alien. He’s a kid who has the same problems we all do and that makes him intensely relatable. Spider-Man becomes wish fulfillment for that, flying through the air and beating up bad guys, but that all emanates from what Peter Parker would dream of, whether or not he was Spider-Man. To me, I wanted to start from a place where it felt like, if you walked into the theatre, that it was the same universe you lived in, and ground that both aesthetically and emotionally, which is difficult when you have a giant lizard running down the street.

How did you approach the scenes where Spidey is swinging through the city?

It was important for me to not just see Spider-Man swinging away from afar, but to be with him and feel that. We went to New York, near Columbia and Harlem and built a travelling rig system. We have motion capture elements that are there to create a sense of realism, weight and physical realism that we’re still working on and will be working on until the day before the movie comes out. It’s about expanding the universe, where you earn the spectacle of Spider-Man’s abilities.

You shot the movie in 3D. It seems that, if any character is suited for 3D, it’s Spider-Man.

I agree completely. 3D after Avatar was, for the studios, the thing to do because it was the salvation of the theatrical experience. But it was misused and maligned. But the truth is, it’s an incredible tool for specific things and particularly to create that sense of flying. There are movies for which it is made and there is no character better suited for 3D than Spider-Man.

Let’s talk about Andrew Garfield. What made you cast him as Peter?

He was just the right guy. In his screen-test, he killed it. It was one of those things - we did the screen-test and that night I was cutting it together and I couldn’t stop watching it. He moved like a kid, his elbows were flying all over the place, and even though he’s a little bit older, he had the humour, the awkwardness but also an ability to go deep in a way that very few actors can do. He’s a highly-trained actor, he’s very thoughtful about that and that grabbed me. The editors we’re working with, they didn’t know he was British! (laughs)

What can we expect from his Spider-Man?

We start off with a different kind of Peter Parker, without subverting the iconography of what Peter Parker and Spider-Man is. There are certain mythological obligations people have in any story, but it’s so radically different in terms of tone and what he experiences and backstory and the mystery about his father that I’m very comfortable with the movie occupying a different space. What we took for the beginning of the story is Peter being left by his father and mother, and what that does for him, and the emotion ripples through the movie, and subsequent movies as well.

So he suffers?

I wanted him to feel pain. We fall in love with heroes not because of the way they can punch someone, but for how they can take a punch. But he’s funny. We wanted to give him some quips, that was such an important part of the character that I really enjoy in the comics.

And then there’s Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, a hugely important character for Peter.

Listen, I’m a romantic. I love relationships, guy/girl stuff that’s interesting and relatable. And Gwen is very smart. Emma’s attitude is so not a movie star, but she’s the biggest movie star I’ve ever worked with. She’s so charismatic and funny and decent and a wonderful actor. The other thing I like about her, is the humour. She’s very funny.

And can you talk about choosing The Lizard as the villain?

I’m interested in the idea that Curt Connors was his mentor and then became his adversary and he cares about this guy who he has to fight. He’s the literal embodiment of the theme of the movie, which is we all have a missing piece. He has no arm, Peter has no parents. He has to fill that void, and he fills it with Spider-Man. Curt is not as strong as Spider-Man on the inside, but he’s much stronger on the outside, and essentially he becomes a big bully. But I like that The Lizard thinks that what he’s doing is right, in his weird, haywired brain, he’s right. He’s not the bad guy. I love that. I love the idea that Peter is trying to find the humanity in the inhumane, it gives him a very good obstacle to navigate.

Will we hear the phrase, ‘with great power comes great responsibility?’

That’s ingrained in the very DNA of Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. There are different incarnations of that idea that are learned in different parts of this movie, and it’s part of his arc, but it doesn’t completely define his character. It’s about him growing up. Every movie is, who am I? We say that in the movie, explicitly. Being responsible for things bigger than himself is what he’s about, it’s what superheroes are all about. It’s why we love them.

(Opening across the Philippines on June 29 in Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us atwww.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.)

EMMA STONE unveils new AMAZING SPIDER-MAN clip on Leno's show!!!

Emma Stone was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote The Amazing Spider-Man and came with a treat! She shared the latest clip from the film and boy is everyone fired-up! Wahoo! 

Darn! I can't wait to see this film! Amongst all the Spider-Man films, this seems to be the one that truly packs a punch. From the temperament of the film itself, to the action sequences, one can feel it is going to be tension filled and a great ride!

Here's the clip that Emma Stone shared!

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

A son's journey to find his father sets superhero course in “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

It's not just a random mutant spider bite that sets Hollywood's new Peter Parker on the superhero career track.

From the trailers of "The Amazing Spider-Man" (and the six-minute extended footage now playing with “Men In Black 3”) it's clear that something dark and deep is at the heart of Peter's fateful encounter with that spider. He may even be a Spider-Man of destiny.

The footage offers glimpses of the orphan boy's natural father (Campbell Scott), a man shrouded in a mystery that Peter (Andrew Garfield) needs to unravel as a youth.

Garfield, co-star Emma Stone and director Marc Webb would not divulge details, but they did acknowledge that a personal quest puts Peter on a collision course with the spider whose bite imparts superpowers.

"I love the idea of destiny having a hand in Peter Parker's fortune, and not just being a slip and a fall," Garfield said in an interview. "I love the idea of him being meant to assume this symbol."

"The Amazing Spider-Man" maintains the classic Parker family structure of the Marvel Comics and the three previous big-screen blockbusters that starred Tobey Maguire as Peter. Garfield's Peter is raised by his upright Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and loving Aunt May (Sally Field).

In Maguire's version, a school field trip took Peter to the lab where that spider gave him the momentous nip. In the new film, Peter's on a mission when fate strikes.

"There's a lot that leads him to that spider bite in this one," Stone said. "It's not just a school field trip. He snuck in there for some reason."

The footage also showed some significant portions setting up Peter's transformation into the web-slinging hero, along with the mutation of a one-armed scientist (Rhys Ifans) into a hulking green villain known as the Lizard.

Though Scott as Peter's father appears only briefly, the footage indicates that his character is pivotal to the fortunes of his son.

"It's about a kid who goes out looking for his father, and he finds himself," Webb said. "I don't want to get too specific beyond that, but that's certainly a big part of what the story's about, my angle on the Peter Parker character. The fact that he's sort of an orphan, I think that's something really interesting to explore."

(Audiences who watch “Men in Black 3” in Digital 3D will get to screen an extended 6-minute sneak peek of “The Amazing Spider-Man” as an added attraction. 2D screenings of “MIB 3” will play a new trailer of “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Opening across the Philippines on June 29 in Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.)

New “AMAZING SPIDER-MAN” footage to be shown with “MEN IN BLACK 3”

Columbia Pictures has just announced that a never-before-seen footage from The Amazing Spider-Man™ will be shown as an added attraction to Men In Black 3 when it opens across the Philippines on Wednesday, May 23 in Digital 3D and regular theaters.

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opening across the Philippines on June 29 in 3D and regular theatres, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN | Moves up Philippines playdate to JUNE 29!

Columbia Pictures has just announced that The Amazing Spider-Man will now open in the Philippines on Friday, June 29, 2012. That's a five-day margin ahead of the film's original release date in Manila, US and North America which was supposedly July 4.

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opening across the Philippines in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular theatres, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN | 3rd trailer first look!!!

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia.

Check out the third trailer of the wildly anticipated action-adventure The Amazing Spider-Man which has just been unveiled by Columbia Pictures

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opening across the Philippines on July 4 in 3D and regular theatres, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN trailer 2!!! Sooo friggin' good!!!

Boy am I excited! I've always been a Spider-Man fan and this time the world is in for a friggin' great treat! A more mature, well thought and cast movie that brings the hero to a whole new level giving it depth and is to be taken very seriously!

Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) boasts of a stellar cast headed by Rhys Ifans, Andrew Garfield, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, and Emma Stone. 

The story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.

As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.”

The Amazing Spider-Man also stars Irrfan Khan, Denis Leary, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, C. Thomas Howell, Julianne Nicholson, Annie Parisse, Miles Elliot, Hannah Marks, Meagan Good, Vanessa Lee Chester, Barbara Eve Harris, and Charlie DePew.

I know I can't wait! How about you? :o)

Big reveal: “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN” poster & standee art

Columbia Pictures has just released the new poster and standee images of The Amazing Spider-Man, opening in Philippine theaters in 3D on July 3, 2012.

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

The Amazing Spider-Man is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

“ANONYMOUS” exclusive at Ayala Malls cinemas starting April 18!

Columbia Pictures' Oscar-nominated thriller “Anonymous” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Wednesday, April 18.

Directed by Roland Emmerich from the script by John Orloff, “Anonymous” stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Xavier Samuel, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Derek Jacobi. 

The film 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.

It might not seem that Roland Emmerich – best known as the director of the epic blockbusters “Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and “2012” – would necessarily choose as his next project a story set in Elizabethan England. However, for nearly ten years, he has wanted to make a film with the Shakespeare authorship question as a backdrop – a yearning that is fulfilled with “Anonymous.” 

Screenwriter John Orloff says he had been fascinated by the Shakespeare authorship question since first learning about the controversy as a 25-year-old graduate student 20 years ago. “My first thought was, ‘Why had no one told me this?!’” he says. “My second thought was that this would make a fantastic film. It had everything – murder, sex, lies, betrayal – truly the stuff of Shakespearean drama.”

 

In writing that story, Orloff centered around the idea of two writers – Shakespeare, the front man, and the true writer, behind the curtain. “Ben Jonson wrote the introduction to the first folio, the first official published plays of Shakespeare – he writes this beautiful, beautiful poem dedicated to Shakespeare who by that point, had been dead for several years. But if you read other Jonson works, some shorter poems or some of his plays, he’s not quite so laudatory of Shakespeare and his poems actually make fun of him and are very angry with him. It made me think that Jonson was talking about two different people – one, the true poet, and the other, a fraud.”

Emmerich was immediately receptive to Orloff’s idea – and the director had some big ideas that he felt the story could support. “The script is very much about the relationship between Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, and Edward De Vere – that is very much the heart of the movie – but I felt it just needed a little more than that. I asked myself, ‘What was the most important thing in that era?’ and it was clearly succession” – the question of who would follow the heirless Elizabeth on the throne. 

 

“I had a little story about art and jealousy,” says Orloff, “and with that suggestion, Roland wanted to propel the script into a whole new dimension of dramatic possibility.”

Blockbuster director ROLAND EMMERICH tackles Shakespearean mystery in “ANONYMOUS”

Best known as the director of the epic blockbusters “Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and “2012,” Roland Emmerich now takes on the mystery genre in Columbia Pictures' acclaimed and gripping thriller “Anonymous.”

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 be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma), “Anonymous” stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Xavier Samuel, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Derek Jacobi.

The Shakespeare authorship question is a debate that started over one hundred years ago surrounding the identity of the works traditionally attributed to the bearded Bard from Stratford-Upon-Avon, William Shakespeare. Was he really the genius behind Hamlet’s tragic life, Romeo’s burning love, and Lady Macbeth’s plaguing guilt? Could the intellectual behind literature’s most brilliant characters be this very ordinary man from Stratford?

So little is known about the man from Stratford that many find it impossible to believe that the son of an illiterate tradesman was the author of such literary masterpieces as “The Merchant of Venice,” “King Lear,” and “Henry V.” His education from a village school could never have provided Shakespeare with a vocabulary extensive enough to write the most talked about literature in the world and there is no proof that he travelled to foreign lands let alone learnt to speak their native tongues. The only written documentation historians can ascribe to Shakespeare is several signatures on official documents with at least six different spellings (Shaksp, Shakspe, Shakesper, Shakespere, Shakspere and Shakspeare).

Aside from the plays attributed to him, there are no manuscripts, letters, journals or poems accredited to Shakespeare, which is quite astonishing, considering this was his legacy. His death in 1616 was met with silence, unlike other celebrated writers of his time, and his illiterate wife and children were bequeathed only his “second best bed” – no money – and even more shockingly, his will mentions no books or manuscripts of any kind.

“Anti-Stratfordians,” those that believe there is reasonable doubt that Shakespeare is the real author of the works, include literary greats, teachers, writers, world-renowned actors, directors and scholars such as Sigmund Freud, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Sir John Gielgud. Whilst some believe in group theories (i.e. that a collective group of writers is responsible for the works), others favor singular writers such as Edward De Vere – the Earl of Oxford, Francis Bacon, or Christopher Marlowe.

Oxford (played in the film by Rhys Ifans) is perhaps the leading alternate candidate within anti-Stratfordian circles due to the remarkable concurrences between the nobleman and the scribe. There are many significant facts to support Oxfordian arguments that simply cannot be debunked by Stratfordians, among them that Oxford took a 16-month tour of the Continent which took him to all to of the cities in Italy with which Shakespeare evinces an easy familiarity, among them Padua, Milan, Verona, Mantua, Florence, and Siena. Another is that “Hamlet” eerily parallels Oxford’s life in an almost autobiographical form, depicting his father-in-law William Cecil as Polonius and his daughter, Anne Cecil, being Ophelia; the Queen herself, on whom Gertrude is modeled, was a surrogate mother to Oxford from the age of twelve and later became his lover. Was it a pure coincidence that Oxford’s annotated copy of the Geneva Bible marks passages that were used by Shakespeare or that Oxford’s nickname was “spear shaker?”

In 1987, US Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens, William Brennan, and Harry Blackmun held a mock trial on the authorship. Justice Brennan, the Senior Justice on the case, ruled that the Earl of Oxford did not meet the burden of proof required under the law to claim the authorship, however, Justice Harry Blackmun added that whilst this conclusion was the legal answer, he was doubtful it was the correct answer.

Until such time that there is conclusive evidence or definite proof to support any one theory, theoretically there is no right or wrong conclusion to this debate. However, one important question remains. As long as these masterpieces live on in our cultural conscience, does it really matter who Shakespeare was?

Controversial thriller “ANONYMOUS” exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Columbia Pictures' new thriller “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 be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma), “Anonymous” stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Xavier Samuel, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Derek Jacobi. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich from the script by John Orloff.

It might not seem that Roland Emmerich – best known as the director of the epic blockbusters “Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and “2012” – would necessarily choose as his next project a story set in Elizabethan England. However, for nearly ten years, he has wanted to make a film with the Shakespeare authorship question as a backdrop – a yearning that is fulfilled with “Anonymous.”

Screenwriter John Orloff says he had been fascinated by the Shakespeare authorship question since first learning about the controversy as a 25-year-old graduate student 20 years ago. “My first thought was, ‘Why had no one told me this?!’” he says. “My second thought was that this would make a fantastic film. It had everything – murder, sex, lies, betrayal – truly the stuff of Shakespearean drama.”

In writing that story, Orloff centered around the idea of two writers – Shakespeare, the front man, and the true writer, behind the curtain. “Ben Jonson wrote the introduction to the first folio, the first official published plays of Shakespeare – he writes this beautiful, beautiful poem dedicated to Shakespeare who by that point, had been dead for several years. But if you read other Jonson works, some shorter poems or some of his plays, he’s not quite so laudatory of Shakespeare and his poems actually make fun of him and are very angry with him. It made me think that Jonson was talking about two different people – one, the true poet, and the other, a fraud.”

Emmerich was immediately receptive to Orloff’s idea – and the director had some big ideas that he felt the story could support. “The script is very much about the relationship between Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, and Edward De Vere – that is very much the heart of the movie – but I felt it just needed a little more than that. I asked myself, ‘What was the most important thing in that era?’ and it was clearly succession” – the question of who would follow the heirless Elizabeth on the throne.

“I had a little story about art and jealousy,” says Orloff, “and with that suggestion, Roland wanted to propel the script into a whole new dimension of dramatic possibility.”

“What intrigued me was not just the idea that William Shakespeare did not write the plays,” says Emmerich. “That spark opened up all sorts of avenues for the story, to look at the creative fire in people and to explore the relationship between art and politics – is the pen truly mightier than the sword?”

Tackling a subject that is so widely discussed and documented proved rather tricky for Orloff in the early stages of his script writing. He says, “Writing something that is based on non-fiction and historical material simply has to find a way to balance between fact and drama,” says Orloff. “We tried as much as possible to keep to historical facts – and I’m very proud of how accurate it is, as long as you take the conceit that the movie portrays DeVere as the writer of the works and not William Shakespeare. Not everyone’s going to agree with that!”

“Roland has such a feel for the exciting topics that get people out of their chairs,” says producer Kirstin Winkler. “I certainly don’t think that the film is trying to dictate his story as the truth; it’s just one take on the authorship question, telling one tale.”

That said, Winkler goes on that she expects Emmerich’s film to be controversial. “There is quite a radical group of Stratfordians out there who feel very strongly about preserving the image of Shakespeare as the writer of the plays and sonnets,” she says.

But controversy aside, actor David Thewlis says that the film works well simply as a story. “No matter what you believe, it’s a great story,” he says.