| Rhys Ifans to play Spider-Man villain Welsh star of Howard Marks biopic Mr Nice joins cast for superhero reboot, but identity of character remains unknownThe next film in the Spider-Man series is taking on a distinctly British flavour. English actor Andrew Garfield was revealed in July as the man who will step into the famous red and blue costume, and yesterday it was announced that Welshman Rhys Ifans would play the main villain in Marc Webb's forthcoming reboot.Ifans, currently starring as drug smuggler Howard Marks in Mr Nice, joins a cast that also includes Zombieland's Emma Stone. Stone will play Gwen Stacy, the love interest for Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker. The new film takes Spidey back to his high school days, and does not focus on his usual girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. It may be that producers plump for an equally leftfield villain. Studio Sony has not revealed which character Ifans will play. The webslinger's most famous enemies include the Green Goblin, the Lizard, Venom, the Vulture and Doc Oc. Of the above, all but the Lizard and the Vulture featured in the previous trilogy of films directed by Sam Raimi.Sony's Matt Tolmach said: "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."Webb, best known for critically-praised romcom 500 Days of Summer, added: "What sets the Spider-Man villains apart is the complexity of their relationships with Peter Parker. Rhys's incredible ability to embody both warmth and rage makes him the ideal choice for this character."The as-yet-untitled fourth Spider-Man film is set to debut in cinemas on July 3 2012 and will be filmed in 3D. Entertainment Weekly has called James Vanderbilt's screenplay "gritty" and "contemporary", suggesting that it may be in the same vein as Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan's successful 2005 reimagining of the Batman series.Rhys IfansScience fiction and fantasyBen Childguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner dies Man behind arguably the best Star Wars adventure has died at the age of 87 after a long illnessIrvin Kershner, the Hollywood journeyman who directed the darkest – and arguably best – Star Wars adventure of them all has died after a long illness. He was 87.Born in Philadelphia in 1923, Kershner made his feature debut with the 1958 teen thriller Stakeout on Dope Street. He worked steadily throughout the 1960s and 70s until George Lucas, impressed by his work on the Faye Dunaway thriller Eyes of Laura Mars, hired him to direct 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. While the director was seen by some as an unlikely choice to oversee the second instalment of the Star Wars franchise, Kershner's sombre, character-driven approach paid handsome dividends. "I like to fill up the frame with the characters' faces," he once explained. "There's nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face."Following the success of The Empire Strikes Back, Kershner went on to direct Sean Connery in 1983's unofficial James Bond outing Never Say Never Again. His other credits include A Fine Madness, Raid on Entebbe, The Return of a Man Called Horse and Robocop 2. An occasional actor, he also played the role of Zebedee, father of James and John, in Martin Scorsese's controversial The Last Temptation of Christ.Star WarsGeorge LucasXan Brooksguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |