FILM/TV NEWS: Garfield is the New Spiderman, Bekmambetov remakes Black Lightning, and more

• Rumors were floating around last week that our new Spiderman was Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Center of the Earth and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant), but then it was officially announced that Andrew Garfield (left) had scored the role. Not many people know of Garfield, because his most notable roles have been in dramatic indies, such as Lions for Lambs, Boy A, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which have garnered him critical praise. This year, we'll see him in the Facebook-founding drama The Social Network and the dramatic thriller Never Let Me Go with Carey Mulligan and Kiera Knightley. As you can see, his resume doesn't exactly scream "The Next Action Star," but neither did Tobey Maguire's.

• Looks like Leonardo DiCaprio has completed his 4-picture 8-year apprenticeship with Martin Scorsese, since his next release is by Christopher Nolan, his next film is with Clint Eastwood, and amidst the large ensemble cast of Scorsese's next project Hugo Cabret, which stars Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, and Christopher Lee, DiCaprio is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps the genre is just not his style. In the 3D adventure film, adapted from Brian Selznick's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, an orphan boy, living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station, is soon caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy.

• I've always thought Amanda Seyfried looked supernatural or cartoonishly gorgeous and apparently Hollywood agrees. She's just been tapped to star in the upcoming live action Cinderella film.

• One of my favorite directors Timur Bekmambetov, a new American favorite after Wanted, is remaking the Russian action film Black Lightning (Chernaya Molniya), which had an extremely limited release abroad. It follows a college student who discovers a flying car and becomes a superhero in order to take on the Russian underworld. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I vaguely remember watching the trailer last year, and I can assure you, it looks just as cool as this month's Sorcerer's Apprentice, considering the budget they had to work with.

• With Wonder Woman's new makeover, I wonder how that'll change casting for the inevitable film adaptation. Any suggestions?

• I was wondering what sort of reprecussions there would be in having so many actors in the upcoming Scream 4, and as suspected, the more actors added, the less screen time each gets, and the more frustrated the actors get. Lauren Graham ("Parenthood") is already rumored to have opted out after her role was severely reduced, and Hayden Panettiere ("Heroes") is rumored to being on the verge of doing the same.

• Seems Josh Peck is on a roll. He just wrapped up the Red Dawn remake, where a group of teenagers defend their town from a Communist invasion, and now he's signed on to the comedy The Siege of Fulton Avenue, where a bunch of rich New York kids end up in a standoff with the police, while they try to get rid of all the criminal evidence of their wild party. The story is based on a New York magazine article by David Amsden.

• Former child rapper Romeo Miller (aka Lil Romeo) just joined the cast of Angela Bassett and Paul Patton's upcoming comedy Jumping the Broom. He'll play a Yale student, which isn't too much of a stretch since he attends USC. The story is about "a weekend wedding in Martha's Vineyard and the class struggle between two African-American families." Geesh, I'm already laughing. I hope this is "as funny" as Our Family Wedding.


TV NEWS

• I suppose the writers of "Dexter" are finding it hard to follow the last killer season, so they're resorting to stunt casting for the next one, calling on Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You) to guest star. Although, I'm not really sure what kind of stunt that is.

• Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin are aiming to leave their respective NBC shows after this season. I understand that Carell is interested in acquiring a more relaxed schedule with films, but Baldwin has yet to establish himself as a film actor. Mark Wahlberg, of all people, upstaged his performance in The Departed, critics were mostly raving about Meryl Streep's hot streak during It's Complicated's debut, and people barely remember he was in My Sister's Keeper. Who knows though? He could be signing a development deal as we speak. After all, Wilmer Valderamma just got one.

• Janeane Garofalo is joining the cast of CBS's "Criminal Minds" spin-off titled "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior." She'll play one of the main agents of an elite team of profilers run by Forest Whitaker's character. I hope she's the comic relief, cause Whitaker's proven he's yet to master comic timing.

• Starz canceled both its "Party Down" and "Gravity" comedies.