Rumors are swirling that Hollywood old guard stars will play Uncle Ben and Aunt May in the Spiderman reboot.
Martin Sheen has been in so many films that it’s almost hard to pick his iconic roles. My first introduction to him was as the troubled Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now but many people know him as President Josiah Bartlet on TV’s The West Wing. Gamers probably best know Sheen as the voice of The Illusive Man in BioWare’s Mass Effect series but he may just get some more geek-cred if he signs a contract to play Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben in the new Spiderman reboot. The Hollywood Reporter, er, reported, that he is currently in negotiations to do just that. Spiderman is in pre-production now as it prepares to shoot. Directed by Marc Webb and written by James Vanderbilt who most recelty penned another comic book adaptation The Losers, the movie is expected out in 2012.
Sally Field has had a decidedly different career. My mom loved her as The Flying Nun but she won a couple Oscars for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart (proving that we all really love her). Since then, Field has definietly excelled at motherly roles, including Forrest Gump and her most recent turn as Nora Walker on the TV series Brothers and Sisters. Hollywood Reporter said that Fields is in early talks to play Aunt May in Spiderman.
If the casting of both Sheen and Field works out, then that mean we will have some serious star-power for Uncle ben and Aunt May. That’s a huge contrast to the Sam Raimi Spiderman films, where Uncle Ben was important, but almost non-existent on screen and Aunt May was not as omnipresent as she could have been (although she did appear in all three films). The focus on Uncle Ben and Aunt May confirms that the new storyline will focus on Peter Parker in high school as Spiderman. It would make sense for the new casting of Ben/May to have established stars as the main cast seems to consist of newcomers and unknowns.
Andrew Garfield is Peter Parker, Emma Stone is Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans is playing an unspecified villain. If you think any of those three names can sell a movie, then you need to take Hollywood 101. On the other hand, those three names next to Martin Sheen and Sally Field on the poster might put a few more butts in seats come 2012.
Of course, it’s fricking Spiderman, so people should just come out to see it anyway, but it never hurts to stack the deck some serious star talent.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
