Spider-Man was created by comic book legend Stan Lee in 1962 with Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby (who did the early costume design) and within a few years became a cultural phenomenon. The character has sold millions of comic books as the Marvel flagship character and has appeared all over the world, from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to sharing the stage with Morgan Freeman on the Electric Company television show.

The new movie will hearken back to the original Spider-Man story of the Marvel comics, with Peter Parker as a teenage orphan and high school science whiz who is bitten by a radio active spider on a school field trip. The 1962's 7 page origin story was expanded upon in Brian Michael Bendis' "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic book series in 2000 and shall provide the time frame for the new feature film.

Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, comment on the announcement, "We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey."

Marc Webb has enjoyed numerous awards throughout his film career. In addition to the Golden Globe nomination, Webb has created several award winning music videos for top selling artists such as Green Day, Fergie, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, Diddy, and many others.

Webb said, "This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man."

Sam Raimi, director of the cult classic Evil Dead series, left the Spider-Man film franchise surrounded by rumors of disagreement over the proposed script and screen time for villains, particularly Venom, whom the studio wanted, and the Vulture, who was Raimi's choice.

Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee, added, "I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next."

Filming will begin later this year with a script by Jamie Vanderbilt and a reported $80 million budget, which will scale down the look and feel of the previous Raimi blockbusters.

The story will be based on the death of Peter Parker's Uncle Ben and the young boy's struggle with his own choices which could have prevented the murder.

Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin are producing the new movie, and the studio currently holds sequel options.

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