The hottest role in Hollywood is still very much up for grabs.
Contrary to a report first published on Hitfix over the weekend, TheWrap has learned that "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" star Logan Lerman has not been cast as Peter Parker in Sony's reboot of its lucrative "Spider-Man" franchise -- and according to a Sony spokesman, there is currently no shortlist for the coveted role.
When contacted by TheWrap, Lerman's representation at WME said that the young actor is not and never has been on any shortlist for the role, and is definitely not currently in negotiations with the studio.
For its part, Hitfix is standing by its story, pointing out that Sony also issued an official denial when IESB reported that "Spider-Man 4" was put on hiatus last December, after which Raimi and star Tobey Maguire left the project and the teen-themed reboot was announced with Marc Webb ("500 Days of Summer") directing from a script by James Vanderbilt ("Zodiac").
In February, Lerman told Access Hollywood that he'd had discussions with Sony about playing Spider-Man, and ever since he's been considered the leading contender for the role … which is why I was surprised to wake up on Sunday morning and read that he was "almost 100 percent locked" to play the crime-fighting web-slinger. Because in Hollywood, the front-runner never gets the gig. Just ask "former 'Captain America'" John Krasinski.
I think it's possible that Lerman's representation leaked the story hoping it would generate positive fan reaction that would allow them to negotiate a better deal -- if it turns out Sony is interested. While Lerman has been in the public eye for a decade, appearing in a steady stream of studio movies ("The Butterfly Effect," "Hoot," "The Number 23," "3:10 to Yuma," "Gamer") after his debut as one of Mel Gibson's sons in "The Patriot," "Percy Jackson" earned earned $87 million domestically on a $95 million production budget despite a high-profile Super Bowl ad campaign. The film performed much better overseas ($131 million), but its mediocre reception stateside may indicate that Lerman isn't ready to anchor a major studio franchise.
I'm not quite sure what to make of all this, but here's what I know, or more accurately, what I think I know: Hollywood loves making lists. To suggest that there is no shortlist of potential "Spider-Man" actors is to be naive. Of course there's a list! You think Sony is spending millions to reboot its cash cow franchise without a group of young actors in mind?
Yes, the production budget is being scaled back (it's reported to be only $80 million) and the expectations won't be as high as they were for Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 3," but Sony has a lot riding on this movie, so you can bet they've devoted time and energy to brainstorming who could potentially wear the red and blue spandex.
If I was casting Spider-Man, I'd take a long, hard look at Josh Hutcherson, who feels like he's been playing this game for years, from "Zathura" to "Bridge to Terabithia" to "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
