Andrew Garfield won a TV Bafta for his role in gritty drama Boy A

British actor Andrew Garfield is to play comic book superhero Spider-Man in the next outing of the film series, it has been announced.

The 26-year-old, raised in the UK but born in California, will begin work on the new movie in December.

His previous credits include last year’s The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus alongside the late Heath Ledger.

Former Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi departed the franchise after making three films.

‘Rare combination’

The new instalment, to be shot in 3D, will focus on the formative years of Peter Parker, the unremarkable youth who – after being bitten by a radioactive spider, is transformed into the superhero.

The movie has yet to be named.

Marc Webb, who will direct Garfield in the film, said of the new star: “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents.

“He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”

Garfield starred in an episode of Doctor Who set in 1930’s New York

Spider-Man producer Avi Arad added: “We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”

Garfield, who was revealed to the press as the new Spider-Man in Cancun, Mexico, has a wealth of British TV roles to his credit.

He won the best actor Bafta in 2008 for his role in hard-hitting Channel 4 drama Boy A.

Brought up in Surrey, his other credits include Doctor Who, Sugar Rush and Channel 4’s Red Riding trilogy.

Andrew Garfield won a TV Bafta for his role in gritty drama Boy A

British actor Andrew Garfield is to play comic book superhero Spider-Man in the next outing of the film series, it has been announced.

The 26-year-old, raised in the UK but born in California, will begin work on the new movie in December.

His previous credits include last year’s The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus alongside the late Heath Ledger.

Former Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi departed the franchise after making three films.

‘Rare combination’

The new instalment, to be shot in 3D, will focus on the formative years of Peter Parker, the unremarkable youth who – after being bitten by a radioactive spider, is transformed into the superhero.

The movie has yet to be named.

Marc Webb, who will direct Garfield in the film, said of the new star: “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents.

“He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”

Garfield starred in an episode of Doctor Who set in 1930’s New York

Spider-Man producer Avi Arad added: “We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”

Garfield, who was revealed to the press as the new Spider-Man in Cancun, Mexico, has a wealth of British TV roles to his credit.

He won the best actor Bafta in 2008 for his role in hard-hitting Channel 4 drama Boy A.

Brought up in Surrey, his other credits include Doctor Who, Sugar Rush and Channel 4’s Red Riding trilogy.

Ubisoft have issued an image from the new game

Singer Michael Jackson is to be captured in a new video game, developers Ubisoft have announced.

The game, which has yet to be given a title, will rate players’ ability to dance like the late pop star.

It will be one of the first titles to use motion detection technology, due to be rolled out on a number of consoles later this year.

The musician voiced a video game character called Space Michael in the game Space Channel 5 in 1999.

In 1989, he also appeared in the game Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker.

The game’s launch is set to coincide with the release of an album in November containing previously unreleased Jackson tracks.

It will include songs from the singer’s back catalogue, including the hits Billie Jean and Beat It.

At an announcement in Los Angeles, Ubisoft’s Tony Key said: “Your goal is to dance like Michael.

“Do what the guy on the screen is doing and you’re there. It’ll score you based on the quality of your performance.”

Developers are lining up to release dance-based games, including Dance Central, which uses the Kinect system to detect players’ movements, which are then translated onto the screen.

DeWyze worked as a paint clerk in Illinois before American Idol

American Idol star Lee DeWyze has made his US chart debut at the lowly position of number 24.

The 24-year-old scored the highest new entry in the Billboard Hot 100 with his cover of U2’s Beautiful Day, as performed on last week’s final.

If it fails to climb up the rankings next week, it will become the lowest-charting debut by any Idol winner since the show began in 2002.

Usher was at the top of the singles chart for a second week with OMG.

‘Play by the rules’

Katy Perry’s new single California Gurls rose back to number two, after dropping from that position a week ago, while R&B singer BOB took third place with Airplanes.

DeWyze scored another three new entries in the top 100, one of which was a duet with Idol runner-up Crystal Bowersox, who scored her own solo hit at 57 with a cover of Patti Griffin’s Up To The Mountain.

Out of the eight previous American Idol winners, only two have failed to crack the top 10 with their debut single – Jordin Sparks in 2007, and Kris Allen in 2009.

DeWyze has been equivocal about the choice of Beautiful Day as his first record, telling USA Today, “it’s not really my genre”.

“There were songs on the table, and I went with the one I thought represented me the best,” he added.

“I don’t know the reasoning behind which songs you get to pick. I don’t know all the ups and downs of the behind-the-scenes stuff.

“A big part of the game is to play by the rules.”

DeWyze’s disappointing chart position follows the TV talent show’s lowest-rated finale since 2002.

Viewing figures showed that 24.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the former paint salesman take the crown – down nine per cent on 2009.

However, the programme remained the most-watched TV show in the US.

The finale also marked the last appearance of Simon Cowell on the judging panel.

The acerbic star has left American Idol to launch a US version of his hit UK show The X Factor.

His replacement has yet to be announced.

Del Toro described the job as a “dream come true”

Guillermo del Toro will no longer direct the two movies based on JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit, reports said.

Speaking exclusively to fan site The One Ring, Del Toro said it was with “great regret” that he would be “taking leave” of the films.

“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life,” he said.

However, del Toro added that he will continue to co-write the screenplays.

The project – which has already been delayed for several years – is expected to last longer than originally expected.

Executive producer Peter Jackson reportedly said Del Toro could not commit to living in New Zealand for that long.

The movie is yet to be officially greenlit by MGM due to the film studio’s ongoing financial troubles, which have also delayed work indefinitely on the next James Bond film.

In 2008, when it was announced del Toro would direct, he described the job as “an absolute dream come true”

The Hobbit was due to be split into two films, both prequels to Jackson’s Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy – to be released in 2012 and 2013.

The trilogy’s film adaptations, released between 2001 and 2003, made an estimated $6bn (£3.26bn) worldwide in ticket, DVDs and merchandise sales and won 16 Academy Awards.

Lindsay Lohan was in Cannes to promote a movie

Actress Lindsay Lohan has avoided arrest when she returns to the US after securing bail of $100,000 (£70,000).

A judge had ordered her detention after she missed a probation hearing relating to a 2007 drink driving case because she was stranded in France.

She was unable to fly back from the Cannes film festival after her passport was stolen, according to her lawyer.

Further conditions to her probation have been imposed, including a ban on drinking alcohol.

Missing appointments

The star will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet and make herself available for random weekly drug tests.

Lohan had been due in court for a progress report on her probation.

After missing her appointment, Judge Marsha Revel revoked Lohan’s probation, issued the arrest warrant and imposed several conditions to her bail.

Her next court hearing will determine whether she is complying with those bail conditions.

A date for the hearing has yet to be determined.

Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the star would be able to return to the US by Friday, after a replacement passport was obtained from consular officials in France.

But Judge Revel was not satisfied, and said: “If she wanted to be here, it looks to the court that she could have been here.”

She added that the star had a history of missing appointments.

The actress was ordered to attend court after reports she had failed to complete alcohol education classes.

They were part of her sentence after being convicted of drink driving and other charges in 2007. She was also sentenced to one day in jail and community service.

Lindsay Lohan was in Cannes to promote a movie

Actress Lindsay Lohan has avoided arrest when she returns to the US after securing bail of $100,000 (£70,000).

A judge had ordered her detention after she missed a probation hearing relating to a 2007 drink driving case because she was stranded in France.

She was unable to fly back from the Cannes film festival after her passport was stolen, according to her lawyer.

Further conditions to her probation have been imposed, including a ban on drinking alcohol.

Missing appointments

The star will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet and make herself available for random weekly drug tests.

Lohan had been due in court for a progress report on her probation.

After missing her appointment, Judge Marsha Revel revoked Lohan’s probation, issued the arrest warrant and imposed several conditions to her bail.

Her next court hearing will determine whether she is complying with those bail conditions.

A date for the hearing has yet to be determined.

Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the star would be able to return to the US by Friday, after a replacement passport was obtained from consular officials in France.

But Judge Revel was not satisfied, and said: “If she wanted to be here, it looks to the court that she could have been here.”

She added that the star had a history of missing appointments.

The actress was ordered to attend court after reports she had failed to complete alcohol education classes.

They were part of her sentence after being convicted of drink driving and other charges in 2007. She was also sentenced to one day in jail and community service.

Lindsay Lohan was in Cannes to promote a movie

Actress Lindsay Lohan has avoided arrest when she returns to the US after securing bail of $100,000 (£70,000).

A judge had ordered her detention after she missed a probation hearing relating to a 2007 drink driving case because she was stranded in France.

She was unable to fly back from the Cannes film festival after her passport was stolen, according to her lawyer.

Further conditions to her probation have been imposed, including a ban on drinking alcohol.

Missing appointments

The star will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet and make herself available for random weekly drug tests.

Lohan had been due in court for a progress report on her probation.

After missing her appointment, Judge Marsha Revel revoked Lohan’s probation, issued the arrest warrant and imposed several conditions to her bail.

Her next court hearing will determine whether she is complying with those bail conditions.

A date for the hearing has yet to be determined.

Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the star would be able to return to the US by Friday, after a replacement passport was obtained from consular officials in France.

But Judge Revel was not satisfied, and said: “If she wanted to be here, it looks to the court that she could have been here.”

She added that the star had a history of missing appointments.

The actress was ordered to attend court after reports she had failed to complete alcohol education classes.

They were part of her sentence after being convicted of drink driving and other charges in 2007. She was also sentenced to one day in jail and community service.

Lindsay Lohan was in Cannes to promote a movie

Actress Lindsay Lohan has avoided arrest when she returns to the US after securing bail of $100,000 (£70,000).

A judge had ordered her detention after she missed a probation hearing relating to a 2007 drink driving case because she was stranded in France.

She was unable to fly back from the Cannes film festival after her passport was stolen, according to her lawyer.

Further conditions to her probation have been imposed, including a ban on drinking alcohol.

Missing appointments

The star will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet and make herself available for random weekly drug tests.

Lohan had been due in court for a progress report on her probation.

After missing her appointment, Judge Marsha Revel revoked Lohan’s probation, issued the arrest warrant and imposed several conditions to her bail.

Her next court hearing will determine whether she is complying with those bail conditions.

A date for the hearing has yet to be determined.

Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the star would be able to return to the US by Friday, after a replacement passport was obtained from consular officials in France.

But Judge Revel was not satisfied, and said: “If she wanted to be here, it looks to the court that she could have been here.”

She added that the star had a history of missing appointments.

The actress was ordered to attend court after reports she had failed to complete alcohol education classes.

They were part of her sentence after being convicted of drink driving and other charges in 2007. She was also sentenced to one day in jail and community service.

Lindsay Lohan was in Cannes to promote a movie

Actress Lindsay Lohan has avoided arrest when she returns to the US after securing bail of $100,000 (£70,000).

A judge had ordered her detention after she missed a probation hearing relating to a 2007 drink driving case because she was stranded in France.

She was unable to fly back from the Cannes film festival after her passport was stolen, according to her lawyer.

Further conditions to her probation have been imposed, including a ban on drinking alcohol.

Missing appointments

The star will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet and make herself available for random weekly drug tests.

Lohan had been due in court for a progress report on her probation.

After missing her appointment, Judge Marsha Revel revoked Lohan’s probation, issued the arrest warrant and imposed several conditions to her bail.

Her next court hearing will determine whether she is complying with those bail conditions.

A date for the hearing has yet to be determined.

Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the star would be able to return to the US by Friday, after a replacement passport was obtained from consular officials in France.

But Judge Revel was not satisfied, and said: “If she wanted to be here, it looks to the court that she could have been here.”

She added that the star had a history of missing appointments.

The actress was ordered to attend court after reports she had failed to complete alcohol education classes.

They were part of her sentence after being convicted of drink driving and other charges in 2007. She was also sentenced to one day in jail and community service.