Directed by Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”), “Gangster Squad” stars Oscar(R) nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Blue Valentine”), and Academy Award(R) winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”), as well as Oscar(R) nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”), Emma Stone (“The Help”), Anthony Mackie (upcoming “abraham lincoln:Vampire Hunter”), Giovanni Ribisi (“Avatar”) and Michael Pena (“Tower Heist”).

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.

Shot entirely in and around Los Angeles, including in many of the actual locations featured in the story, “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The screenplay is by Will Beall (TV’s “Castle”), based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman. The film is produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes”), Kevin McCormick (“The Lucky One”) and Michael Tadross (“Arthur”). The executive producers are Ruben Fleischer, Paul Lieberman and Bruce Berman.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Lin Pictures/Kevin McCormick production, “Gangster Squad.” The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

The Marc Webb-directed summer tentpole also stars acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) as Dr. Ratha, a close associate of Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard played by Rhys Ifans. As with most major Hollywood releases here, Spider-Man will also be dubbed in various regional languages.

“Each of the Spider-Man franchise films has broken records on its release in this territory. We are very confident that Indian audiences will enjoy the new reboot of the franchise even more because they are watching it before the U.S. and also, as this film has an India connect,” said Sony Pictures India MD Kercy Daruwala. In 2007, Spider-Man 3 grossed Rupees 680 million ($13.6 million), which at the time, made it the highest grossing Hollywood film here according to Sony Pictures India, until that record was broken by Avatar which grossed over $22 million in 2009.

Sony’s summer lineup kicks off with the May 25 worldwide opening of Men In Black 3 followed by Amazing Spider-Man leading up to the August 3 worldwide release of the Total Recall reboot starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel.

Sony’s other big release of the year, the 23rd instalment of the James Bond franchise, Skyfall, will open in India on Nov. 2, a week ahead of its U.S. release date. The previous James Bond outing, Quantum of Solace, also opened in India a week ahead of its U.S. release date in November 2008.

“Our lineup of strong franchise films with mass appeal and already established high brand recall are ideal for unique and exciting co-promotional activities with like-minded brands, both local and international,” said Sony Pictures India, director – marketing, Divya Pathak. “Many brands are choosing to partner with our blockbusters because of the incomparable scale of these movies.”

“After completing 75 years as a studio in India, 31 of which I have personally been a part of, I can say without a doubt that this is our biggest and most exciting lineup ever with tried and tested record-breaking performance at the Indian box office,” added Daruwala. “On the whole, we have an ideal mix of the biggest blockbuster action movies as well as comedy, drama and family films with an arsenal of great directors and top rung stars.”

hollywoodreporter.com

The catch: Gosling is an LAPD officer, Stone is a moll, and Sean Penn’s Mickey Cohen would probably not think twice about killing them both.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”), “Gangster Squad” — which is based on Paul Lieberman’s seven-part Los Angeles Times series “Tales From The Gangster Squad” — was initially locked into an October release date, but was moved to “TBD” in favor of Ben Affleck’s “Argo.” Still, discounting this one as anything other than an early Oscar player seems foolish. In addition to Penn (seemingly using Leonardo DiCaprio’s leftover makeup from “J. Edgar”), Gosling and Stone, the cast includes Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Patrick and Nick Nolte. That’s a great roster and all, but let’s focus back on Gosling and Stone.

“You want to take me away from all this,” she purrs. “No ma’am, I was just hoping to take you to bed,” he retorts. Swoon! Get these two a remake of “Bringing Up Baby,” stat.

Joining the couple in handing out the popcorn trophies to their fellow actors and actresses: Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Mark Wahlberg, Chris Hemsworth, Mila Kunis and Michael Fassbender.

Bridesmaids and The Hunger Games lead all contenders for the 21st annual MTV Movie Awards with eight nominations each.

Six performers – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Josh Hutcherson – lead the individual competition with four nominations each.

The show, which will air live on MTV from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, is once again allowing fans to choose the Movie of the Year winner, with voting open at MTV.com and continuing through the broadcast on June 3.

calgaryherald.com

I have just added a total of 166 HQ and MQ images from the red carpet and after party into our photo gallery!

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Costume Institute Gala
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Costume Institute Gala – After Party

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 15th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Press Conference In Tokyo
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012 – Panel
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > Revlon Party
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photocall At Summer of Sony 2012
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Press Conference
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > Film Independent & New York Times Live Read Of “The Apartment”
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > Film Independent & New York Times Live Read Of “The Apartment” – Backstage

Voting takes place at http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2012/

MOVIE OF THE YEAR
Bridesmaids
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Emma Stone – Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Emma Watson – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games
Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

BEST CAST
21 Jump Street (Sony Pictures) – Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Ellie Kemper, Brie Larson
Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures) – Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros. Pictures) – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton
The Help (DreamWorks) – Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain
The Hunger Games (Lionsgate) – Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz

BEST KISS
Channing Tatum & Rachel McAdams – The Vow
Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson – The Hunger Games
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
Rupert Grint & Emma Watson – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone – Crazy, Stupid, Love.

BEST GUT-WRENCHING PERFORMANCE
21 Jump Street – Jonah Hill & Rob Riggle
Bridesmaids – Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper
Drive – Ryan Gosling
The Help – Bryce Dallas Howard
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Tom Cruise

BEST ON-SCREEN DIRTBAG
Bryce Dallas Howard – The Help
Colin Farrell – Horrible Bosses
Jennifer Aniston – Horrible Bosses
Jon Hamm – Bridesmaids
Oliver Cooper – Project X

The studio has tapped Star Trek and Transformers writing team Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to work the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Spider-Man, which reboots the franchise under the direction of Marc Webb and actor Andrew Garfield, has a screenplay written by Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves and James Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt already penned a draft of the sequel but is now working on White House Down, the action movie that is a high priority for the studio.

Bringing in the duo highlights the premium importance the studio is putting on the sequel. The hiring of the high-profile writers is not cheap, and it shows that Sony does not want to lose any momentum on the project.

The studio has set a May 2, 2014, release date and wants to be in production in the first quarter of 2013.

“Alex and Bob have a unique ability to write great character and spectacular action that makes them pitch perfect for Spider-Man,” said Matt Tolmach, who is producing with Avi Arad.

Added Arad, “They have an innate understanding of what makes Peter Parker not just a superhero, but a hero for all of us.”

The duo, who are repped by CAA, said they grew up as Spider-Man fans and excitedly compared getting this gig to being handed the Holy Grail.

HollywoodReporter.com

TWEET THIS TO VOTE: I picked @stonenobrien to win #HotAndFunny at the 2012 @SPIKETV #GuysChoice http://shar.es/21lme via @sharethis

The show will be taped Saturday, June 2 at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA and air on Saturday, June 9 at 9:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV.

The filmmaker Jason Reitman, who is organizing this Live Read event to be held on Friday at the TimesCenter in Manhattan, said on Wednesday that Mr. Rudd, a star of comedies like “Role Models,” “Knocked Up” and “I Love You, Man,” will play C. C. Baxter, the “Apartment” protagonist who lends his home to co-workers for their after-hours trysts. Ms. Stone, whose films include “The Help,” will play Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator with whom Baxter falls in love, helping him find a new outlook on life.

Mr. Reitman previously announced on his Twitter feed that James Woods will play the role of Baxter’s boss, Sheldrake (portrayed in the original film by Fred MacMurray); Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) will succeed Ray Walston as Dobisch; and Cara Buono (“Mad Men”) will take over from Edie Adams as Sheldrake’s secretary, Miss Olsen. David Wain, who directed Mr. Rudd in his films “Role Models,” “Wanderlust,” “The Ten” and “Wet Hot American Summer,” will play Baxter’s neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss, portrayed in the film by Jack Kruschen. The cast also includes Jason Sudeikis (“Saturday Night Live”) and Lena Dunham (“Girls”).

The Academy Award-winning screenplay for “The Apartment” was written by Mr. Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond; the film also won Oscars for best film and best director (Mr. Wilder) and earned nominations for the performances of Mr. Lemmon, Ms. MacLaine and Mr. Kruschen.

A previous Live Read of “The Apartment,” which Mr. Reitman organized at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, featured Steve Carell (Mr. Rudd’s co-star in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) as C. C. Baxter and Natalie Portman as Fran Kubelik.

More information for Friday’s event can be found online at nytliveread.com.

NYTimes.com

The plot of Focus is said to involve a romance between a professional conman and someone just learning the criminal art and how their past relationship comes back into play when they meet up again years later.

Both Gosling and Stone can be seen in the upcoming historical crime drama from Warner Bros. and director Ruben Fleischer, The Gangster Squad.

ComingSoon.net

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photocall At Summer of Sony 2012

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012 – Panel
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photocall At Summer of Sony 2012
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > “The Amazing Spider-Man” Press Conference At Summer of Sony 2012

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards – Backstage
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards – Show

Affleck’s Argo is, like Gangster Squad, a fact-based project. This project focuses on a covert operation to rescue a group of Americans during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Six of the 52 Americans taken hostage during Iran’s revolution managed to find refuge at the home of the Canadian ambassador. Affleck stars in the film as well. Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman are also featured in the cast.

Deadline.com

Kellogg’s has teamed with Sony for a special marketing campaign tied with the upcoming release of the 3D reboot. Android users will need to download Kellogg’s Amazing Spider-Man Exclusive App and then they can scan codes on specially marked boxes of Kellogg’s brand cereals to access the three new clips.

Of course, the clips have made their way to the Internet already. And although a little grainy, the videos reveal three scenes from Marc Webb’s upcoming superhero pic.

In the first, Peter Parker (Garfield) seems to be sleeping on the subway when he is abruptly awoken and leaps onto the ceiling. It would seem that such a strange scene must be in a dream for Parker to get away with such a leap on a crowded subway without his Spider-Man mask.

In the second, Spider-Man shows off his sense of humor while beating up a bad guy. A slightly more light-hearted version of Parker fakes a sneeze while releasing his webs to catch the guy who is up to no good.

In the final brief scene, Parker has to deal with the challenges of everyday life that can come with being a superhero. Even brushing your teeth can be difficult, it seems.

The Amazing Spider-Man is set to debut July 3. It also stars Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film centers around a teenage Peter Parker, who attends Midtown High School, and has his eye on a classmate, Gwen Stacy (Stone).

Watch all three new clips below:

HollywoodReporter.com

Emma is wearing an Antonio Berardi top and skirt, Alejandro Ingelmo shoes, Fendi bag, and Irene Neuwirth jewels.

The storyline intertwines characters from several Brothers Grimm fairytale.

However it is unclear at this time what role the Chicago director would like her to fill, though Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella are distinct possibilities.

DailyMail.co.uk

Finally, Peter Farrelly and Charles Wessler’s comedy anthology will continue to sit on the shelf, which is a little odd since the movie’s got famous faces to spare. Here’s the cast:

Johnny Knoxville, Gerard Butler, Anna Faris, Seann William Scott, Hugh Jackman, Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Halle Berry, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Kate Bosworth, Kate Winslet, Terrence Howard, Liev Schreiber, Elizabeth Banks, Justin Long, Kristen Bell, Patrick Warburton, Josh Duhamel, Jason Sudeikis, Chloe Grace Moretz, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jack McBrayer, Kieran Culkin, and Chris Pratt.

All of the actors star in a series of interconnected stories. For whatever reason, Relativity doesn’t believe there’s a date left in 2012 that’s right for the movie. On January 25, 2013 it will face the action thriller Parker starring Jason Statham, and the break-dancing drama Battle of the Year: The Dream Team (formerly titled Planet B-Boy).

Rob Marshall next week begins meetings to find who’ll play Nora in the Warner Bros remake of The Thin Man. Here are the named I’m hearing who are interested in cavorting with Johnny Depp, who’ll play the tipsy socialite-turned-sleuth Nick Charles: Eva Green, Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, Rachel Weisz, Kristen Wiig, Emily Blunt and Isla Fisher. This one should be fun!

Stone, who will star in the comic book movie later this summer as Gwen Stacy, is known for her comedic roles in Easy A, Zombieland and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

In an interview with Comic-Con Annual 2012, the actress revealed that she didn’t feel she was right for the part of the scientist and love interest opposite Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker.

“I heard about Spider-Man and I didn’t think it was something I would want to be a part of. I just thought that probably isn’t right for me. Then I [auditioned with Andrew Garfield] and realized that this was a really interesting, fantastic relationship between two people and that I was being really closed-minded,” she said.

The actress, who wore her naturally blonde hair for the part, went on to discuss how her character finally changed her mind about the film: “[I] started learning more about Gwen Stacy and her history and just fell in love with the character and with the fans, too. I started reading forums and getting involved more in the comic book universe and it just became something I really wanted to be a part of, just because of all those elements.”

Bryce Dallas Howard, who played Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 and also starred alongside Emma Stone in The Help, has said Stone is perfect for the role of Stacy.

The Amazing Spider-Man is scheduled for release on July 3 in the US and July 4 in the UK.

DigitalSpy.com

“Emma and I will kick off the event and welcome everybody, then we’ll participate,” Wilde said of her duties, which includes pounding the pavement with thousands of participants.

Wilde says she may run alongside Stone, but only for a short time.

“Maybe Emma will run in the front, and I’ll bring up the rear,” Wilde joked. “I probably will have such shin splints after attempting to run I will be recovering on ice.”

The EIF Revlon Run/Walk is one of the nation’s largest single-day fundraisers. Each year, tens of thousands participate in its New York and Los Angeles event. The company has distributed more than $65 million to date for research projects.

Wilde says she’s proud to participate because cancer has affected several women in her life and she’s eager to help find a cure. She feels the best chance comes from the private sector.

“I’m optimistic that in my lifetime we will find one. Or certainly in the same way that’s happened with HIV in the last 30 years where treatment has gotten to a much better place. But that can only happen if there’s money behind research and that doesn’t just happen magically,” Wilde said.

She added: “It’s incredibly important to view the influence that multinational companies like Revlon have for the greater good.”

The Revlon Run/Walk comes to Los Angeles on May 12, where six-time host Halle Berry takes to the streets to help find a cure.

WashingtonPost.com

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012 – Panel

Prior to their panel presentation (read Dave’s recap here), Emma Stone and Marc Webb talked to the press about the idea that Spider-Man is bigger than any one person, honoring the iconography of the story and character while still making it their own movie, living up to fan expectations, what they’re hoping to explore with the relationship between Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy, why they decided to return to the origin story, and what made Andrew Garfield the perfect Spider-Man.

Collider: Are you getting a sense of the excitement for the film, now that little pieces have gotten out?

Marc Webb: Yeah, it’s intimidating. There’s something liberating about the idea that Spider-Man is so much bigger than any one of us.

Emma Stone: Yes, absolutely! You feel like a little cog in a really big machine, which is so nice. It makes it a little bit more pressure-less. For me, it feels like they’re coming to see Spider-Man. That’s what it’s all about.

Webb: But, it’s been really fun. I think there’s a real genuine sense of enthusiasm and curiosity, which is fun. You do have to honor the iconographic elements of Spider-Man, but it’s been fun to put ourselves in it, in a different and new way.

How do you honor that iconography, but also make it your own movie?

Webb: Well, I think there are elements of Spider-Man that are just universal. He shoots webs and he soars through the sky and he’s a little guy who beats up guys that are bigger than him. He fights for the little guy. I think that’s a really important thing. For me, there were a few things in the Spider-Man comics that I thought were really interesting. There’s this story about Peter’s parents and where he came from, and I thought that it was really interesting to explore the emotional consequence of someone whose parents had left them, at a very young age. I like that this Peter Parker has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. In The Amazing Spider-Man #8, there’s this moment where Flash and Peter are going at each other. They’re at a boxing match, and you hear what Peter is saying and he’s a little surly, and I like that. There’s this attitude that’s a punk rock humor and trickster quality that probably comes from somebody who is a little distrustful of the world, at times. In order for someone like that to become a hero, I think it’s a really interesting story, and that was something that was really fun to explore. And then, of course, there’s the Gwen Stacy saga and The Lizard. What we tried to do was find something very emotionally grounded, and that felt very real. That’s a challenge, when there’s big lizards and soaring through the air, but that’s what was really fun about it.

Emma, what was fun for you, in regard to showing up for work, every day?

Stone: Well, there were fun elements, like swinging, that I’d never done, or reacting to something that’s not there, which was interesting. But, the greatest take-away was realizing that everything is so grounded in reality. It doesn’t matter how big the world is around you, or the blue screens in the background. You are doing a scene between two people, and it’s human and it’s real. That’s a comforting thing, when you’re in something that’s so seemingly daunting and it’s such a big environment. It’s nice, at the end of the day, to know that you’re just acting as you would be, in any circumstance.

Does seeing how hard-core these fans are about the comic make you nervous at all, in living up to that expectation?

Stone: Initially, definitely, but then you realize that there’s just so much material when it comes to Spider-Man. I had done The Help right before this, and that was a book, so there was also that fan base. But, that’s one book, and this is 50 years worth of comic book material. There are different incarnations of Gwen, and I realized that you can’t please everybody, and that you were cast because they’re hoping that you can bring this character to life, in the best way that you know how. So, at the end of the day, I hope that people are satisfied. I know that not everybody will be, and that’s one of those trials of being human, when you learn that not everybody can like you. It is a tough lesson, isn’t it? But, it’s important, and I think that people will be okay with my incarnation.

We haven’t seen much about Gwen Stacy, outside of the comics. What are you hoping to explore with this relationship?

Webb: Well, I think that Peter Parker eventually learns about sacrifice through Gwen Stacy. But, in order to adequately learn that lesson, you have to feel that really strong bond. In terms of what we set out to do with this relationship, specifically between Peter and Gwen, the first time that you meet a girl in high school, and you get to share things with that person that you might not have shared with any other people, that creates a bond and an intensity that has a lot of currency. When you get that opportunity to be honest and open with somebody, for the first time, and share things about yourself that you haven’t been able to share before, that you might be scared of or ashamed about, that’s really exhilarating, and I think that’s something that people will really identify with. That was something that was fun about the relationship. And then, in terms of Gwen as a character, she’s really smart. She’s got this scientific quality. But, she’s in a weird position, stuck between the different men in her life.

Stone: Yeah, there’s her duty to her father and her duty to her boyfriend because she’s a real confidante for him. Their intimacy is such an incredible element. Gwen has been in control her whole life. She’s the oldest daughter of a police chief, who is constantly terrified that her father is going to die, every day. She has to have an element of being smart because she has to be. She’s a valedictorian because she has to be. She has to take care of things and be responsible for her family. She has to try to let go and trust somebody else who puts themselves in the face of death, every day. It’s like, “Great, now she’s drawn to another person that could die, at any moment, and she has to keep his secret, and pick and choose between her first love, which is her father, like every girl.” That’s the first man in your life, and then there’s your first boyfriend. So, it’s a pretty complex situation for Gwen. There’s a lot of sadness and fear in her life, combined with the fact that she’s outwardly confident and strong and smart, and takes no bullshit. She’s soft and 17, underneath it all.

Webb: There’s a great source of drama, and Gwen is at the center of it, in a lot of ways. There are competing ideas of what’s good. Everybody’s heart is in the right place, but they execute their plans in different ways, and that goes for The Lizard and Curt Connors, as well. Gwen, in particular, is stuck between The Captain and Peter Parker and Spider-Man, who have different ways of going about finding justice in their lives. I think that’s a really fun thing to explore in the movie.

With the romance being so important in the story, how quickly did you see the chemistry happening between Emma and Andrew [Garfield]? Did that happen right away?

Webb: I know that, when we did a screen test, what was great was that Emma brought a level of humor and levity that Andrew really responded to, and there was this immediate sense of lightness in the interaction, which I think tracks really beautifully on screen. When you have that, you just want to spend time with them. There was a spontaneity on set. You could tell that Emma had done a lot of improv because they were just firing it off, and that was really cool. We had this very big, huge movie with a lot of visual effects and a lot of pressure and a lot of days, and then you have these wistful spirits who are just snappy. That was a real joy to watch.

With 50 years worth of Spider-Man to draw from, why go back and explore this origin story again, so soon?

Webb: Well, we’re telling the story in a different way. I think it’s really important, when you’re redefining a character, for the audience to experience things that they haven’t experienced, from the ground up. I wanted to build a character. I feel like point of view is a really crucial thing in the story, and that you need to build up the emotional building blocks, so that you can experience all the other emotions in a very specific way, rather than just experiencing it in an intellectual way. That’s why, at the beginning of the movie, there’s the story of his parents being pulled from him. You want to feel what that sense of abandonment, as an audience member, so that you can readily and appropriately identify. We’re creating a different universe with different rules and a different tone and different villains. We were very careful to honor the iconography of Spider-Man, but we wanted to tell it in a new and different way.

Emma, what was your first exposure to Spider-Man?

Stone: The Sam Raimi trilogy. I didn’t read comics, growing up. I watched a lot of movies, and those were my comic books. So, it was the trilogy. And then, my exposure really increased by becoming affiliated with Spider-Man. When I found out that I was going to audition for Gwen, I looked into the Gwen Stacy story. I was so excited that it was Gwen because, when your exposure has been the Sam Raimi trilogy, you only really knew about Mary Jane, other than Bryce Dallas Howard’s portrayal in the third movie, but that’s a totally different version of Gwen. So, it was like I had some backstory, all of a sudden, to the Peter and Mary Jane relationship. He’s gone through something so horribly traumatic in his life and has such a sense of guilt that it really added so much to the story. So, I was so excited to get to be a part of bringing that story to life.

Marc, why was Andrew Garfield the perfect Spider-Man?

Webb: We looked at a lot of people, and then we started casting and there was something about him. I remember that there was a very specific moment, when we were screen testing with Andrew. He was eating a cheeseburger that wasn’t really in the movie. It was just for the screen test. And he moved in a way that felt adolescent. He was eating a cheeseburger and he flopped his elbows around, and I didn’t know what I was drawn to, initially. I just watched it over and over again. I couldn’t stop watching it. I thought that it was so interesting, and there were so many layers in the performance, and I was drawn to it. I just wanted to watch it, over and over again. Beyond that, he’s emphatic about finding authenticity and emotional reality in a scene, and he will not reach for jokes. He will not reach for any kind of emotion that does not feel real or authentic. That’s an enormous gift. It’s a very difficult thing for actors because they’re often asked to do things that are really crazy. When you have to react to a lizard that’s a tennis ball, it’s a really, really difficult, tricky piece of craft. He could do that in a way that felt real, and I felt that was really exceptional. Beyond that, he can do emotional depth and heartbreaking scenes. There’s a lot of tragedy in the movie. He can do romance and he can do humor, as can Emma, but that’s a very, very rare combination to find, in an actor. You become increasingly aware of how rare that is, as you start to try to find that. He’s an exceptional human and an exceptional craftsman, in that regard.

Why was it important for you to restore the smart-ass element of peter Parker?

Webb: I think it emerges from a kind of attitude. There’s a punk rock quality to Peter Parker, that I identified with when I read the comics, and that I really liked. He has this chip on his shoulder. That humor is something that’s so crucial and so part of the DNA of Spider-Man and the comics. I liked a little bit of that wise-ass quality, and Andrew really took a shine to it and was able to pull it off. He hadn’t done a lot of funny movies before this, but he can be very wistful.

Is Gwen also funny?

Stone: I’m sure some stuff snuck in there. The nice thing is that Gwen’s story is really through Peter Parker. You very rarely see her outside of him. And in a relationship that’s a first relationship, there’s levity and there’s heartbreak. Of course, there are funny moments, and he really has a pretty incredible, hilarious sequence. It’s pretty fantastic.

Webb: He’s great. It’s very good. He does this sort of physical comedy really well.

Stone: Yeah, he’s great at physical comedy.

Webb: You don’t see that very often. There’s no vaudeville to train that kind of thing.

Stone: Yeah, but he took clowning in school.

Collider.com

We caught up with The Amazing Spider-Man leading lady and the film’s director Marc Webb at WonderCon 2012 in Anaheim, Calif., where they revealed one of Stone’s favorite hobbies while filming the superhero flick (which hits theaters July 3), the aforementioned pillow fights. And listen up, fanboys: Stone may or may not have a special outfit she dons for the occasion!

So what did Stone have to say about the cast and crew’s pillow fights?

When asked about what the cast and crew did for fun while making the highly-anticipated film, Webb lists, “Dance party, massage circles, softball,” before Stone reveals her love for pillow fights. “The pillow fights were the best!” she enthuses.

Stone loves pillow fights so much that she apparently has a special outfit she wears! “You had the best pillow fight outfit,” Webb says. “It was unbelievable!”

Stone’s response? “Well, what can you do? I’m a lady that likes pillow fights. Who doesn’t?”

Have we mentioned how much we love her?!

While Stone avoided any talk of romance between herself and on-screen and off-screen beau Andrew Garfield, she says, “I think Andrew’s a great actor, so it was great to be his costar. It was very exciting!”

EOnline.com

But I was happy she didn’t, because I find it annoying when actors fabricate a “geeky” persona just to appease fanboys. And who really cares whether she grew up reading “Spider-Man” or not? It’s a ridiculous “prerequisite” to begin with! What’s important is that Stone is a good actress, and (in the estimation of many) a terrific choice for the role of Peter Parker’s high school sweetheart Gwen Stacy in the upcoming reboot.

And anyway, she did her research.

“I was learning the story of Gwen Stacy before I auditioned,” she told me. “And then once I was cast, I was like, ‘oh my god, there’s 50 years worth of stuff to get through!’”

Also stopping by for a brief chat was director Marc Webb (“500 Days of Summer”), who assured us fans would be very happy with Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of the title character.

“Andrew cared so much about Peter Parker and Spider-Man that it became obvious,” said Webb. “And he’s an actor that has such emotional range – he can be deep and he can be funny.”

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > WonderCon 2012 – Panel

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > Opening Night of “Death Of A Salesman” on Broadway

The Hollywood Reporter honors Hollywood style and the industry’s top tastemakers with a special four-cover Style Issue that hits stands today.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS—FILM
Jennifer Aniston, “Horrible Bosses”
Cameron Diaz, “Bad Teacher”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”

COMEDY SCREENPLAY
“50/50”
“Bridesmaids”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
“Horrible Bosses”
“Midnight in Paris”

COMEDY FILM
“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
“Horrible Bosses”
“Midnight in Paris”

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 84th Annual Academy Awards
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 84th Annual Academy Awards – Inside
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 84th Annual Academy Awards – Show
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

The Amazing Spider-Man—The Amazing Spider-Man is back on the big screen, shot in 3D for the first time, and will be swinging into your neighborhood on July 3, 2012. Director Marc Webb and star Emma Stone appear live at WonderCon to give you your Spidey fix! For the fans who haven’t seen it, here is your chance to see the eight minutes of footage that the filmmakers recently presented in a 13-city global launch event. Ballroom, Third Level

GALLERY LINKS:
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 – Calvin Klein Collection
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 5th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 5th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon – Inside
Emma Stone Photo Gallery > Appearances > From 2012 > 5th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon – Show