Garfield, Webb to return to Spider-Man

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- British actor Andrew Garfield and American director Marc Webb signed on for the sequel to "The Amazing Spider-Man," the president of Columbia Pictures said.

As expected, Garfield will reprise his role as the titular character for the sequel to the superhero movie, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.

There was some question whether Webb would return as director because he was seeking a raise from the $1 million he received for directing the first film, THR reported.

"We could not be more confident in the direction we are taking this new Spider-Man storyline, and we are tremendously excited to be ramping up production again with Marc at the helm and Andrew continuing on as Peter Parker," Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad said. "We can't wait to share what we have in store for Peter and Spider-Man with audiences worldwide."

Actress Emma Stone is still in talks over reprising her role as Peter Parker's love interest, Gwen Stacy.

Shooting for the Spider-Man sequel -- which does not yet have a title -- is scheduled to begin in early 2013, with a release date set for May 2, 2014, THR reported.