(GettyImages.com)

Andrew Garfield, who was in last year’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, has been tapped to play Spider-Man in the franchise’s fourth installment.

Production begins in December, and is slated to hit theaters July 3, 2012.

Garfield takes over for Tobey Maguire in this 3D relaunch.

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(OhNoTheyDidnt)

The aptly named site, OhNoTheyDidnt – actually did!

Today, the blog published as FACT an old April Fool’s Day JOKE that Robert Pattinson was replacing Tobey Maguire in “Spider-Man.”

[Catch your breath from laughter]

According to OhNoTheyDidnt, “The news dropped like a bombshell early this morning that Sony Pictures has signed Robert Pattinson (Twilight) to replace Tobey Maguire in the titular role in Spider-Man 4.”

Wait, it gets more ridiculous.

The site wrote, “In the official press release, [the Sony chairman] announced that Pattinson would not only be assuming the role of Peter Parker and his alter-ego, Spider-Man, in Spider-Man 4, but also in Spider-Man 5 and in a spin-off film to be announced at a later date.”

And OhNoTheyDidnt even “quoted” the film series’ director Sam Raimi as saying, “Decisions like these are always difficult. I know the fans liked Tobey — and I greatly enjoyed working with him – but Robert is the future of the franchise.”

Oh no!!!

Trust us, the site wasn’t joking. Those clowns even Tweeted out the story. (And then had their followers spam us.)

Gossip Cop would like to wish OhNoTheyDidnt a belated Merry Christmas and an even more belated April Fools!

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(GettyImages.com)

Since reporting hasn’t worked too well for Star, maybe casting stars in movies will work better.

In the current issue of the tabloid, it’s claimed that Kirsten Dunst‘s Mary Jane character is “getting iced” in the next “Spider-Man” movie, starring Tobey Maguire, and “Anne Hathaway is stepping in.”

According to one of Star‘s sources, “Anne will take over as [Maguire's character's] new love interest for this project and for Spider-man 5 and 6, which are being written now.” The mag adds Maguire and Hathaway are “thrilled.”

Not so fast.

Hathaway’s rep tells Gossip Cop, “It’s not accurate – there is no deal in place for her to be in [Spider-Man 4].” In fact, we’re told the “script is not ready” and until it’s completed there won’t be any negotiations with Hathaway.

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(GettyImages.com)

There’s been a flurry of speculation about who will play the Black Cat in the highly anticipated “Spider-Man 4.” Names have included Rachel McAdams (debunked) and Julia Stiles among others.

The latest actress rumored to be up for the role? Anne Hathaway.

Hathaways’s name has been all over the Internet today as the leading lady producers want to don the latex. Not that there’s anything to back up the speculation, of course, just as there wasn’t with McAdams, Stiles, Romola Garai, or any other possible choices.

A representative for Hathaway told Gossip Cop his client hasn’t seen a script (because there isn’t one), and that it’s way too premature to read anything into casting reports.

Might Hathaway be the Black Cat? Or take another role? Sure. But most of these “Spider-Man” rumors will wind up cobwebbed and forgotten long before shooting actually begins.

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(PerezHilton.com)

“Rachel McAdams Swings Into Spider-Man 4,” declares Perez Hilton in the headline of one of his latest posts.

He then backtracks in the opening line that she’s “being considered for the role of the new villainess.” And in the following sentence, he writes affirmatively, “Rachel will be playing the Black Cat, a dangerous foe to Spider-man, while also being a love interest for Peter Parker.”

Forget about how he goes back and forth between how she’s “being considered” and how she “will be” in “Spider-Man 4.” Actually, it doesn’t even matter because Hilton, who’s so afraid of Gossip Cop that he blocked us on Twitter, is wrong on either account. She’s neither “being considered” nor “will be” the villainess in the film. She’s not doing “Spider-Man 4” at all. Her rep even told Gossip Cop his account is “completely false.”

As an aside, Perez wrote, McAdam’s character “falls in love with Peter Parker, and uncovers his true identity. Her father then dies, and Hardy becomes a threat to Peter Parker.” Huh? Who’s Hardy?

Oh, “Cop Blocker” Hilton was in such a hurry to cut and paste this inaccurate story that when he lifted it from the movie site IMDB, he neglected to include that the villainess’ name is reportedly Felicia Hardy.

What a tangled web Hilton has again weaved for himself.

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