Oscar® Nominee Thomas Haden Church Cast as the New Nemesis in Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' Spider-Man®3

Thomas Haden Church, who was most recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Sideways, has been cast as Spider-Man's new archenemy in the next chapter of the Spider-Man® adventure, it was announced by director Sam Raimi and producers Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad.

Spider-Man® 3, which is scheduled for release on May 4, 2007, will reunite the successful team that was responsible for the first two blockbuster films. The franchise has grossed more than $1.5 billion in worldwide ticket sales and the new film will again reteam director Raimi, producers Ziskin and Arad, and actors Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst as M.J.

Production on Spider-Man 3 is scheduled to begin early next year.

"In addition to the on-going relationship between Peter Parker and M.J., these films are driven by the great actors who have brought our villains to life," said Raimi. "Thomas Haden Church will be a fantastic and challenging new nemesis and we all look forward to working with him."

The identity of the new villain is being kept secret and while speculation is rampant about which character is being called into action, the studio will not comment on the casting beyond confirming Church.

Since his star-making role in Sideways, Church has been in demand. The actor is voicing one of the characters in the upcoming animated film Charlotte's Web, and he recently appeared in Columbia Pictures' Spanglish. Church previously appeared in such other films as George of the Jungle, 330 Miles to Graceland and Tombstone. In 2003, he also starred in, co-wrote and directed the comedy Rolling Kansas. From 1990 to 1995, Church played Lowell Mather in the TV series "Wings."

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

   For further information contact:
   Steve Elzer,
   Senior Vice President, Media Relations
   Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
   (310) 244-7142

SOURCE: Columbia Pictures

CONTACT: Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia
TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/