Sam Raimi is out, a new director is in.
Marc Webb, whose work includes the critically acclaimed hit romance "(500) Days of Summer," will direct the fourth movie in the billion-dollar film franchise, which is expected in theaters in 2012, Columbia Pictures said on Tuesday.
Webb replaces Sam Raimi at the helm of the movie series that has raked in $2.5 billion worldwide at theaters since 2002.
Earlier this month, the studio said it wanted to turn a "new chapter" in the movies and take the Marvel comic-book crime fighter's alter ego, Peter Parker, back to high school.
Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire, who had portrayed Parker/Spider-Man, bowed out of the production, paving the way for a new director and star, who has yet to be named.
I don't think I've ever watched any of Webb's movies but it'll be good to see what kind of direction the Spidy movies now take and what villains we'll see going forward.