Topher Grace spins a 'Spider' web

Posted Friday, May 20, 2005 at 1:43 PM Central

by John Couture

Spider-Man 3 director Sam Raimi confirmed that actor Topher Grace has been cast in an unnamed role for the next installment of the Spider-Man franchise. Topher caught some awards buzz last year for his In Good Company starring role, but is probably best known as the lead slacker from TV's That '70s Show.

Topher joins fellow awards season flavor-of-the-month Thomas Haden Church as new members to a cast that already sports Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. It is not known which character Topher Grace will play, but it's widely speculated that Church will play new baddie Sandman and join Franco's Hobgoblin for a dual-prong attack on the titular superhero.

Spider-Man 3 will begin filming early next year with a planned release date of May 4, 2007.