"Billy Elliot" star Jamie Bell has reportedly emerged as the favorite to star as a teenage Spider-Man in the fourth installment of the superhero franchise.
 
Movie producers are planning to turn back time for a prequel, taking character Peter Parker back to high school before he became the web-slinging superhero, portrayed by Tobey Maguire in the first three films.
 
Casting executives are reportedly considering Bell for the lead role, along with "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" star Andrew Garfield and Josh Hutcherson from "Journey to the Center of the Earth," reports Heat Vision Blog.
 
Maguire and director Sam Raimi quit the blockbuster franchise earlier this year, while "Twilight" hunk Robert Pattinson and Hollywood newcomer Logan Lerman have recently been forced to deny they have landed the coveted role.