Variety reports that Pleasantville director Gary Ross has been brought aboard by Sony to rewrite the Spider-Man 4 project. Columbia Pictures and Marvel hopes to put the film into production early next year.

Ross has had a wide ranging career, and this move comes from his growing relationship with Sony. He is also currently rewriting to direct a film about Lance Armstrong, the famous cyclist who won seven Tour de France titles, and more. He also worked with the studio on Tokyo Suckerpunch, which is he expected to direct next.

Spider-Man 4 has been a long time coming, starting with James Vanderbilt and then rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire.