Moviefone Editorial

Tag: spider-man-into-the-spider-verse

  • Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson Announced as ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Directors

    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.' Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson are directing ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.’
    • The movie will continue the story from ‘Across the Spider-Verse.’
    • The ‘Spider-Man’ animated sequel doesn’t yet have a confirmed release.

    Given the reception for ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and last year’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ you’d think Sony –– which really needs success in its Marvel arm given the flops of its more recent live-action superhero offerings –– would be going full speed ahead on the third outing, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ there has seemingly been a slowdown in its development.

    Which is even more surprising, since the first two films in Sony’s trilogy were critical and commercial successes for the studio, grossing a combined $1.07 billion at the global box office.

    Additionally, ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ won the Animated Feature Oscar in 2019, and its acclaimed sequel, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’, became the highest-grossing animated film for the studio to date.

    Yet here we are in 2024 with no release date locked in for the third movie and plenty of chatter about delays, script re-writes and issues with ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ produced as ever by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

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    Though the second and third movies were supposedly being produced back to back, there have been changes afoot behind the scenes, with Sony just now announcing that Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson are directing the film.

    Persichetti previously served as part of the Oscar-winning directorial team on ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ and was an executive producer on ‘Across the Spider-Verse.’ Thompson served as the production designer on ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ where he was instrumental in developing the franchise’s groundbreaking visual style. He went on to join the directorial team on the sequel alongside Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers.

    Powers and Dons Santos have since moved on, but this has slightly the feel of the studio trying to get some good news about the ‘Spider’-sequel as concerns rise.

    Related Article: Every Spider-Man Movie Ranked!

    ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’: The Filmmakers Speak

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Here’s Persichetti and Thompson’s statement on the gig:

    “We have had the immense privilege of being part of Miles’ journey from the very beginning and directing the conclusion to his story is beyond exciting. The creativity and care poured into every minute of this project has been truly inspiring. We have crafted what we feel is a very satisfying ending, and we can’t wait for fans to experience it – we’re bringing everything we’ve got!”

    And this was the statement from Lord and Miller:

    “Bob and Justin’s fingerprints are woven into the DNA of these films, and their passion for Miles’ journey shines through in every frame of his last adventure. There is nothing more rewarding than collaborating with creative partners with bold vision and brilliant execution like Bob and Justin. We are thrilled to work with them once again to create a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to this story.”

    Finally, here’s Kristine Belson, President of Sony Pictures Animation:

    “We’re very happy to officially announce the directorial duo behind the final chapter of the Spider-Verse saga. Bob, Justin, and the entire filmmaking team have been hard at work crafting something truly spectacular, and we’ve been blown away by what we’ve seen so far –– there’s more work ahead to bring Miles’ story to a satisfying close and we are confident that they are perfect pair to pull it off.”

    What’s the story of ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’?

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ lands in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.
    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ lands in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

    The exact plot is still under wraps, though since ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ ended on a cliffhanger with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) arriving in universe where one of his alternates has become the villain known as the Prowler, and a rescue attempt launched by some of his friends, you know that story will need to be wrapped up somehow.

    What else is happening with ‘Spider-Man’ movies?

    Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,' which opens in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.
    Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ which opens in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

    Amy Pascal and Avi Arad, who are the general overseers of Sony’s Marvel-affiliated Spider-Verse, talked to Variety about possibilities for other movies.

    Among them? A live-action film focused on the Miles Morales character and a ‘Spider-Woman’ animated spin-off.

    What did the Spider-team say about a Miles Morales movie?

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ SPIDER-MAN™: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.

    Morales, who first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics in ‘Ultimate Fallout #4’ in 2011, has become a popular figure for fans who enjoy the more diverse characterization.

    As the emotional core of the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, he’s also crossed over into a more mainstream movie audience.

    “You’ll see all of it. It’s all happening,” Pascal said last year at the ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ premiere.

    On the small screen, the ‘Spider-Noir’ series (which is drawn from a character who was used well in ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ and is likely to return for ‘Beyond’) is still moving forward at Prime Video with Nicolas Cage leading a cast that includes Jack Huston, Brendan Gleeson, Lamorne Morris and Li Jun Li. That show is filming now.

    And, of course, there is the next Sony/Marvel ‘Spider-Man’ movie starring Tom Holland, which has ‘Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton directing. It’s due to film next year and is set for release in July 2026.

    When will ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ be in theaters?

    As mentioned, Sony hasn’t confirmed a new release date for the latest ‘Spider-Verse’ installment.

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Movies Featuring Spider-Man Characters:

    Buy ‘Spider-Man’ Movies on Amazon

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  • Best Spider-Man Movies

    Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel 'Kraven the Hunter'. Photo: Sony Pictures.
    Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel ‘Kraven the Hunter’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

    Spider-Man is a cultural icon and one of the most popular comic book superheroes of all time!

    The character has appeared on the big screen many times in both animation and live-action, where he has been played by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and currently, Tom Holland in the MCU.

    The character has appeared in several ‘Avengers‘ movies and has had spinoffs made from other Spider-Man characters like the ‘Venom‘ trilogy, ‘Morbius,’ ‘Madame Web‘, and ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ which opens in theaters on December 13th.

    In honor of the new release, Moviefone is counting down the best Spider-Man movies of all-time, including ‘Kraven’.

    For this list, we are only including feature length live-action or animated appearances from the wall-crawler that premiered theatrically, including the ‘Avengers’ movies, as well as spinoffs like ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven’.

    Let’s begin!

    19. ‘Kraven the Hunter‘ (2024)

    Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel 'Kraven the Hunter'. Photo: Sony Pictures.
    Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel ‘Kraven the Hunter’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

    Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

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    18. ‘Madame Web‘ (2024)

    (L to R) Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney) in Columbia Pictures’ 'Madame Web.' Photo: Sony Pictures. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Madame Web.’ Photo: Sony Pictures. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Forced to confront revelations about her past, paramedic Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) forges a relationship with three young women (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor) destined for powerful futures…if they can all survive a deadly present.

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    17. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘ (2014)

    Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2.' Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    For Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy. Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), high school graduation cannot come quickly enough. Peter has not forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away, but that is a promise he cannot keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

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    16. ‘Spider-Man 3‘ (2007)

    (L to R) Topher Grace and Tobey Maguire in 'Spider-Man 3'. Photo: Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Topher Grace and Tobey Maguire in ‘Spider-Man 3’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

    The seemingly invincible Spider-Man goes up against an all-new crop of villains—including the shape-shifting Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). While Spider-Man’s superpowers are altered by an alien organism, his alter ego, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), deals with nemesis Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) and also gets caught up in a love triangle.

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    15. ‘Morbius‘ (2022)

    Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) in Columbia Pictures' 'Morbius.' Photo by: Jay Maidment. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Morbius.’ Photo by: Jay Maidment. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

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    14. ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘ (2021)

    Carnage in 2021's 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage.' Photo: Sony.
    Carnage in 2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage.’ Photo: Sony.

    Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters. Directed by Andy Serkis, the film also stars Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris and Woody Harrelson, in the role of the villain Cletus Kasady/Carnage.

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    13. ‘Venom‘ (2018)

    Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom in 2018's 'Venom.' Photo: Sony.
    Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom in 2018’s ‘Venom.’ Photo: Sony.

    Investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts a comeback following a scandal, but accidentally becomes the host of Venom, a violent, super powerful alien symbiote. Soon, he must rely on his newfound powers to protect the world from a shadowy organization looking for a symbiote of their own.

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    12. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ (2012)

    Andrew Garfield in 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. Photo: Sony Pictures.
    Andrew Garfield in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

    Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is an outcast high schooler abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

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    11. ‘Venom: The Last Dance‘ (2024)

    Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock/Venom in Columbia Pictures 'Venom: The Last Dance'. Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock/Venom in Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Eddie (Tom Hardy) and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

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    10. ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)

    (L to R) Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. in 'Avengers: Endgame.' Photo: Marvel Studios.
    (L to R) Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.

    After the devastating events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

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    9. ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming‘ (2017)

    Tom Holland in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'. Photo: Marvel Studios.
    Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. Photo: Marvel Studios.

    Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.

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    8. ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ (2018)

    Tom Holland in 'Avengers: Infinity War.' Photo: Marvel Studios.
    Tom Holland in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.

    As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.

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    7. ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home‘ (2019)

    (L to R) Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home.' Photo: Marvel Studios.
    (L to R) Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.

    Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.

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    6. ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ (2016)

    (L to R) Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen and Sebastian Stan in 'Captain America: Civil War.' Photo: Marvel Studios.
    (L to R) Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: Civil War.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.

    Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron,’ the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.

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    5. ‘Spider-Man‘ (2002)

    (L to R) Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in 'Spider-Man'. Photo: Sony.
    (L to R) Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in ‘Spider-Man’. Photo: Sony.

    After being bitten by a genetically altered spider at Oscorp, nerdy but endearing high school student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is endowed with amazing powers to become the superhero known as Spider-Man.

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    4. ‘Spider-Man 2‘ (2004)

    (L to R) Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina in 'Spider-Man 2'. Photo: Sony.
    (L to R) Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina in ‘Spider-Man 2’. Photo: Sony.

    Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves the city suffering in the wake of carnage left by the evil Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). In the meantime, Parker still can’t act on his feelings for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), a girl he’s loved since childhood. A certain anger begins to brew in his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) as well.

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    3. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ (2023)

    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.' Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ After reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

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    2. ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home‘ (2021)

    (L to R) Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire from 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' Photo: Marvel Studios.
    (L to R) Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire from ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.

    Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

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    1. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ (2018)

    2018's 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'
    2018’s ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is juggling his life between being a high school student and being a spider-man. When Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Liev Schreiber) uses a super collider, others from across the Spider-Verse are transported to this dimension.

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  • Movie Review: ‘A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’

    Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man in 'The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story.'
    Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man in ‘The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

    A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’ originally premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last June and was made widely available by Sony Animation Pictures on March 28th, 2024. The short film takes a closer look at the superhero Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as he struggles to balance his life as a teenager, a friend, and the responsibilities of being Spider-man. As the pressure continues to build on Miles, he experiences a panic attack that forces him to face the manifestation of his anxiety in this thriller short film.

    Initial Thoughts

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Fans of the ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ animated franchise will be excited to see another chapter of the story, no matter how short it is. Especially when it carries an important message – that everyone, even superheroes, struggles with mental health.

    While there are no explosive action scenes, this 7-minute and 14-second short still packs a punch. It’s eerie and unsettling, and as Miles’ anxiety kicks in, his world warp into chaotic visuals that represent how anxiety or a panic attack can feel like. Going the horror route definitely feels like the right choice for this story.

    Aside from creepy optics, the short did a good job of communicating the feeling of being overwhelmed and when anxiety takes over your body. Small details like Miles’ heavy breathing as he tries to calm his nerves, the sleep paralysis, and his shaky hand on the doorknob made it feel even more real and relatable.

    ‘A Spider Within’: Story and Direction

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    ‘A Spider Within’ is directed by Jarelle Dampier, who took a horror angle for this story. In an interview with The Wrap, Dampier says the inspiration came from his own experience with sleep paralysis. Aside from the performance from Shamiek Moore, what really sold the horror aspect was the sound effects and music. It wasn’t anything we heard in pervious films. For example, when Miles’ anxiety shifts from a large spider into millions of smaller spiders crawling all over his body is paired with the rapid plucking of strings, much like we often hear in horror films. The sound will have your hairs standing on ends and feel like there are spiders crawling all over you too.

    As a juxtaposition to the jump scares and loud sounds are the quiet moments. This comes right after Miles’ mind is plagued with overlapping dialogue from the day – “These grades are unacceptable. You need to apply yourself. You always seem so distracted.” These conversations grows so loud, which makes the following silent moment standout even more.

    ‘A Spider Within’: Performances

    Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man in 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'
    Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

    Returning to the role of Miles Morales is Shameik Moore. Aside from a quick exchange with his father Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry) before heading into his room, Miles is alone for most of the short. This means it was solely up to Moore to deliver all the emotion Miles was feeling. With two ‘Spider-Verse’ movies under his belt, Moore delivered on all fronts, perfectly portraying the panic in Miles’ voice, as well as the tone of frustration as he shoulders the pressure of living a double life.

    ‘A Spider Within’: Final Thoughts

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Spider-man has always struggled with the pressure of living the double life, and the sense of doing too much and not enough is well conveyed in this short film. The moments of Miles feeling overwhelmed, and his struggle to open up about it is so relatable. By putting this story into the ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ world is great way to deliver the message of the importance of mental health and reaching out for help.

    Horror and jump scares aside, the final moment when Miles opens up to his dad will surely drum up some emotions in the audience.

    ‘A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the Plot of ‘A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’?

    Miles Morales is feeling the pressure of being both Spider-man and a teenager. As he struggles to juggle everything in his life, anxiety and panic kicks in and inevitably manifests itself, forcing Miles to come face-to-face with it.

    Sony Pictures Animation has teamed up with the Kevin Love Fund to digitally release the animated short film, ‘The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’, that will be incorporated into the Kevin Love Fund’s new mental health focused lesson plan, “The Hero Within”. The lesson plan invites students to tell their own story through the lens of mental health awareness via an interactive curriculum including a creative storyboard activity. Visit kevinlovefund.org for additional information.

    ‘A Spider Within’ was developed and produced by Sony’s LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers) program, a 9-month leadership training program that provide candidates from underrepresented groups with an opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience in animation.

    Who is in the cast of  ‘A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’?

    Returning to reprise his roles as Miles Morales is Shameik Moore. Brian Tyree also returns as the voice of Jefferson Davis.

    ‘A Spider Within’ is written by Khailia Amazan and produced by LENS program creators Michelle Raimo-Kouyate and David Schulengurg. Clara Chan served as VFX supervisor ad Joe Darko served as animation supervisor.

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’:

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    You can watch ‘A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’ by clicking on the video player below:

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  • Nicolas Cage in Talks for ‘Spider-Man Noir’ Series

    (Left) Nicolas Cage ("Nick Cage") contemplates his career while poolside in Mallorca, Spain in 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.' Photo credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate. (Right) Nicolas Cage as Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir in 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.' Photo: Sony Pictures.
    (Left) Nicolas Cage (“Nick Cage”) contemplates his career while poolside in Mallorca, Spain in ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.’ Photo credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate. (Right) Nicolas Cage as Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Nic Cage could bring his ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ character to live-action.
    • Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Oren Uziel are all involved.
    • The series is in development at Prime Video.

    This past week has not seen Sony’s attempts to make Marvel content showered in glory. ‘Madame Web’, the latest movie from the company to feature a side-character from the ‘Spider-Man’ universe, has gone down in flames with critics and audiences.

    There is some good news for the studio, though, as word has emerged that its developing live-action ‘Spider-Man Noir’ series, set up at Amazon’s Prime Video service might be getting a shot of cool from Nicolas Cage eyeing a deal to star.

    The show, which would adapt the hard-boiled, tough-talking comic book character mainstream audiences really came to know via ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, has been in development since at least last year with ‘Spider-Verse’ duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller working alongside ‘The Lost City’s Oren Uziel to craft it.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Madame Web’

    What’s the story of ‘Spider-Man Noir’?

    2018's 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'
    2018’s ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Nothing has been officially released about the storyline for the potential show, but if it even roughly follows the character’s narrative, we’ll be seeing a grizzled, older take on Peter Parker patrolling the streets of a monochrome 1930s New York as he seeks to avenge the deaths of his uncle Ben Parker to the hands of the cannibal Adrian Toomes and his mentor Ben Urich by the city’s major crime lord, Norman Osborn.

    His Spidey origin story? He’s bitten by a seemingly venomous spider he unearths while investigating a smuggling ring, awakes inside a cocoon and emerges from it, now possessing super-human abilities similar to a spider. So yeah, that old tale.

    Noir (as he’s sometimes simply known) made his paper debut in the pages of his eponymous comic in 2009, created by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky Carmine Di Giandomenico and Marko Djurdjevic, but he’s become best known via ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ where he helped Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey and the others sort out the multiversal issues caused by the Kingpin’s machinations.

    How is Nicolas Cage involved in the ‘Spider-Man Noir’ series?

    Cage handshake
    ‘Nicolas Cage’ (Nicolas Cage) greets ‘Javi Gutierrez’ with a ‘Palm Hold Fist’ salute as he arrives in Mallorca, Spain. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate.

    Cage provided the gruff vocals for Noir in his ‘Spider-Verse’ movie scenes, and while sequel ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ used archive recordings as Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacey gathered the team from the first movie to launch an attempt to help Miles Morales, signs are Cage will have a larger role in the next one, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’.

    Of course, the series version will all depend on Cage actually making a deal, but The Ankler reports he’s in serious talks.

    What else is happening with Sony’s Spider-shows?

    Marvel Comics' Silk.
    Marvel Comics’ Silk. Photo: Marvel.

    The news is not as great for ‘Silk: Spider-Society’, which was announced around the same time as the Noir show.

    That series, about Cindy Moon, a Korean American classmate of the more contemporary Peter Parker’s, who is similarly bitten by a radioactive spider and possesses an advanced Spider-Sense (known as Silk Sense), is seemingly being paused for a creative overhaul with ‘The Walking Dead’ veteran show-runner still on board developing that show alongside Lord and Miller.

    2018's 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'
    2018’s ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

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  • Where To Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Following the events of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy reunite as the Spider-man universe expands further than either of them has ever anticipated.

    The official synopsis for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ is below:

    “Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.”

    ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened in theaters domestically on June 2, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in April 2022 but shifted to a later release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened to $120.6 million domestically and so far has grossed $371.8 million since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $666.5 million. This film serves as part one, with part two slated for a 2024 release.

    The first film not only received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, but it also won the Academy Award for “Best Animated Feature” in 2019. The highly anticipated sequel once again dazzled the audience and is certified Fresh on the Tomatometer.

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    Who’s in the cast of ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

    Expanding The Spider-Verse

    Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    This movie further expands what we already know of the Spider-Verse through the lens of Miles Morales. The film’s protagonist, The Spot, figured out that his spots can be used as portals for dimension jumping, but also the reason why Miles Morales became Spider-Man in the first place. The Spot uses his portals to travel to universes with colliders by absorbing its power to further increase his power, making him quite formidable for the team of Spider-man and Spider-woman.

    Gwen Stacy also gets some much needed attention in this movie as we dive into her past on how she became Spider-Woman, her struggle to keep her identity a secret from her father, and how losing her best friend catapulted her into the frenzied world the “Spider Society.”

    For the first time on the big screen, we’re introduced to Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Punk, Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, and Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-man India – all of them working together under the direction of Spider-Man 2099 to prevent catastrophic canon events.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Easter Eggs

    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    We’ve already seen in the first film how many variants of Spider-people exist. We’ve met Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, and Peni Parker in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, and the amount of cameo and easter eggs is dialed up in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Here are some of the easter eggs you can find in the movie:

    • Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider
    • Mayday “May” Parker/Spider-Girl
    • Spider-Byte
    • Spider-Rex
    • Peter Parkedcar
    • Web-Slinger
    • Bombastic Bag-Man
    • The Spectacular Spider-Man

    It’s not easy to catch all the easter eggs and cameo while watching in the theaters, but once the movie arrives on digital or a streaming platform, the audience will have the ability to pause and rewind to spot all the references and appearances.

    Are There Two Version Of The Film Floating Around?

    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Sharp-eyed audience members begin to wonder if there were two versions of the film being shown in theaters The differences are subtle and do not affect the overall story. An example is when Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 speaks with Lyla – In one version, Lyla takes a selfie with a bunny ear filter that shows up on Miguel’s face, and one version shows Lyla giving a fist bump. The films’ associate editor Andy Leviton has confirmed this on Twitter. Which version did you see?

    Where Can I Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    The movie premiered on May 20, 2023, at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles and was released domestically on June 2, 2023. It is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

    Buy Tickets: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Showtimes

    Watch the official trailers for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ below:

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    Can’t make it out to the theater? The multi-Spider-Verse jumping movie will soon be available digitally on Prime Video. Currently, it is listed as available for pre-order for $19.99. As far as streaming goes, since Sony does not have its own streaming platform and currently has a deal with Netflix, it is likely to end up on the major streamer in the fall.

    Where To Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Online

    Buy ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ on Amazon

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

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  • Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Opening in theaters on June 2nd is ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ which is the sequel to 2018’s Academy Award winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ and was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson, and written and produced by Phil Lord (‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’) and Christopher Miller (‘The Lego Movie’).

    What is the plot of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ takes place one year after the events of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ as Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is unexpectedly approached by his love interest Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to complete a mission to save every universe of Spider-People from the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who could cause a catastrophic disaster. Miles is up for the challenge, where he and Gwen journey through the Multiverse together and meet its protectors, a group of Spider-People known as the Spider-Society, led by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac). However, Miles finds himself at odds with Miguel and the Spider-Society on how to handle the threat.

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    Who is in the voice cast of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ stars returning cast members Shameik Moore (‘Samaritan’) as Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Hailee Steinfeld (‘Bumblebee’) as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Brian Tyree Henry (‘Causeway’) as Jefferson Davis, Luna Lauren Velez (‘The First Purge’) as Rio Morales, and Jake Johnson (‘Tag’) as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man, as well as new cast members Oscar Isaac (‘Dune’) as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Jason Schwartzman (‘The French Dispatch’) as Dr. Jonathan Ohnn/The Spot, Issa Rae (‘Vengeance’) as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, Karan Soni (‘Deadpool’) as Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India, Daniel Kaluuya (‘Nope’) as Hobart “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk, Andy Samberg (‘Palm Springs’) as Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, Amandla Stenberg (‘The Hate U Give’) as Margo Kess/Spider-Byte, Jorma Taccone (‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’) as Vulture, and Shea Whigham (‘Joker’) as George Stacy.

    Initial Thoughts

    While more mature and character-driven than the original, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ builds off of the first film exceedingly well and dives deeper into Miles’ struggles with being Spider-Man, as well as Gwen Stacy’s origin story. The movie is also larger in scope than the previous film, with even more breathtakingly beautiful animation, and explores the Spider-Verse further by adding some excellent new characters and setting up an exciting conclusion in ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ which is scheduled to be released next year.

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Story and Animation

    The sequel starts off with a bang featuring Gwen Stacey’s heartbreaking origin story, which also introduces Jessica Drew, Miguel O’Hara, and the Spider-Society. We then return to Miles Morales and his struggles with school, his parents, and being Spider-Man. Miles soon encounters The Spot, a new super-villain who’s own origin story is tied to Miles’. Miles doesn’t take his new “archenemy” seriously and The Spot vows his revenge
    against Spider-Man by amassing as much power as possible.

    Meanwhile, Miles is visited by his old friend Gwen and soon learns of the Spider-Society and wants to join. He eventually follows Gwen to their headquarters, reunites with Peter B. Parker, who now has a baby daughter, and meets O’Hara and learns that they have all been keeping a terrible secret from him. Now knowing the truth, Miles must decide what path he wants to take with his future.

    Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Ordinarily, I do not like sequels that just set up other sequels and don’t have a satisfying conclusion of their own (I’m looking at you ‘Fast X’). But ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ is different and has an extremely satisfying conclusion, even if it is a cliffhanger. The story overall is more mature, a bit darker, and even larger in scope than the original, but never loses focus of Miles, his family, his friends, and his point of view. The movie is long at almost two and a half hours, but never feels too long and the quitter, character-driven moments, for example between Miles and his parents, raise the stakes of the overarching story. The movie also takes more time to examine Gwen Stacy and her backstory, which is one of the highlights of the film.

    Not unlike the original, Oscar-winning movie, the animation is absolutely gorgeous and some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. The movie itself has a specific style and tone, which gives it a certain comic book quality. But at the same time, each character has his or her own specific style which is very unique. Because of the multiverse aspect to the story, the filmmakers can have some fun with the animation styles, and they do, mixing and matching what style works best for which character. Some are a representation of the medium or time the character was first created, but the movie also mixes different types of animation as well as even Legos (a nod to Lord and Miller’s ‘The Lego Movie’) and live-action. It’s also worth noting how the animators successfully make Miles and Gwen look older than they did in the first movie.

    (L to R) Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy

    The movie wisely begins a year after the original, giving Miles some time to grow and mature, but at fifteen, he’s still just a kid. The sequel really takes its time to set up Miles now, how he’s changed, how he’s not, and what his personal problems are before his new journey truly begins. These are some of the most touching moments of the movie, especially Miles scenes with his parents, where he desperately wants to tell them the truth but can’t. Shameik Moore is even better, if that is possible, as the voice of Miles this time around, and seems to have even made his voice more mature to age appropriately with Miles.

    The first 20 minutes or so of the movie is Gwen Stacy’s origin story, and it could really be a short film of its own. It’s a heartbreaking beginning, but fitting for the character who has always been a bit more emotionally broken than Miles, and now we know why. Gwen’s relationship with Miles also grows in this movie and is completely believable, while there is a fun rivalry between Miles and Spider-Punk for her affections. Hailee Steinfeld gives a great voice performance and adds a lot of emotion and vulnerability to the character.

    Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,' which opens in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.
    Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ which opens in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

    Related Article: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Adds New Villains

    The New Spider-People

    There are too many new Spider-People introduced to mention them all, and some are just fun cameos that I won’t spoil. But Jessica Drew definitely stands out. If you are old enough, you will remember a Saturday Morning cartoon in the early 1980s called ‘Spider-Woman,’ which featured Jessica Drew. Well, this interpretation is completely different and extremely refreshing. Issa Rae plays the character like a complete boss, and the addition of a Spidy-Cycle was a nice touch.

    Also a standout, Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya as Hobert “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk. Certainly a lesser known Spider-Man, Kaluuya makes the character come alive with an authentic attitude, Johnny Rotten accent, and punk animation style. Another new Spider-Person worth mentioning is Spider-Man India, hilariously voiced by ‘Deadpool’s Karan Soni, who is a nice addition to the Spider-Team.

    Miguel O’Hara as Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Miguel O’Hara as Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    The Villains

    While not a villain per se, Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 is definitely an antagonist in the film and very tough on Miles. The character was first introduced in the end-credit sequence in ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ and I have to say, I was slightly disappointed. The character was very one-dimensional for me, and I hope he will be explored further and perhaps redeemed in the next movie. Oscar Isaac is fine in the role, but not given enough time to really explore the character. He’s angry through most of the movie, and with the exception of a few funny lines, his emotions never really change. While his true motivations are revealed before the movie’s end, we’re never really given enough time to truly understand how he feels about what he’s doing.

    But the main villain in this movie, and it would seem the following film, is The Spot, wonderfully voiced by Jason Schwartzman. The actor is goofy, bumbling, funny, scary, menacing, brilliant, and a bit dumb, all at the same time. While the character does not seem much of a threat for Miles at first, he certainly is by the film’s end and his transformation is completely logical. It was also a nice touch retconning Miles origin so it would be tied to The Spot’s.

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman)
    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Is ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ set in the MCU?

    No, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is not set in the MCU. However, this is a multiverse story, and there are definitely references, Easter eggs, and other surprises linked to the MCU and other Spider-Man film and television projects from the past.

    Are there any End-Credit scenes in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?’

    No, at least there was not at the press screening. There is a mid-credit bumper that says, “Miles Morales will return in ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’” which of course we already knew. But that doesn’t mean that an end-credit scene wasn’t kept from the press as not to spoil, so if you don’t have anywhere urgent to be, you should probably stay in your seats after the movie just in case.

    Final Thoughts

    In the end, it’s hard to believe that ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is just as good if not better than the Oscar winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ but it is! The sequel recaptures the magic of the original, while broadening the scope, raising the stakes, and delivering a more mature movie with a satisfying ending, even if it is “to be continued.” The movie takes a deeper look at fan-favorites like Miles and Gwen, but also introduces great new characters like Spider-Punk, Jessica Drew, and The Spot, while featuring eye-popping, beautiful, fresh, and groundbreaking stylistic animation.

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ received 9.5 out of 10 stars

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ lands in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.
    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ lands in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

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    Buy Tickets: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ on Amazon

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Lord Miller Productions, Pascal Pictures, and Avi Arad Productions. It is set to release in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

     

  • Exclusive Interview: Brian Tyree Henry Talks ‘Causeway’

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    Releasing in theaters on October 28th before premiering on Apple TV+ on November 4th is the new drama ‘Causeway’ from Lila Neugebauer (‘Room 104’).

    The film stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (‘Silver Linings Playbook’) as Lynsey, a U.S. soldier who reluctantly returns home to New Orleans to live with her alcoholic mother (Linda Emond) after she suffers a traumatic brain injury during a tour in Afghanistan.

    As Lynsey struggles to adjust to civilian life, she meets James Aucoin (Brian Tyree Henry), a car accident survivor and amputee that blames himself for a family tragedy. Soon, Lynsey and James become friends and help each other cope with their grief and try to move on with their lives.

    First gaining attention for his role on the popular series ‘Atlanta,’ Brian Tyree Henry has gone onto appear in such successful films as ‘If Beal Street Could Talk,’ ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Joker,’ ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ ‘Eternals,’ and ‘Bullet Train.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking to Brian Tyree Henry about his work on ‘Causeway,’ his character’s grief, the challenges of playing an amputee, James and Lynsey’s friendship, and working with Jennifer Lawrence.

    Brian Tyree Henry stars in 'Causeway,' premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
    Brian Tyree Henry stars in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Brian Tyree Henry.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your approach to playing James, and embodying the grief and regret that he feels on a day-to-day basis?

    Brian Tyree Henry: My approach? Well, I first wanted to just figure out a little bit about who he was, and where he came from, and why that grief was a part of his life. James, as you know, is from New Orleans. He was born and raised there, and suffered a great loss, and stayed there. I always wanted to really figure out what that was for somebody who suffered a loss that was in their home, or a place that they call their home and why they choose to stay there.

    Is it because they feel like they deserve to go through this, that they deserve to have these reminders, or is it that there was no other way? I think that James is a little bit of both. I think that we find James in this place feeling like he deserves to stay where he was, especially with the loss that he suffered of losing his leg, which made it a little harder to run and leave. So, I think that I really wanted to just figure that out and get to the heart of what that meant for somebody who endured a great loss like that and chose to stay.

    Brian Tyree Henry in 'Causeway,' premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
    Brian Tyree Henry in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.

    MF: As an actor, can you talk about the challenges of playing an amputee?

    BTH: Well, most amputees live their lives of rehabilitation trying to remain the same way they were before they were an amputee. So, I didn’t want there to be a huge movement of James always being uncomfortable walking, because that’s not how he wanted to be treated either.

    So, what I really wanted to discover was what it was like for him to mask it more than to showcase it? What does it look like for someone to try to move like that? Because I think most of the times when we suffer great tragedies, we do this huge thing of trying to mask it and cover it. We don’t want the scars to show. I think that that’s where the truth shines through the most, is that you can see through that.

    So, for me, I wanted to just make sure that James felt like he was standing on his own two feet. That he felt like he was the same person he was before he suffered that tragedy, so I really leaned into that. Now, when it came to removing the prosthetic and moving about with that, I did talk to a few people. I talked to a few amputees to make sure that I knew that I was putting the sleeve on the right way and things like that. But I think in essence, truly, it was about him moving in a normal way.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about Lynsey and James’ relationship, why they gravitate towards each other and what it was like working with Jennifer Lawrence?

    BTH: Well, there’s a thing called trauma bonding that’s been very common, especially after everything we had gone through in 2020. There’s a thing that we started relating to each other in a way of comparing traumas. It was this thing of really linking to somebody, this weird codependency that we created in our relationships through trauma. You see that in a big way in this movie between James and Lynsey, but what we also wanted to show is what the other side of that looks like. Because we didn’t want to just show the one side of these two characters steeped in their trauma, and that’s all it is.

    We really wanted there to be a showcase of a connection and hope of what could be on the other side, which is an actual friendship. That was a part of a lot of the conversations that Jennifer and I had, because we realized that our connection was growing a lot in between takes. We realized that the sinew of what the movie was, was based on how we were connecting with one another, how we called each other out on our stuff, how we talked about all, it was about us. So, we discovered that, that is in essence what we wanted to see between James and Lynsey as well.

    Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in 'Causeway,' premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
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  • Sony Plans New Marvel Spider Shows

    Marvel Comics character Silk.
    Marvel Comics character Silk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.

    Could Sony be looking to compete with Disney+ in terms of Marvel output? The studio certainly seems to be stepping up to the televisual plate, with word last year that it was developing a series based on the ‘Silk’ comic books.

    That has now developed into a full-blown development slate, with plans for several series. But ‘Silk’ will still be first out of the gate, albeit with new producers.

    ‘Silk: Spider-Society’ will feature the character of Cindy Moon. A Korean American classmate of Peter Parker’s, she was first created by created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos and introduced in the comic books in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man #1’ in 2014. Like Parker, she is bitten by a radioactive spider, which gives her the ability to move at incredible speed, shoot webs out of her fingertips, and possess an advanced Spider-Sense (known as Silk Sense). Tiffany Espensen played the character in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, though not the superhero version.

    When the show was first announced, Lauren Moon, a veteran of small screen titles such as ‘Good Trouble’ and Netflix’s ‘Atypical’ was reported as being in talks to run the series, but she’s no longer involved.

    Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the set of '21 Jump Street.'
    (L to R) Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the set of ’21 Jump Street.’

    Instead, overseeing producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who, of course, are closely connected to the Spider-universe thanks to, well, the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies) are working with Angela Kang, who has spent the last few years as the main showrunner for ‘The Walking Dead’. Though she’s still linked to the ‘Dead’ world thanks to executive producing a Daryl Dixon spin-off of the long-running zombie show, her focus will now be ‘Silk: Spider Society’.

    Also involved is regular Spider-producer Amy Pascal, who once more team with Lord and Miller to build out the suite of shows that will follow different characters under Sony’s rights. There are plenty to choose from, as the studio controls 900 Marvel characters as part of an arrangement made before Disney bought Marvel and spawned their successful cinematic universe.

    “Angela is a pro’s pro whose perspective and creativity we greatly respect and admire. She’s also a hell of a lot of fun. She loves these characters and we feel really lucky for the chance to work with her to bring Cindy Moon’s story to the world” said Lord and Miller in a statement.

    “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Amazon Studios family for this next chapter of my career. I look forward to working with the executive team on diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows for a global audience and am so excited to dive in to my first challenge – bringing Korean American superhero Silk to life on screen, ” said Kang.

    In a quirk of the deal, the show will actually debut domestically on MGM+’s (you might know it as Epix) linear channel followed by a global launch on Prime Video.

    Marvel Comics character Silk.
    Marvel Comics character Silk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.

  • Daniel Kaluuya Adding his Voice to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington in director Jordan Peele's 'Get Out.'
    Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington in director Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out.’

    Following on from the success of 2018’s Oscar-winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, we’ve known for a while that sequels are on the way in the shape of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’, both of which will feature even more cutting edge art and animation styles.

    And in the case of at least the first (though possibly both), they will also boast the voice of ‘Get Out’, and ‘Nope’ actor Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Spider-Punk.

    Kaluuya, of course, is already a veteran of the main MCU (to which Sony’s Spider-Verse movies don’t yet directly connect), having played W’Kabi in 2018’s ‘Black Panther’.

    The new movies continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.

    Both sequels are co-directed by Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Justin K. Thompson, working from a script by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Dave Callaham.

    Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae.

    The voice cast also includes Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez and Greta Lee.

    Marvel Comics Spider-Punk.
    Marvel Comics Spider-Punk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com

    Spider-Punk, AKA Hobart “Hobie” Brown, is a more recent Marvel Comics arrival, created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in 2015 via ‘The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3’ #10.

    He’s described as a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.

    On the villainous side, there is a deep cut from within Spidey’s rogues’ gallery.

    Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, The Dot will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. The design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.

    There will also be an appearance from more familiar The Vulture; though not the Michael Keaton character from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and other live-action movies. Instead, this will be a different dimension’s version, voiced by Jorma Taccone.

    Aside from the knowledge that our heroes will have to face off against those villains (and, likely some characters yet to be revealed), the story for both of the sequel movies remains largely a mystery. But given the continued presence of Lord and Miller in particular, we’re anticipating an inventive, funny, emotional and visually wild ride across the two films.

    We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t land in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman)
    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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  • ‘The Afterparty’ Exclusive Interviews

    (L to R) Sam Richardson, Jamie Demetriou, Ben Schwartz, John Early, Tiffany Haddish, Tiya Sircar, Ilana Glazer, Zoe Chao, and Ike Barinholtz in 'The Afterparty' on Apple TV+
    (L to R) Sam Richardson, Jamie Demetriou, Ben Schwartz, John Early, Tiffany Haddish, Tiya Sircar, Ilana Glazer, Zoe Chao, and Ike Barinholtz in ‘The Afterparty’ on Apple TV+

    Premiering January 28th on Apple TV+ is the new murder mystery comedy ‘The Afterparty,’ from Oscar winning producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’).

    The series features an impressive cast of comedic actors that include Tiffany Haddish (‘Girls Trip’), Sam Richardson (‘The Tomorrow War’), Ben Schwartz (‘Sonic the Hedgehog’), Zoe Chao (‘The High Note’), Ike Barinholtz (‘Suicide Squad’), Ilana Glazer (‘Rough Night’), and Dave Franco (‘The Disaster Artist’).

    ‘The Afterparty’ revolves around a murder that takes place at a high school reunion after party, and each episode is told from a different character’s point of view. Lord and Miller serve as executive producers and both co-wrote several episodes, with Miller also directing the entire series.

    Moviefone recently had a chance to speak with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller about their new Apple TV+ series, as well as some of the cast from ‘The Afterparty’ Including Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Zoe Chao, Ike Barinholtz, Dave Franco, and Ilana Glazer.

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    Below you can read our full interview with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller about ‘The Afterparty,’ or you can watch the complete set of interviews in the video player above.

    Moviefone: Chris, can you begin by talking about the genesis of the idea for the series, and also deciding to have each episode focus on a different character’s point of view?

    Christopher Miller: It was a little over a decade ago that I had the idea to tell a murder mystery in a Rashomon style where each suspect would tell their version of the evening and it would be wildly different from the other ones. We were going to make it, we wrote it as a movie, and then we got busy making ‘The Lego Movie’ and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and whatnot.

    But when we got a breath of air, we revisited it and thought this would work better as a series because in a movie, you didn’t have time to really dig to each character. But as a series, you could give each character their own episode and really understand them as more complex characters. You could really learn to empathize and love each of them, and hope that they didn’t do it. So, as that was evolving, we realized that to push their style of storytelling, stylistically and thematically, we can make each episode feel like a different genre of filmmaking and storytelling.

    Then it evolved even farther, and we got an amazing writing staff full of really cool people. With the structure and outline already intact, they were able to turn it into something really special. But it was a really mind exploding process because if you’re working on episode four and you want to change something there, it affects everything in all the other episodes. So, you have to keep the whole thing in your head like this giant machinery of a massive clock in your head. It would really explode people’s heads from time to time.

    MF: Phil, was making a murder mystery something you always wanted to do?

    Phil Lord: I think Chris and I are fans of ‘Clue,’ ‘The Last of Sheila’ and ‘Murder by Death.’ There’s a long proud history of mixing comedy and murder and we’ve always been interested in what’s a unique way to pull that off. Chris had been developing this as a script for a long time for a feature. When he thought of the idea of breaking it into episodes, and then each of those episodes would have its own filmmaking style and you would get to know each of these characters even more deeply, that’s when it really took off for us and felt like it was going to be worth doing.

    MF: Phil, because each episode contains events seen from different characters perspectives, can you talk about how production actually worked?

    PL: So, the whole show, more or less, we batch shot it. Meaning that we would shoot a scene in a hallway that was like a fun rom-com and then, “Okay everyone, let’s go to lunch, we’ll come back and now it’s a dark thriller.” That’s part of the fun of it, honestly, but the poor actors did need a second to switch modes.

    MF: Chris, can you talk about the impressive cast of actors you assembled and the challenges for them with the different tones in each episode?

    CM: We got so lucky to get like a real murderer’s row, pun intended, of comedy geniuses. What was especially great about all of them is that so many of them are writers, filmmakers or show creators in their own rights. So, they really were smart about also holding this whole show in their heads, because asking an actor to be able to just do a character is one thing, but to do a character with eight different shadings of that character is a really big ask. It has to be people who are really smart and savvy, and luckily, they all were amazing, and they added so much to it. We all had a great time together and it was a real love fest. You could really feel the chemistry and joy on the screen.

    (L to R) Ben Schwartz and Sam Richardson in 'The Afterparty' on Apple TV+
    (L to R) Ben Schwartz and Sam Richardson in ‘The Afterparty’ on Apple TV+