The directors for the final Spider-Verse movie were recently announced, and we have questions

The “Spider-Verse” films are revolutionary works in animation, starting a new trend that allowed directors and other animators to experiment with 3D, using 2D textures, and exploring different styles of making films that didn’t all look very realistic. They’re also just good superhero movies It challenged what we thought a Spider-Man movie could do, and what a superhero movie could doand even helped perfect the idea of ​​the multiverse in the film. They show that animation is where the superhero genre thrives the most, capturing the flexibility, dynamic action and sheer imagination of comic books. However, it is also a franchise that, despite its multiverse setting, is not afraid to slow down and make room for quiet moments, such as having two characters share a heart-to-heart conversation while looking at a sunset.

The production in such films is huge and overwhelming. Spider-Punk took animators three years to create. In fact, “Across the Spider-Verse” reportedly had the largest crew of animators for an American animated film in history. The action is entirely on screen, and their hard work has produced a masterpiece. It’s still there Reports of burnout during production of ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ With endless last-minute changes to already finished work, about 100 animators left the project as a result of the harsh working conditions.

All of this means that after two hugely successful films and an Oscar win, expectations for the third installment of the trilogy, “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” couldn’t be higher. It is also for this reason that the Declaration (via Delivery time) The work of Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson directing the third “Spider-Verse” movie is a bit troubling.

To be clear, Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson isn’t a bad choice. After all, they’ve both worked as directors before (on the first and second films in the trilogy, respectively). It stands to reason that they would help bring the whole thing home.

What makes the ad troubling is twofold. The first is the fact that the number of directors seems to have dropped from three for the first two films to two for the final one. Animated films featuring multiple directors are not only common, they’re practically an unspoken rule. The reason is simple: these are huge endeavors The directors divided up their duties, each supervising different aspects of the production. In “Across the Spider-Verse,” for example, Joaquim dos Santos focused on visuals (he was nicknamed “Dr. Fight” when working on shows like “Voltron: Legendary Defender” and “The Legend of Korra”), and Kemp Powers He focused on audio recordings with the actors, keeping Justin K. Thompson had an eye on the overall look and design of the film. That the third film, theoretically the biggest, reduces the number of directors to just two means Thompson and Persichetti will have more on their plate.

Then there’s the fact that despite the good work the duo has done in their “Spider-Verse” films, neither of them has much (if any) directing experience outside of those films. While it’s not uncommon for animators to move into directing big films without much prior experience, it’s hard not to imagine that Beyond the Spider-Verse loses something by not having a more experienced third director (who would also bring different output). perspectives and influences) as part of a team. “Into the Spider-Verse” stars Peter Ramsey, who directed both the TV special “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” and the blockbuster feature film “Rise of the Guardians” before joining the team. Next, “Across the Spider-Verse” paired Thompson with veteran TV animator and director Dos Santos as well as Oscar-winning “Soul” co-director Kemp Powers.

For anyone confused: Bob and Justin aren’t the *new* directors, they’ve been the directors of BTSV all along – and they do an amazing job. They were just announced today.

– Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) December 17, 2024

Whether this casting of directors means that producers and writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller will play a more prominent role in the making of Beyond the Spider-Verse remains to be seen. At a time when animation is under attack from artificial intelligence and studio politics, And when films like “War of the Rohirrim” are rushed and suffer due to studios insisting on holding specific release dates (and perhaps contractual rights to certain franchises), viewers should pay more attention to what goes behind the scenes during the production of their favorite films. . Art is not made in a vacuum, after all. Hopefully, “Beyond the Spider-Verse” will give the trilogy the winning ending it deserves – preferably without causing unnecessary hardship for the people making it. Persichetti and Thompson can get this to the finish line in the best possible way.