Final Spider-Verse Movie Names Directors
In a Deadline exclusive, Sony Animation announced Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson as the directors of Beyond the Spider-Verse, the final film in the trilogy that began in 2018 with Into the Spider-Verse. Persichetti and Thompson are veterans of the franchise, being on the direction teams for Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, respectively. Persichetti also executive produced Across the Spider-Verse, while Thompson helped develop Into the Spider-Verse’s unique visual style. Persichetti also co-wrote The Little Prince, was head of story on Puss in Boots, and worked as a story artist on Shrek 2 and Monsters vs. Aliens. Thompson was a production consultant on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and its sequel. While writing and directing are obviously crucial in filmmaking, the films’ look is revolutionary and striking. Check out a statement from the directors here:
“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!”
Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Amy Pascal, and Avi Arad will return as producers for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and Jinko Gotoh will join them. Aditya Sood and Christina Steinberg serve as executive producers, with Jessica Berri co-producing. Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and David Callaham will write the script for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Lord and Miller had this to say:
“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.”
And finally, here’s a statement from 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.”
Well, since Persichetti and Thompson have both worked on the Spider-Verse series along the way, I can’t imagine anyone having a problem with this. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is one of my most anticipated upcoming movies… whenever it actually does come out. And that’s not a dig; I wish Sony would just give the animators whatever they want: money, time, or even another movie if that’s what it would take. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has been delayed several times already, and I’m surprised they’re just now assigning directors to it. But I’m willing to wait longer for a better movie, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. The first two Spider-Verse films look amazing, but the stories of the animator’s trials behind the scenes are disheartening. I know Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will be good, and I have plenty of faith in the directors. I just hope Sony doesn’t slave-drive the little guys making the movie work.
But what do you think about either man and their respective work? Are you excited for the conclusion of the Spider-Verse series? Sound off in the comments!
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