-

I could talk about movies all day long. Honestly, every single time I get to sit down with a filmmaker to talk about what he or she created, my movie-loving heart is full. This Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Q&A might be one of my favorite conversations of the year though. Not only is it a joy to talk about an exceptional film that adds to the existing Spider-Man brand and also includes some absolutely stunning animation innovations, but on this particular night, we got to share that movie and this Q&A with a theater full of fans, and getting to celebrate that communal love for the Spider-Man legacy was really something special.

spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-q-and-a

After our exclusive screening of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we were joined by write-producer Phil Lord, producer Chris Miller, director Bob Persichetti, director Peter Ramsey and writer-director Rodney Rothman to discuss how they brought Miles Morales' (voiced by Shameik Moore) story to the big screen. The movie doesn't hit theaters until December 14th but don't worry; this conversation is spoiler free and largely focuses on developing the script and the animation techniques. The group also spoke about creating their Stan Lee cameo, their favorite Easter eggs to keep an eye out for, why they're so excited to share their interpretation of Spider-Man with the world, and so much more. You can watch the entire Q&A in the video player above and check out a full breakdown of the conversation below:

  • 00:00 - Introduction.
  • 01:12 - What inspired the idea, "anyone can wear the mask."
  • 02:38 - Lord and Miller often write together, but not having a screenwriting credit on Spider-Verse, when did Miller jump in?
  • 04:04 - Why did this specific movie call for three directors?
  • spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-miles-gwen-peter
    Image via Sony Pictures
    05:34 - How the work was divided up between the directors.
  • 07:28 - The first cut of the movie was three hours long.
  • 08:33 - The timeline of the production and how it was surprisingly brisk.
  • 09:37 - How did the screenplay change from start to finish? What was removed from that first cut?
  • 11:22 - How did they decide on this specific group of Spider-People?
  • 13:42 - When did they realize the movie was really working?
  • 15:30 - What was the most difficult animation technique to pull off?
  • 17:06 - With more Spider-Verse movies in the works, do they expect the animation process to be more streamlined?
  • 19:15 - Recreating New York with such a unique, bold animation style in a true, loving way.
  • 21:13 - Their favorite Easter eggs in Into the Spider-Verse.
  • 24:50 - Working on the Stan Lee cameo.
  • 28:05 - Their cast includes a few actors who have never done animated voice work before. What are their top tips for them on day one?
  • 29:46 - Working with Nicolas Cage to create Spider-Man Noir; the abundance of alt takes they got from him.
  • 32:14 - What are they most excited to share with the world from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?
spiderman-into-the-spider-verse-bluray-review
Image via Sony Pictures
spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-cast
Image via Sony
spider-man-into-the-spider-verse
Image via Sony Pictures

spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-poster-spider-man-noir