Oftentimes, when you attend a critics screening, you don’t get the same excitement that you would seeing a film opening night. Unless of course the movie you are seeing is SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. This animated feature had the audience cheering and laughing and applauding throughout. If you are a fan of the famed web slinger, you are in for a massive treat. The story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) going on the same path as Peter Parker (Chris Pine) feels like a comic book come to life. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, the film also features an impressive voice cast including Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Nicolas Cage and much more.
We recently had the chance to step into the Spider-Verse to talk with some of the incredible talent behind it. First up, we spoke with two of the most talented guys in the business. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller took some time to talk about bringing this project to life. As producers – Lord is also one of the film’s writers – they discussed how they approached the Miles Morales story. And with the Spider-Verse opening up and bringing other famed Spidey’s like Spider-Ham, Peni Parker and Spider-Man Noir, I asked the two about their own thoughts and plans for future tales in this vast universe.
Next up, we spoke to some of the cast that helped bring this creation to life. Both Jake Johnson and Shameik Moore opened up about their own history with Spider-Man. They also discussed taking on this iconic figure. For Moore, it was almost as if the actor was destinted to play the role. The two are quite good as two very different versions of the superhero, and they play off of each other beautifully. And since Miles story is a bit different from Peters’, Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez talked in depth about playing a loving couple to their seemingly troubled teenage son. It helps create a surprisingly rich family dynamic that will certainly connect with a lot of young viewers out there.
Get ready for SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. This one is a crowd pleaser that is sure to thrill superhero fans everywhere.