According to Variety, Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks will release a brand-new original short film set in the Spider-Verse. The Spider Within will debut exclusively at the Annecy International Animation Festival this June following the release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The short will find Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) struggling to “balance his responsibilities as a teenager, friend and student while acting as Brooklyn’s friendly neighborhood superhero. After a particularly challenging day living with these pressures, Miles experiences a panic attack that forces him to confront the manifestations of his anxiety and learn that reaching out for help can be just as brave an act as protecting his city from evil.” The Spider-Verse short is part of Sony’s new mentorship program LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers), which provides “high-potential candidates from underrepresented groups an opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience.“
After Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse blew audiences away with its unique style and powerful story, anticipation is high for Across the Spider-Verse. The filmmakers are doubling down on the animation style, which will include five visually-distinct new universes. “The first film was about bringing characters into Miles’ dimension,” explained writer/producer Christopher Miller. “This is about Miles heading off into others.” Of course, visuals aren’t everything, but Shameik Moore believes that the story of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be even better than the first movie. “I will say that this story tops the first one,” Moore teased. “If the sky was the limit last time, the sky is now the floor. We’re stepping on it and looking at Jupiter!“
“When Miles Morales is unexpectedly approached by his best friend and love interest Gwen Stacy to complete a mission to save every universe of Spider-People from a mysterious new villain who could cause a catastrophic disaster, Miles is up for the challenge,” reads the official synopsis for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. “He and Gwen journey through the Multiverse together and meet its protectors, a group of Spider-People known as the Spider-Force. However, Miles finds himself at odds with the Spider-Force on how to handle the threat.” Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will debut on June 2, 2023, followed by Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse on March 29, 2024.