Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Hailee Steinfeld talk ‘Spider-Verse’

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse the brain trust accomplished a nearly impossible feat.

Writers and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller had the difficult task of following the events of 2018. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, their Oscar-winning film that redefined the animated medium and the well-trodden superhero genre. But against all odds, the longtime creative partners have managed to craft a middle chapter that either matches or surpasses the launch trilogy in every way.

For Miller, the main thing was not to rest on his laurels. “We knew we couldn’t just do more of the same,” Miller said during a recent meeting. THR presents panel based on Vision Media. “The first film opened the door, but we thought(Through Spider-Verse) could kick down the door and start a fire – and hopefully wake up the people who control the purse strings – to just how varied the film can look.”

Lord added: “You can use this opportunity to play it safe or play not to lose, but I think we would have lost if we had done it that way.”

Across the Universeswhich is currently up for the same Oscar for Best Animated Feature that the original film won at the 2019 ceremony, has brought on three new co-directors, including Oscar-nominated screenwriter Kemp Powers, Avatar: The Last Airbender alumni Joaquim Dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson, the latter of whom, in addition to being a veteran of Lord Miller productions, served To the Spider-Verseproduction designer.

Dos Santos admitted that he set the bar high To the Spider-Verse at first it weighed on him: “It wasSpider-Verse time in feature animation and post-Spider-Verse time. “So it was definitely an artistic reckoning for me.”

Powers, who had to withdraw his participation in Across the Universes before the release of his Oscar-winning Pixar film Soul — originally thought the aforementioned Jamie Foxx-led film would be his last effort as co-director of an animated feature. “I felt like I couldn’t do anything better or better than (Soul) – and then I saw To the Spider-Verse— Powers said. “So I wrapped Soul on Friday, and launched this garbage on Monday.”

Across the Universes The story takes place 16 months after the explosive events of the first film, as Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is now more adept at playing the role of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even as he wreaks havoc on his family and academic life. He soon meets a new villain known as the Blur (Jason Schwartzman), which coincides with the curious return of his friend and lover from Earth-65, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld).

However, by the time the duo reunited, the first 20 minutes of the film had already been devoted to establishing Gwen as one of the leads, something Steinfeld didn’t fully realize until she screened the film for the first time. Spider-Verse Films take a staged approach during production, with voice actors like Steinfeld regularly being called back into the recording booth as each scene or sequence gets a chance to develop. Thus, due to such a painstaking process, the cast often lacks a 30,000-foot view until the film is finally projected in the theater.

“There have been times when you’ve gotten a call asking you to go do reshoots or ADR and you’re like, ‘Oh God, I’m busy doing something else.’ I’m in a completely different space,” Steinfeld shared. “Nose (Across the Universes), I was looking forward to that call because it was just another chance to refine and improve the moment.”

Gwen’s emotional and candid scenes with her father, Captain George Stacy (Shea Whigham) on Earth-65 are among the film’s many standout moments, and together with over a thousand artists and animators, the creative team created a breathtaking watercolor style for Gwen’s home. A universe that fluctuates depending on the mood of the characters.

Thompson added: “With Gwen and her dimension, it was just an amazing opportunity to put on screen what she couldn’t say in her own words. If she can’t cry, let the paint run down the walls and let the rooms mourn her.”

Across the Universes the team is keeping its cards close to its chest regarding a possible capper trilogy, Beyond the Spider-Versebut Miller makes it clear that it will be more of the same, which is to say, not the same at all: “We hope to open up as many new opportunities as we have in the past.”

This edition THR presents brought to you by Sony Pictures Entertainment.