“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” hasn’t even been released yet, and Sony is already banking on the film’s ultimate success by beginning work on a sequel and a brand-new spin-off.
According to THR, Joaquim Dos Santos has been hired to direct the sequel to ‘Into the Spider-Verse.’ Dos Santos is probably best known for his animated work on series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and Netflix’s “Voltron.” Both of those shows have been fan-favorites and universally acclaimed. It makes sense why he’d be brought on to navigate the further adventures of Miles Morales, aka the animated Spider-Man.
However, a sequel (which was inevitable, honestly) isn’t the really shocking news. Also as part of the report is news that Sony is hard at work on a new animated spin-off of ‘Spider-Verse’ that will focus on multiple female ‘Spider’ characters. Bek Smith, who has written episodes of CBS’ decidedly not-animated series “Zoo,” is on board to pen the untitled film.
While details of the spin-off are still unclear, it’s likely the female-centric ‘Spider-Verse’ film will focus on Spider-Gwen, who apparently gives a scene-stealing performance in the upcoming film. However, considering the Spider-Man Marvel lore is chock full of strong female characters such as Spider-Woman, Silk, Madame Web, and Spider-Girl, the full roster of characters should be stacked. And if Spider-Gwen is the featured character, we can probably expect actress Hailee Steinfeld to return to the role.
As for additional behind-the-scenes help, the report says that Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who spearheaded ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ are expected to have creative input on the films but no official deal has been reached. Amy Pascal, who is the producer of all the ‘Spider-Man’ film projects, is obviously back on board to produce these films. And yes, Avi Arad will probably return to, and with him, some interview gold, no doubt.
It appears that Sony is ready to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, on this new animated franchise. With early buzz being extremely positive, and awards talk building, it looks like the studio will have a massive hit on its hands with ‘Spider-Verse.’ And if that’s the case, the studio that two-for-two on Spider-Man spin-off films in 2018 (“Venom” is still crushing at the box office), which not many people would have predicted.