Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson Announced as ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Directors

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(L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:

Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson are directing ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.’
The movie will continue the story from ‘Across the Spider-Verse.’
The ‘Spider-Man’ animated sequel doesn’t yet have a confirmed release.

Given the reception for ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and last year’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ you’d think Sony –– which really needs success in its Marvel arm given the flops of its more recent live-action superhero offerings –– would be going full speed ahead on the third outing, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ there has seemingly been a slowdown in its development.

Which is even more surprising, since the first two films in Sony’s trilogy were critical and commercial successes for the studio, grossing a combined $1.07 billion at the global box office.

Additionally, ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ won the Animated Feature Oscar in 2019, and its acclaimed sequel, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’, became the highest-grossing animated film for the studio to date.

Yet here we are in 2024 with no release date locked in for the third movie and plenty of chatter about delays, script re-writes and issues with ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ produced as ever by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Though the second and third movies were supposedly being produced back to back, there have been changes afoot behind the scenes, with Sony just now announcing that Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson are directing the film.

Persichetti previously served as part of the Oscar-winning directorial team on ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ and was an executive producer on ‘Across the Spider-Verse.’ Thompson served as the production designer on ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ where he was instrumental in developing the franchise’s groundbreaking visual style. He went on to join the directorial team on the sequel alongside Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers.

Powers and Dons Santos have since moved on, but this has slightly the feel of the studio trying to get some good news about the ‘Spider’-sequel as concerns rise.

‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’: The Filmmakers Speak

Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

Here’s Persichetti and Thompson’s statement on the gig:

“We have had the immense privilege of being part of Miles’ journey from the very beginning and directing the conclusion to his story is beyond exciting. The creativity and care poured into every minute of this project has been truly inspiring. We have crafted what we feel is a very satisfying ending, and we can’t wait for fans to experience it – we’re bringing everything we’ve got!”

And this was the statement from Lord and Miller:

“Bob and Justin’s fingerprints are woven into the DNA of these films, and their passion for Miles’ journey shines through in every frame of his last adventure. There is nothing more rewarding than collaborating with creative partners with bold vision and brilliant execution like Bob and Justin. We are thrilled to work with them once again to create a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to this story.”

Finally, here’s Kristine Belson, President of Sony Pictures Animation:

“We’re very happy to officially announce the directorial duo behind the final chapter of the Spider-Verse saga. Bob, Justin, and the entire filmmaking team have been hard at work crafting something truly spectacular, and we’ve been blown away by what we’ve seen so far –– there’s more work ahead to bring Miles’ story to a satisfying close and we are confident that they are perfect pair to pull it off.”

What’s the story of ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’?

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ lands in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

The exact plot is still under wraps, though since ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ ended on a cliffhanger with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) arriving in universe where one of his alternates has become the villain known as the Prowler, and a rescue attempt launched by some of his friends, you know that story will need to be wrapped up somehow.

What else is happening with ‘Spider-Man’ movies?

Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ which opens in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

Amy Pascal and Avi Arad, who are the general overseers of Sony’s Marvel-affiliated Spider-Verse, talked to Variety about possibilities for other movies.

Among them? A live-action film focused on the Miles Morales character and a ‘Spider-Woman’ animated spin-off.

What did the Spider-team say about a Miles Morales movie?

Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ SPIDER-MAN™: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.

Morales, who first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics in ‘Ultimate Fallout #4’ in 2011, has become a popular figure for fans who enjoy the more diverse characterization.

As the emotional core of the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, he’s also crossed over into a more mainstream movie audience.

“You’ll see all of it. It’s all happening,” Pascal said last year at the ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ premiere.

On the small screen, the ‘Spider-Noir’ series (which is drawn from a character who was used well in ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ and is likely to return for ‘Beyond’) is still moving forward at Prime Video with Nicolas Cage leading a cast that includes Jack Huston, Brendan Gleeson, Lamorne Morris and Li Jun Li. That show is filming now.

And, of course, there is the next Sony/Marvel ‘Spider-Man’ movie starring Tom Holland, which has ‘Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton directing. It’s due to film next year and is set for release in July 2026.