Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been accused of fostering poor working conditions and forcing their animators into crunch time to get the film out. One of the film’s producers, Phil Lord, deflected these comments in a recent statement.
It’s no secret that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came out down to the wire, with actors stating they were recording lines a week before the movie’s debut in theaters and changes still being made post-release. A number of complaints about the film’s workplace have been levied against producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, alleging 11-hour work days and “forceful” demands for edits. While Lord admits that the film was hard to work on, a new statement tries to refocus the conversation into praise for the crew:
“In terms of ‘Spider-Verse,’ that was a really hard movie to make. We’re really proud of how hard everybody worked, and it was very demanding. But we’re just really proud of the crew, and everything they put into it.”
While the animators for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse certainly deserve endless praise for their groundbreaking work, they also deserve proper treatment in the workplace. The workflow demanded by Phil Lord and Chris Miller led to around 100 animators leaving the project. While it’s unclear if Sony will adjust their workflow for Beyond the Spider-Verse, one can only hope the animators get the treatment they deserve.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson from a screenplay written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham, Across The Spider-Verse also features the voice talents of Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Dratch, Shea Whigham and Jorma Taccone. Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg are producing the upcoming movie alongside Lord and Miller, who also worked on its predecessor.
The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse synopsis reads as follows:
“Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga… After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.”
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Source: Variety