Miles Morales' Spider-Man Is Getting A New Spider-Verse Animated Short This Year
Sony is expanding the scope of the Spider-Verse this summer. Not only do we have "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" due to hit theaters in June, but the studio has also revealed that a brand new, in-universe short titled "The Spider Within" is headed our way as well. As for how you can see the short? At least at first, it's going to be a select few attending a major film festival this summer.
According to Variety, "The Spider Within" is set to premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. Perhaps not coincidentally, this is right around the time that "Across the Spider-Verse" will be hitting theaters. We have reached out to Sony for further details regarding release plans for the short beyond Annecy but the studio has not yet responded to our request for comment. As for what the short will entail? The synopsis reads as follows:
In the short, Miles Morales struggles 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.
A small part of Sony's big program
The short was created as part of Sony's new mentorship program called LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers). Four candidates are picked and given creative leadership positions. Guided by program creators and producers Michelle Raimo Kouyate ("Puss In Boots") and David Schulenburg ("Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham"), the four of them produce an animated short. In this case, Jarelle Dampier, Khaila Amazan, Clara Chan, and Joe Darko teamed up for "The Spider Within." Kouyate and Schulenburg had this to say about it:
"We feel honored and privileged to have been given the opportunity to give shape to the inaugural launch of the LENS program. We are incredibly proud of how the hard work of all four filmmakers — Jarelle Dampier, Khaila Amazan, Clara Chan and Joe Darko — has paid off. They far exceeded all expectations as they stepped into their leadership roles and created a remarkable short. We are very grateful to be part of a studio that is doing meaningful work to give voice to varied groups and to the studio leadership — Kristine Belson, Michelle Grady, Pam Marsden and Paul Martin — who gave rise to this program and supported us every step along the way."
"Across the Spider-Verse," which serves as a sequel to 2018's hit "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. It is also the second installment in a confirmed trilogy, with "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" set to arrive in March 2024. The making of back-to-back sequels is part of why it took so long to get a follow-up to the Oscar-winning film. Fans are evidently being rewarded for their patience.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is set to hit theaters on June 2, 2023.