There Are Multiple Versions Of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Playing In Theaters
Fans who have gone to see "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" multiple times in an attempt to soak up the movie's stunning animation and heartfelt story might be in for a surprise, as associate editor Andy Leviton has confirmed that multiple versions of the movie are currently playing in theaters. The high-energy, multiverse-hopping story is stuffed with more Easter eggs than any one viewer could catch on first watch, and apparently, some of them include lines or details that change depending on which version of the film you happen to be watching.
Leviton confirmed as much by sharing a tweet from Twitter user @balisonqs, who shared two recorded clips of the film including different versions of a scene featuring Greta Lee's artificial intelligence assistant Lyla. In one clip, Lyla points at Miguel (Oscar Isaac) after confirming that she's called for backup, but in another, she snaps a quick picture of the pair together with a bunny filter on her phone. "I was wondering when people might start noticing..." Leviton said in response. Incredibly, the film has been in theaters for three weeks, but this seems the first time talk of varying versions has gone viral.
Lyla's cheeky selfie isn't the only minor change that fans have reported; Leviton also confirmed a moment during which Jason Schwartzman's villain The Spot has slightly different dialogue. Elsewhere, eagle-eyed fans have compiled lists of the differences they've heard reported, which seem to be significant enough to reward repeat viewers, but minor enough that folks who aren't extremely focused on animation details and small asides may not even notice.
The film's animation is the topic of other headlines, too
Reddit user Hohoho-you compiled a list of some reported differences, which include a longer cut of Miguel about to bite the Vulture (Jorma Taccone), an alternate joke from Ben Reilly (Andy Samberg), and slight differences in comic book-style visual flourishes. /Film has not been able to confirm all these changes, and it's possible there are even more that haven't been spotted yet.
Any other day, this news story would feel like confirmation of what we already know: The "Spider-Verse" films are among the most innovative, creative, and clever animated films of the 21st century, a true cinematic gift that keeps on giving. That's all true, but a new, less rosy story about the making of the film is also emerging, as Vulture reports that animators were tasked with working massive amounts of overtime to make constant changes to the film, reportedly at co-writer and producer Phil Lord's request. The result, according to their sources, is that roughly 100 artists left the film before its completion. One animator noted that the third film in the series, "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," doesn't seem likely to make its 2024 release date.
With this in mind, the alternate versions of "Spider-Verse" take on a trickier, more morally complex meaning, as they're both an extremely cool and relatively novel idea, and something that could have caused overworked animators countless headaches to pull off. If you do want to take a second (or third or fourth) look at the movie, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is now in theaters. "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" is still currently set for release on March 29, 2024.