More than a week after the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Animation debuted its latest short film The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story at the Annecy International Film Festival. The short spin-off centers around Miles Morales dealing with the pressure and anxiety that come with being teenage superhero, as he must balance school and personal life while trying to be a good Spider-Man.
According to Deadline, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story will also cover the importance of strong father and son relationships, with Miles’ father, Jeff Morales, helping him overcome his fears which will manifest in the form of a dark figure and imaginary spider infestation.
“In [a] post-pandemic world, I felt like I had a lot of trauma. I think a lot of us did,” director Jarelle Dampier said at the Annecy International Film Festival. “One of the big things that seemed to kind of bring itself to the surface was anxiety.”
“The day that I was offered this job to direct this film. I had the largest panic attack I remember in my life. I spent the night in the hospital. I was so excited and happy at the opportunity and yet my whole body shuts down,” he continued. “I wanted to explore that and to open the door for some healing conversations for everyone.”
Who’s Involved in The Spider Within?
The Spider Within short is directed by Dampier from a screenplay written by Khalla Amazon. The creative team also includes VFX supervisor Clara Chan, animation supervisor Joe Darko, LENS program producer Michelle Raimo Kouyate, and program producer David Schulenburg.
It is a part of Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks’ new mentorship program LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers). The initiative aims to provide high-potential candidates from underrepresented groups an opportunity to gain leadership experience. It is directed by Jarelle Dampier
Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. It features the voices of Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, Issa Rae as Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk, Karan Soni as Spider-Man India, Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot, Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis, Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales, Greta Lee as Lyla, Andy Samberg, and more.
