[Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Phil Lord and Chris Miller would direct the new animated Spider-Man movie. They are writing the treatment for and producing the film, and not officially attached as directors. CraveOnline apologizes for the previous inaccuracy. The following article has been amended.]
When Spider-Man switched studios, from Sony Pictures to Marvel, many fans rejoiced. But we all should have taken a closer look at the fine print. While Marvel Studios has the rights to incorporate Spider-Man into their live-action Cinematic Universe, Sony still holds the movie rights to the character, and they have plans of their own: an animated Spider-Man feature film that will be masterminded by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the filmmakers behind the acclaimed comedies The LEGO Movie and 22 Jump Street.
The announcement was made at CinemaCon by Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman, and details are still scarce. The Marvel Studios film is all set to debut on July 28, 2017, and the animated version is currently set to debut one year later, on July 20, 2018. This new animated movie seems to replace Sony’s original plans for an expanded Spider-Man cinematic universe of their own, which was originally set to include films like Sinister Six, Venom and, reportedly, yet another spin-off focusing on a female Spider-Man character, but which was never officially announced.
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One has to wonder, however, whether Sony’s plans for an animated Spider-Man franchise running concurrently with Marvel’s live-action version is a wise move. They’ve got the right filmmakers – Phil Lord and Chris Miller are so ideally suited, in fact, that many had openly hoped they would direct the Marvel Studios version – but rushing too many Spider-Man movies into production has backfired on the studio before. Again, all those spin-offs they were working on have now been shelved after the disappointing box office grosses of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the lowest grossing movie in the series so far, which premiered just two years after its predecessor.
Still, it’s hard not to get excited about two great filmmakers being attached to such a fun project, and the possibilities for an animated Spider-Man movie are nearly limitless. But will this animated version live up to the new live-action reboot, or could it even prove better than Marvel’s take on the wall crawler? And is setting Spider-Man up to compete with himself, and possibly wear out audience enthusiasm, a recipe for disaster?
We’ll find out in time. Until then, keep coming back to CraveOnline for more updates.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
