Bob Persichetti, Justin K Thompson to direct ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’

Los Angeles, Dec 18 (PTI) Hollywood studio Sony Pictures has roped in Bob Persichetti and Justin K Thompson to direct the third installment in the “Spider-Verse” animated franchise.

Titled “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”, the highly-anticipated movie will conclude the trilogy that started with 2018’s critically-acclaimed title “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, which won an Oscar for best animated film, and continued with 2023’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”.

According to entertainment news outlet Variety, Persichetti and Justin K Thompson have been integral to the franchise’s creative team since the first movie.

Persichetti was part of the film’s directorial trio and served as an executive producer for the second part. Meanwhile, Thompson worked as the production designer on the first film before joining the directorial trio for the sequel alongside Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers.

“We have had the immense privilege of being part of Miles’ journey from the very beginning, and directing the conclusion to his story is beyond exciting,” the duo said in a statement.

“The creativity and care poured into every minute of this project has been truly inspiring. We have crafted what we feel is a very satisfying ending, and we can’t wait for fans to experience it. We’re bringing everything we’ve got,” they added.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” introduced audiences to Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager who becomes Spider-Man and discovers the multiverse. It turned out to be a groundbreaking film and received praise for its unique animation style, storytelling, and emotional depth.

The movie had an ensemble voice cast that also included Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage and Liev Schreiber.

The sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, expanded the story as Miles teamed up with Gwen Stacy and other Spider-People across dimensions to face a new threat.

Filmmaker duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who spearheaded the critically and commercially successful trilogy, are returning to co-write the screenplay. They will also produce with Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Jinko Gotoh.

Aditya Sood and Christina Steinberg are executive producing while Jessica Berri will serve as co-producer.