‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Composer Reveals That the Team Is Under Massive Pressure: “You don’t want to Godfather it”

One of the standout animated superhero franchises in recent memory is undoubtedly the ‘Spider-Verse’ series. The first film, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ was a massive success, and its sequel, ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ shattered numerous records.

Released as Sony Pictures Animation’s first global theatrical release since 2019’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2,’ the film garnered widespread acclaim and set multiple box office records. Surpassing its predecessor, it grossed an impressive $690.5 million worldwide and ranked as the third-highest-grossing film in the U.S. for 2023.

Both movies in the series have enjoyed immense popularity among fans of all kinds. Confirmation came over six months ago that work on ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ resumed following the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Composer Daniel Pemberton has since revealed they are working intensively on the upcoming installment. However, he acknowledges the pressure to deliver amidst the high expectations set by the franchise’s previous success, likening the challenge to avoiding the pitfalls seen in ‘The Godfather Part III,’ which was considered weaker due to its complex plot.

They are beavering away on it as we speak and I think the main thing for everyone is we are so proud of what we have done on these movies and you want a classic trilogy, you don’t want to let it down, you don’t want to Godfather it. We are feeling added pressure – in capital letters, underlined, with a big exclamation mark at the end.

Originally slated for a 2024 release, ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ was indefinitely postponed due to the strikes.

The film continues the storyline from ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ with returning cast members including Shamiek Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy. Also returning are Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk, John Mulaney as Spider-Ham, Karan Soni as Spider-Man India, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot, Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly, Issa Rae as Spider-Woman, Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis, Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales, Greta Lee as Lyla, and Jharrel Jerome as Miles G. Morales.

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