While many comic book fans were excited by the release of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in 2018, no one could have expected just how universally acclaimed the film would go on to be, eventually securing the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Almost immediately, a sequel was put into development, with producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller returning to shepherd a new adventure with the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales. And while Lord and Miller are returning, it appears that a new crew of directors is taking the helm to bring the ‘Spider-Verse’ sequel to theaters in 2022.
According to Variety, Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson have signed on to co-direct the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel from Sony. The film is written by Lord and Miller alongside ‘Shang-Chi’ screenwriter, David Callaham. It’s unclear what the plot of the film might be, but obviously, the film will follow the adventures of Miles Morales, the young kid that fully embraced his Spider-Man role at the end of the original film.
READ MORE: The Russo Brothers Recall Sony Being Hesitant To Casting Tom Holland As Spider-Man
“The crew behind the ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ set such a ridiculously high bar, and we’re humbled to take on the challenge of charting the next chapter in the story of Miles Morales,” the new directors said.
“We are so lucky to have Joaquim, Justin and Kemp on the ‘Spider-Verse’ team,” Lord and Miller added. “We are huge fans of Joaquim’s work — he makes his characters so heartfelt and unique, and he can tell an emotional story with an action sequence the way a musical does through a song. Justin is a maverick filmmaker who relentlessly pursues visual innovation and surprise but always in support of the emotional storytelling. Kemp’s work is incisive and ambitious and funny — with a writer’s wisdom and a director’s heart — he just knows what matters in every scene. All three of them elevate every project they take on, and they are certainly raising our game. We honestly just like them and want to be their friends and we’re hoping working on this movie together for the next few years will totally make that happen.”
If you’ve been following awards season this year, you have heard the name Kemp Powers quite a bit. He’s a co-director on the animated Oscar-favorite, “Soul.” In addition, he’s the writer of “One Night in Miami,” which is Regina King’s awards season darling. Dos Santos and Thompson are making their feature debuts as directors. Previously, they worked on projects such as “The Legend of Korra,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Voltron: Legendary Defender,” “Justice League Unlimited,” and “Teen Titans.”
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2” is set to arrive in theaters on October 7, 2022.
