Pro-Family SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE on Oscar VFX Shortlist
By Moveiguide® Contributor
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE landed a spot on the Academy Awards visual effects shortlist, a rare feat.
The only other movies to earn visual effects Oscar nominations are THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS.
The movie follows Miles Morales as he fights the supervillain The Spot. Part of Movieguide®’s review reads:
“SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is a creative, exciting, funny animated superhero movie. It has several unexpected twists that add to the viewer’s enjoyment. Happily, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE also has a strong pro-family theme. For example, there are heartfelt scenes of love and reconciliation between Miles and his parents and between a Spider-Woman character and her father. Also, a Spider-Man from another universe and his wife have a new baby. Finally, an early image shows a family holding hands and praying together. That said, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE has lots of PG action violence and brief foul language. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.”
“It was a wild experience creating the multiverse in this movie,” said Michael Lasker, the visual effects supervisor. “Miles’ world was sort of the baseline…and then we had five other universes to create, all inspired by different artists, all with different techniques. It was a lot of development. It was a lot of collaboration.”
“And it’s like 3,000 paintings with 1,000 artists, all different types of work, whether they’re animators or texture painters, or artists or developers,” he continued. “It’s really a team that put their work into making this movie.”
The movie features many different universes, each of which has a unique style.
“This sequel ramps its animation up a notch, with so many different styles of animation used to represent the multiple universes seen in the movie, including a Renaissance-inspired universe and another made out of LEGO,” Gold Derby reported.
Lasker revealed that Gwen Stacy’s universe was the hardest to create.
“It was based on watercolor, mixed with comic book art from Jason Latour,” he explained. “We had frisket areas that would have no paint that would just be white, because the feeling of Gwen’s world was that it was a mood ring for her emotions. So wherever her focus was, wherever her thoughts were, that’s where the detail would be, then it would fall off to almost nothing, like a blank canvas, and every shot reflected her mood. So the lighting would change, the colors would change.”
In order to create Stacy’s universe, Lasker had to create different ways to blend the colors and lighting.
“We had to develop new tools to make brushstrokes and watercolor, and we had to light every shot like it was a different painting,” Lasker said. “We couldn’t rely on tried and true lighting principles where you make a light rig and you light the whole sequence. So every shot was different. Then we had to have characters move and perform and cameras moving. First, we paint the painting. Then we move through the painting.”
The visual effects team’s work paid off, and the movie came in as 2023’s No. 3 domestic movie, earning $381,311,319.
Movieguide® previously reported on its success:
It’s no secret the new film SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE crushed opening weekend.
Senior Media Analyst at Comscore, Paul Dergarabedian, told Variety, “It’s really rare that sequels increase their box office. Usually, the law of diminishing returns applies.”
Yet again, Variety missed the key element made ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE such a smashing success: Moral, pro-family values. For more than 40 years, Movieguide® has advocated that movies with more moral content do better in the box office than their excessive counterparts.
For ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, those moral values include a strong pro-family theme, a scene of prayer, and the value of every life. At the time of this writing, SPIDER-VERSE has generated more than $120 million at the box office, landing it in the top 10 box office results for the year.
ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is just the latest movie with biblical themes to sweep the box office in 2023.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
