Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have created a very solid working relationship with the folks over at Sony. Not only did they make both of the incredibly successful 21 Jump Street movies working for the studio, but they also first directed, then produced, respectively, the Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs films for Sony Pictures Animation. Everything has worked out pretty great when the two sides have worked together in the past, so it makes a degree of sense that the company might be willing to trust the duo with piece of its biggest superhero property.
The Wall Street Journal has learned from insiders that there are dealings going on behind the scenes at Sony Pictures that could wind up seeing Phil Lord and Chris Miller producing an animated Spider-Man movie. Any and all details about the project are currently being kept tightly under wraps, and it doesn't appear clear at this point if the film will ever actually be a thing, but the newspaper notes that studio executives are planning a major "Spidey summit" in January that is being planned to help work out what kind of future Spider-Man has on the big screen.
As a big fan of Phil Lord and Chris Miller's, this idea definitely has me excited - and it should be mentioned that the two filmmakers do already have at least some experience working with superheroes. When the two directors made The LEGO Movie for Warner Bros., they not only included Batman as a lead character (voiced by Will Arnett), but also brought in Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and more in for bit parts. As producers of the prospective animated Spider-Man movie they would certainly be a little less hands -on, but it's pretty clear that they have an appreciation for what comic books have to offer the cinematic landscape.
As of right now, it's not exactly easy to say where an animated Spider-Man movie might fit into the franchise's development at Sony Pictures. Because The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't perform up to expectations this past summer, the future of the webslinger on the big screen has been a bit hazy. As of now, the next film actually scheduled on the company's slate is Drew Goddard's Sinister Six - which will see some of Spider-Man's greatest villains teaming up for their own movie - and that one is currently dated for November 11, 2016. There have also been talks about doing an Amazing Spider-Man 3, a Venom spin-off (which Alex Kurtzman is attached to direct), and a female-fronted movie that will be set in the larger Amazing Spider-Man universe. At this time, however, none of those projects have firm release dates.
What do you think of the idea of a Phil Lord and Chris Miller-produced animated Spider-Man movie? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
