Producer of "Across the Spider-Verse" responds to complaints about animators' unfavorable working conditions

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Producer of the superhero flick Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Phil Lord has addressed accusations that animators had difficult working conditions. The production wasn’t simple, according to Lord, who also co-wrote Across the Spider-Verse with Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham. The producer did not, however, acknowledge that allegations that the animation team on Across the Spider-Verse was mistreated was accurate. According to Lord, “Spider-Verse was a really hard movie to make.” “It was really difficult, and we’re really proud of how hard everyone worked. However, we’re just really pleased of the staff and their efforts. After an unnamed animator filed a number of accusations against the film’s producers in June 2023, word of possibly hazardous working conditions on Across the Spider-Verse initially surfaced. According to this person, who went under the nickname “Stephen,” more than 100 crew people quit working on Across the Spider-Verse throughout the course of its production because of the pressure they were put under. In addition, Stephen insisted that animators put in 11-hour workweeks (including weekends) at the height of the production, and he mostly blamed Lord for this.

And Stephen’s remarks weren’t only about Across the Spider-Verse. The animator commented on Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’s development as well, stating categorically that there was “no way” the follow-up movie would debut on March 29, 2024. “Everyone’s been fully focused on Across the Spider-Verse and barely crossing the finish line,” Stephen said. “And now, it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, now we have to do the other one.'” Beyond the Spider-Verse was ultimately omitted from Sony’s 2024 release schedule (ostensibly owing to the SAG-AFTRA strike), despite Lord and Miller’s later hints that it would be postponed. Since then, Across the Spider-Verse has encountered yet another controversy. The removal of speech from the home media release of the film, among other alterations, has incensed some viewers, who have vented their anger on social media. In a recent interview, Lord and Miller addressed the criticism, attributing the changes to around the Spider-Verse in large part to the practicalities of the film’s home release around the globe.