Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks plan to release a new original short called The Spider Within. The new animation will debut exclusively at the Animation Film Festival just a little more than a week after the June 2nd release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The short, which is set in Sony’s animated Spider-Verse, shows a day in the lif of Miles Morales as he struggles to balance teenagehood, friends, and student life as Spider-Man.
The Spider Within is part of more significant efforts, including a mentoring program that provides high-potential candidates from underrepresented groups access to leadership opportunities. LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers) supports the journey of candidates as they work together with program creators and producers Michelle Raimo Kouyate (Puss In Boots, Silver Linings Playbook) and David Schulenburg (Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham) to produce a short animation.
Kouyate and Sculenberg expressed their gratitude for the new pathways created, saying:
We are very grateful to be part of a studio that is doing meaningful work to give voice to varied groups and to the studio leadership…who gave rise to this program and supported us every step along the way.
Joint statement from Michelle Raimo Kouyate and David Schulenburg
Launched last year, LENS is entering its second cycle, allowing this year’s participants to create a short film that aligns with “K-Pop: Demon Hunters,” an animated musical action adventure.
Source: Variety
