STACK #227 September 2023

MOVIE FEATURE

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Spider-Borg across the Pyuniverse

In the mid-’80s, the independent company Cannon Films - which was renowned for making low-budget action fodder - poured millions of dollars into an ill-fated live-action Spider-Man movie. Tobe Hooper ( The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 1974) and Joseph Zito ( Invasion USA - 1985) were originally signed on to direct the movie before the project hit financial strife and was given to cult filmmaker Albert Pyun. Pyun suggested combining budgets, and making the movie simultaneously with the Masters of the Universe sequel he had been preparing. The Spidey and Masters projects were abandoned, and Pyun repurposed the costumes and sets to make Cyborg starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (1989) instead. Pyun, who passed away in November last year, is notable for directing over 50 movies, including The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), Kickboxer 2 (1991), and Captain America (1990).

Spidey proves once again to be the most popular Marvel superhero, with the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse becoming another instant hit, capturing audiences in its charming web. Words Gill Pringle F rom the boundary-pushing creative team that brought us the Oscar-winning Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), the sequel reunites Spider couple Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. Catapulting across the Multiverse, they going through the challenges of his first year as a high school aged superhero. “We pick up a few

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is out Sep 13

months after the first movie ended, and we get to check in with where both Miles and Gwen are at now,” says writer producer Phil Lord. “Miles has had a growth spurt, and that gave us

encounter the Spider Society, a team of Spider People charged with protecting the Multiverse’s very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero, to save the people he loves most. As ever, this new story - which serves as the second instalment in Miles Morales’ Spider Verse trilogy - posits: Anyone can wear the mask, it’s how you wear the mask that makes you a hero. Still reeling from his first experiences as Spider-Man, Across the Spider-Verse finds Miles older, wiser, and more capable, after

to balance being a good friend, being a good family member, a good student, and being a teenager - it’s relatable. He’s trying to find his purpose while he’s still figuring himself out. It’s a lot for him to take on and I think everyone can relate to that on some level.” Gwen Stacy, also known as the amazing Spider-Woman of Earth-65, faces numerous new challenges in this sequel. With her enhanced strength, speed, agility, and Spider-sense, she's a confident superhero who's able to understand what Miles is going through, both as a high school student and as a masked crimefighter. Actress Hailee Steinfeld asserts she enjoyed exploring Gwen and Miles’ dynamic even further. “Gwen’s relationship with Miles is quite complex this time around,” she says. “There is such a bond between these two characters, and while Gwen wants to push Miles to do what she knows he's more than capable

the excuse to have a cool new character design and costume. He’s still trying to figure out what it’s like to be a superhero. The trouble is, it was a lot easier when he had other people like him around. “Now that they’re gone, both Miles and Gwen are feeling the absence of folks who understand what they are going through.” As the voice of Miles, Shameik Moore says, “It’s the classic struggle for Spider-Man: needing

Across the Spider-Verse holds the record for the largest animated production ever, with around 1,000 people working on it. DYK?

of doing, she also wants to take on the world together - and there's a lot that's getting in the way. It’ll be exciting to see where their journey takes them from here.”

SEPTEMBER 2023

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