The number of webslingers in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” can make your head spin, but did you know there are multiple versions of Sony smash hit “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in theaters?
Eagle-eyed (and owl-eared) moviegoers have begun catching on to the different cuts. Andy Leviton, the associate editor on the “Spider-Verse” films, questioned what took so long. On Twitter, Leviton wrote: “I was wondering when people might start noticing…”
We didn’t all edit the movie, Andy!
We’re noticing now though. Giddy fans and fan sites immediately began to compile the differences in sound (including dialogue) and animations between the two versions. But don’t call these Easter eggs; what started to become fairly obvious in our conversations with sources is that two different prints being screened was not the intended plan or desired outcome.
So, ah, what’s up with that?
Here’s what happened: Sony shipped out the international version of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” early for translation purposes, a person close to production told IndieWire. That’s normal.
What’s not normal is that several of the last-minute changes failed to make it from the Los Angeles editing lab into the film‘s screened international version. That could be from a failure to update an early for-translation-purposes-only print, or just good, old-fashioned running out of time to make a deadline. But which? That was one of our several questions to Sony, though we did not immediately hear back.
While “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” opened June 2 to a whopping $120 million opening weekend, some moviegoers complained they could not hear the dialogue in the first scene. Sony rectified the issue with an updated version. At the time, writer/producer Phil Lord said it was an issue with theaters’ volume levels. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was mixed at Volume 7, Lord wrote on Twitter. Some theaters maybe didn’t get (or read) the memo.
The memo:
“I heard several theaters this weekend at 7 and they sounded great,” Lord tweeted a week later. “All dialogue clear.”
Another piece that’s currently unclear (we asked) is if Sony’s updated prints intended to rectify the volume issue reflected the update that ultimately divided the (old) international print with the (new) current domestic print. The multiverse is confusing.
Also a bit murky: How many of the people pointing out the differences actually watched the film — intently — both in a United States theater and again in another country, all within the three weeks this “Spider-Verse” has been out? Unfortunately, piracy probably explains much of that.
Among the questions we sent to Sony was if it is possible the non-updated international version is (or was) being screened in some spots in the U.S. We also reached out to Lord’s personal rep, but did not immediately hear back.
Knowing how it generally works, here’s how it probably played out. A film’s distributor, in this case Sony, delivered a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) to a buying agent in each territory. That agent then delivered the package to individual theaters.
By the way, don’t let the “digital” fool you here: Many DCPs are still delivered in a physical package. A DCP can also be delivered via satellite or terrestrial means, if the conditions (a theater’s physical location and its surroundings) are receptive. There are obvious advantages to satellite delivery, including speed. Here, another one that becomes obvious: A DCP delivered via satellite is far easier to update. Our source close to production told us it is unlikely that the international version will be replaced with the updated animations/sound.
Physical delivery takes time, even domestically. Typically, DCPs would arrive at a theater the day before a movie previews. Internationally, not only must the physical DCPs cover more geographic ground (and air, and sea), they also have to clear customs. As anyone who has ever traveled with a passport will tell you, customs can take a while. “Spider-Verse” sacrifices were made.
While this is all news to Film Twitter, don’t feel out of the loop — it’s also news to film-distribution executives. IndieWire checked in with three distribution execs for this story, and none were aware of the different “Across the Spider-Verse” versions. Each said it is exceedingly rare for a movie to be updated once engagement with audiences begins.
Additional reporting by Bill Desowitz and Tom Brueggemann.
