Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Producers Explain Why the Movie Has Different Versions

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was a smashing success both critically and at the box office when it was released earlier this summer. It is also already deemed one of the best films this year so far and is in contention to win an Oscar just like the first one.

When the film became available on digital platforms recently, a lot of fans noticed some changes that were made that are different from the theatrical version, especially in key scenes such as the Gwen Stacy opening and the fight sequences.

There have been questions since then regarding why the film has different versions between the theatrical and digital release which is an uncommon practice and the tweaks were not extensive like a typical director's cut.

Here's Why Across the Spider-Verse Has Different Versions According to the Producers

Credit: Sony

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller addressed the existence of the different versions of the film and why they made some tweaks after it was released in theaters.

They explained that the earlier cut was for the international version as the translations for various countries have to be done months before the release and it needed to be reviewed by the censorship board.

The crew was also still doing more tweaks leading up to the release of the film which led to another version and updating the patch on the theatrical releases in later screenings.

"There was an international version that was made almost two months before the movie came out because it had to be translated into different languages and these French censors have to decide what the rating of the movie is in Europe," Miller said.

"The team at [Sony Pictures] Imageworks still had some shots that they felt they could do better for the finished version. So, they cleaned up and tweaked those things."

Miller also added that a lot of crew members were suggesting ideas for improvements on the sound design and animation and they want to "make the best possible version that everyone was going to be the proudest of."

This should clarify the confusion amongst fans regarding the various versions of the film and it is a reasonable explanation since a lot of machinations have to be done for a global theatrical release which would require them to undergo dubbing and subtitling in various countries ahead of the release date.

Given that it is an animated film, there's also more flexibility in doing tweaks and the filmmakers were definitely aiming to take advantage of the time that they have to improve it as much as they can.

Also Read: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Receives Discouraging Release Update

Regardless of the various versions and changes, the film is pretty much the same in terms of the story and most of them were subtle ones that the general audience wouldn't even notice at all.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available to stream on digital platforms.