The digital version of Across the Spider-Verse has been controversial, to say the least. Upon release, fans noticed several changes were made to the cut they watched in cinemas – including more details in Gwen’s opening sequence and Miles’ heroic stand against Spider-Man 2099.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ ahead of the release of R-rated dog comedy Strays, producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller explain why the 'new' cut – which was also available in some theaters weeks after release – features so many minor tweaks.
"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 says.
"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 reveals that crew members chipped in with additional ideas to help make a final cut that people will "pore over forever."
"Certain crew members – people in the sound department or on the animation team – were like, ‘Oh, could we do this instead?’" Miller explains. "Let’s do the best possible version we can. Because it’s a multiverse movie, it’s like there’s a multiverse of the movie – that was really the reasoning behind it. It was trying to make the best possible version that everyone was going to be the proudest of."
Lord added, "I think most of the changes are improvements."
Strays opens in UK cinemas on August 17 and US theaters on August 18.
