Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
Daniel Kaluuya has shared a major update on the upcoming Spider-Punk animated spin-off, months after the project was first revealed. Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star confirmed he and co-writer Ajon Singh are nearing completion of the film’s first draft.
Daniel Kaluuya talks about Spider-Punk animated movie
Daniel Kaluuya confirmed in an interview with Deadline that he is in the “finishing stages” of the first draft of a standalone Spider-Punk animated film, co-written with Ajon Singh. The project is in development at Sony and expands on his portrayal of Spider-Punk (Hobie Brown) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. When asked whether the film would feature other Spider-Verse characters or focus solely on Spider-Punk, Kaluuya replied, “TBD.”
Kaluuya said the strong audience response to his character helped propel the idea forward. He confirmed Spider-Punk will also return in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, scheduled to release on June 18, 2027. “It’s exciting to be writing something in this space,” he said. He also credited Phil Lord and Christopher Miller as “great storytellers” who are supportive of the project.
Kaluuya shared that Lord gave him a note during development: “films aren’t about people, they’re about relationships.” He added, “They also tap into a joy of cinema and storytelling and animation, and I think joy is so hard to do and that’s something I’m aspiring for. They love what they do and that’s what the audience is really feeling.”
On the topic of industry consolidation, Kaluuya addressed the Warner Bros. Discovery–Netflix deal, calling it “a symptom of the rapid escalation and rapid progress of technology.” He said, “Now, the tech companies kind of own the infrastructure.”
He stated he refuses to let industry changes dictate his creative direction. “I’m not prescribing to this anxiety,” Kaluuya said. “I want to talk to people, I want to communicate things, I want to say things…I love cinema, I love theaters, I aspire to make films, and I love the community experiences so I’m always going to reach for that.”
