While it's well known that the release date of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse may be later than most fans would like it sounds like the film could be even further off than anticipated.
Actor Jake Johnson, who voices Peter B. Parker, said that he hasn't yet recorded any dialogue for the highly anticipated third installment during a recent podcast interview.
One of the most widely followed conventions in animation filmmaking is that the audio comes first, followed by the animation. Before the animation is completed, voice performers will record their lines, providing animators with vital timing and emotional cues.
It is typical to have only preliminary sketches or storyboards accessible while recording, allowing for flexibility and improvisation based on the actor's performance. This method ensures that the animation corresponds closely to the language flow and character expressions. Disney Animation and Pixar films, for example, record dialogue first.
Here's Johnson's response when asked what he's completed on the film [via CinemaBlend].
"Nothing. Well, I will say, I can’t say anything about (the release date), but I will say with recording of actors, things can go fast. So, my not recording truly means nothing. If you find out the animators hadn’t started animating, then that’s a different thing. But there’s Really no breaking news from a voiceover actor. Even if we try to break it. If they wanted to… like I did a movie for Wildwood Studios. I might be saying that wrong. If I am, I feel embarrassed. But I recorded my entire role in one day."
Johnson is likely referencing his role in the upcoming Laika Studios (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings) stop-motion animated pic, Wildwood.
Alternatively, studios will sometimes hire amateur voice actors to record dialogue to give to the animators to use as a reference. This is called "scratch." Utilizing this method, the real voice actors are then able to record their lines after the animation is complete.
However, a big-budget film like Beyond the Spider-Verse is unlikely to use this strategy. It's difficult to conceive a production of this size employing animators to work off of anything other than what the actual voice cast has recorded.
Though Peter B. Parker takes a back seat in Across the Spider-Verse, the cliffhanger ending suggests that he'll be back in a bigger role in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Recently, Phil Lord and Chris Miller promised to deliver a satisfying conclusion for fans while walking the red carpet at this year's Golden Globes awards ceremony.
An animated spin-off series centered on Hailee Steinfeld's Spider-Gwen and Issa Rae's Jessica Drew has already been confirmed to be in development at Sony, and there's already talk of a live-action version of the Spider-Verse movie.
Unfortunately, there is still no confirmed release date for Beyond the Spider-Verse. Current estimates suggest it might not arrive until late-2025, though this remains speculative.