Topic / Subject

Phil Lord and Chris Miller say the Beyond the Spider-Verse delays came from “too much movie” and repeated story-structure resets as they tried to shape the trilogy finale.

TL;DR

They’re saying the delays weren’t random, the movie’s structure kept changing, including a “split into two films” phase that didn’t fix the core story problem.

Key Details

In a Gizmodo/io9 interview, Lord and Miller discussed why Beyond the Spider-Verse has been delayed multiple times. They described having “too much movie,” and said there was a period where the story was split into two films before re-evaluations. Coverage frames the delays as driven by story structure and pressure to stick the landing for the trilogy conclusion. Precise production milestones and internal delivery dates were not detailed in the cited reporting.

Breakdown

This is one of the more honest “why it took so long” explanations you’ll hear from a blockbuster team: the movie didn’t just need more time — it needed a clearer shape.

The phrase “too much movie” is basically code for a real creative problem: you can have great scenes, great ideas, and great moments, but if the structure doesn’t click, everything feels off. And when it’s the finale, “good enough” doesn’t fly.

The split-into-two plan is also revealing. Splitting is usually a solution when you have too much story — but they’re admitting it didn’t solve the underlying issue, which suggests the real problem wasn’t runtime. It was the way the story worked.

Bottom line: they’re framing the delays as craft-driven and pressure-driven, not just production chaos.

What to Watch Next

Any official schedule guidance from Sony Pictures Animation (if/when it arrives). Whether animation-status updates become more specific beyond creative framing. How the team describes the final structure going forward: “tight,” “focused,” “one clear ending.”

Sources

Gizmodo/io9 — Yes, the Filmmakers Behind Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Feel the Pressure

CinemaBlend — Beyond the Spider-Verse producers explain lengthy delays and pressure (headline may vary)

Yahoo — Lord & Miller reveal why Beyond the Spider-Verse kept getting delayed (headline may vary)

Comment

Would you rather they keep delaying until it’s perfect, or do you just want a release date, even if the finale ends up less “impossible-to-top” than the earlier films?