Sony Pictures Animation released its first animated superhero film last week and it’s a hit critically and financially. “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” beat out two other major debuts this weekend including Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” and the post-apocalyptic book turned film “Mortal Engines.” Besides beating these newcomers, “Into The Spider-Verse” also beat long-reigning box office hit animated films Disney’s “Wreck it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet” and Illumination’s “The Grinch” at the box office.

What is it about?

“Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” stars Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore, as a variant of the beloved superhero Spider-Man.

While the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, is still a big part of the film, the spotlight shifted to the younger hero. The film also highlights other various versions and forms the crimefighter has taken over the years. With access to various different dimensions, the film has opened itself to all kinds of interesting characters like Spider-Gwen, as well as some sillier ones like a pig named Peter Porker or Spider-Ham as he is better known.

The new animation style

Most impressive about the new film is the animation. Sony has developed a very unique look for “Into The Spider-Verse” that has not been seen in an animated movie before it. While it was initially reported that Sony was looking to patent the animation style, in actuality, Sony is only looking to patent “the animation process and technologies used in its innovative film,” as reported by Animation Magazine.

This is something commonly done by animation studios, and there is already a long list of patents by plenty of other studios including both Disney and DreamWorks.

For a taste of what the film looks and feels like, the original trailer “Into The Spider-Verse” can be seen here. Despite only just coming out, “Into The Spider-Verse” has already been nominated for and won several awards and looks to be a frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

That’s not all though, as according to Huffington Post, “Weeks before “Spider-Verse” opens in theaters, Sony announced the development of a sequel and spinoffs set in the shared multiverse.” Combined with the financial success of “Venom” and the upcoming new live-action “Spider-Man” film “Far From Home,” fans have a lot of Spider-Man to look forward to in the upcoming years.