Back in December 2022, Preston Mutanga combined his two interests for the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Beat-by-beat with LEGO bricks and figures. After the ambitious project was complete, the 14-year-old uploaded the clip online, which caught the attention of the filmmakers, who then hired him as an animator for Lego world sets.
during an interview New York TimesProducers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who both directed lego movie) said they had contacted him after they decided to include a LEGO sequence in it Traveling Through the Spider-Man Universe.
“We found out it was done by a 14-year-old kid, and we were like, ‘This looks very complicated for a non-adult, non-professional,'” Miller told era“It shocked us all, including some of the best animators in the world.”
Mutanga’s work is already so beautiful because he’s spent years making Lego clips and uploading them to his youtube channel After his father, Theodore Mutanga, introduced him to the 3D computer software Blender.
When the film’s other producer, Christina Steinberg, contacted Mutanga’s parents, Theodore and Gisele Mutanga, they were understandably skeptical at first. However, once they confirmed that the offer was legitimate, Theodore jumped into action, equipping his son with a new computer with a powerful graphics card so he could get his work done as quickly as possible.
still like high school Traveling Through the Spider-Man Universe The main character, Miles Morales, is a Toronto teenager who works on scenes remotely during his off hours, checking in with Miller every two weeks. “One of the new things I learned was definitely the feedback aspect of it, like how much things actually changed from the beginning to the final product,” Mutanga said of the experience.
With his contribution to one of the year’s best films, Mutanga is on track to become a full-time animator and director. Watch his LEGO recreation of both trailers below.
Traveling Through the Spider-Man Universe The second film in a planned trilogy, it has grossed more than $235 million worldwide after opening to $120 million in its opening weekend. In our review, senior entertainment editor Liz Shannon Miller called it “a jaw-dropping spectacle that still manages to tell a smart, compelling story about fate, friendship, and the price of being a hero.” A character-driven story.”
Looks like I can now officially confirm—
yes i animated a part #AcrossTheSpiderVerse!Honestly, it’s been an amazing journey, and with @philiplord, @chrizmillr, @CSteinberg9, a dream come true for the rest of the Spider-Man team.you guys absolutely rock pic.twitter.com/QnSZrcOf99
— LegoMe_TheOG (@FG_Artist) June 7, 2023