Spider-Man has long been one of the most beloved and recognizable superheroes, known for his lighthearted quips and family-friendly adventures. However, the new fan film The Spider, directed by Andy Chen (Fiona) and starring Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”, “A Million Little Things”), takes the iconic web-slinger down a much darker path.
This entirely fan-made, non-profit film inspired by Spidey allowed Chen to explore the darker potential of Spider-Man’s origin story, converting it into a Cronenbergian body horror tale, taking inspiration from classics like The Fly.
Starring alongside Riggs are Holgie Forrester, Carl Addicott, Matthew Tyler Vorce, Ben Thomas, and Caylee Cowan.
To celebrate the recent release of The Spider on YouTube and the fact that it’s racked up over 4 million views in just 2 weeks, CinemaChords’ Howard Gorman hosted an insightful conversation with Chen and Riggs who revealed the challenges and rewards they faced in adapting such a beloved IP for a standalone short film and the process of implementing pure horror aspects into the origin story of a character they’ve long found fascinating.
You can keep up with all of Chen’s projects online via his locustgarden YouTube Channel, and on his official website and Instagram.
And we’ll leave you with the short in its entirety below:
