If you haven’t heard of the name, Preston Mutanga, don’t worry you will. The talented 14-year-old was hired as an animator for the summer box office blockbuster, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
I recreated the entire Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer in LEGO! @philiplord @chrizmillr @terry12539 @LEGO_Group @SpiderVerse #LEGO #SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse #animation #Blender3d pic.twitter.com/kYY19go7Fc
— LegoMe_TheOG (@FG_Artist) January 3, 2023
Mutanga wanted to try out his new animation software, Blender, that his father introduced him to. So, a few YouTube videos later on how to use the program, and he recreated the trailer of the movie in LEGO style, catching the eyes of producers Chris Lord and Phil Miller.
“We found out that it was a 14-year-old kid who made it and we were like, ‘This looks incredibly sophisticated for a nonadult, nonprofessional to have made,” Miller told The New York Times in a recent interview. “It blew us all away, including some of the best animators in the world.”
So, when they wanted a LEGO-style scene in the movie, guess who they called?!
“One new thing I learned was definitely the feedback aspect of it, like how much stuff actually gets changed from the beginning to the final product…I adored the first movie and was so hyped for the second one, so getting to work with the people who actually made this masterpiece was honestly like a dream,” Mutanga told reporters in the Times interview.
The Canadian high school student had to, as reported by the New York Times, “…meet via video with Miller, who would check on his progress and provide detailed input.”
So, just what does the high schooler want to do after he graduates? Well, you guessed it, he wants to become a professional animator, and of course, having the opportunity to work on this $235 million and counting box office hit has definitely put him in a prime position to do so!
“I adored the first movie and was so hyped for the second one, so getting to work with the people who actually made this masterpiece was honestly like a dream.”
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is now showing in theaters and it is one film that you unquestionably don’t want to miss!
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Preston Mutanga Twitter; @thegeekstr_; Marvel Movies Instagram; Sony Pictures Animation
