Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks have partnered with the Kevin Love Fund to digitally release the animated short and will be incorporated into a mental health-focused lesson plan.

Sony will release a new animated short titled “The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” on Sony Pictures Animation’s YouTube channel at 6 a.m. PT on March 27.

From Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks, the short is set in the world of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and follows Miles Morales/Spider-Man as he struggles to balance his responsibilities as a teenager, friend, student and Spider-Man. In navigating those pressures, Miles experiences a panic attack that forces him to confront the manifestations of his anxiety and learn that reaching out for help can be just as brave an act as protecting his city from evil.

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The digital release comes in partnership with the Kevin Love Fund, and will be incorporated as part of the fund’s new mental health-focused lesson plan, “The Hero Within.” The lesson plan invites students to tell their own story through the lens of mental health awareness via an interactive curriculum including a creative storyboard activity.

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“Miles represents so many of us doing the best we can in our day-to-day lives,” said Jarelle Dampier, director of “The Spider Within.” “We don’t often realize all that we’ve been through until our own body forces us to become aware of its experience. My intention is that ‘The Spider Within’ can motivate deeper conversations amongst friends & family about their own mental health journeys — and I hope it feels like a love letter to those who adore Miles Morales.”

KLF founder, professional basketball player and mental health advocate Kevin Love said, “My hope for the short film would be for everyone, especially young people, to understand that your feelings are valid and that you are not alone in this.”

Love continued, “You see it with Spider-Man in the short film, where Miles has a trusted confidante. He is able to take a walk with his dad and express what he’s going through. We can all learn from that – how important it is to reach out to someone, express your true emotions, speak your truth and not hold everything inside.”

“The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” debuted at Annecy in 2023 and was developed and produced in the inaugural year of Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Leading and Empowering New Storytellers (LENS) program, a nine-month leadership training program that provides candidates from underrepresented groups with an opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience in animation. The final deliverable of the program is an all-original short film, set in the existing world of a feature produced by Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks.

“The Spider Within: “A Spider-Verse Story” is written by Khaila Amazan, and produced by LENS program creators Michelle Raimo-Kouyate and David Schulenburg. Rounding out the LENS team are Clara Chan who served as vfx supervisor and Joe Darko who served as animation supervisor.

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