Spider-Man: No Way Home Director Jon Watts Was Worried They Wouldn't Finish the Movie Because of COVID-19

By Adam Barnhardt

Spider-Man: No Way Home began filming after the world had already plunged into a global pandemic, and it's because of COVID-19 Spidey helmer Jon Watts didn't think the film would ever get produced. Watts and his team started working on the pre-production pieces of the film—writing, storyboards, and previz—a few months before the pandemic started to spread. Once it reached the United States in March 2020, however, Watts was concerned about the movie's status.

"There was a question 'Will there ever be movies again?' There was a feeling that the whole filmmaking experience was in jeopardy," Watts said in a recent chat with Variety.

He went on to add that the first day of filming some 10 months later was different than anything he's ever experienced while making movies in Hollywood.

 "The first day was completely different from the first day of any film I'll ever be on, because of the situation. So to be on the set and working, I felt deep gratitude. I think everyone else also felt that gratitude and I hope that comes across," Watts added. "Before COVID, we planned a big New York location shoot with tons of extras. That became impossible. Even the most basic shot, of Peter Parker walking down the street, became a multilayered VFX shot."

The cast, however, made it all worth it.

"I was surrounded by incredible, award-winning actors every day. I love working with actors: It's nice to be talking with people who have thought about the characters and the scenes at least as much as I have. Everyone was at the top of their game," the filmmaker concluded.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now in theaters.

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