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Enriching or irritating? Spider-Noir turns Spider Universe black and white

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CitrixNews Staff
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Enriching or irritating? Spider-Noir turns Spider Universe black and white
Enriching or irritating? Spider-Noir turns Spider Universe black and white43 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePeter GillibrandandManish Pandey,BBC NewsbeatPrime A black and white image of a character called The Spider, wearing a round hat and mask, with a leather jacket, with a white spotlight above him.PrimeSpider-Noir follows the journey of vigilante The Spider

The world's arguably most well-known everyday superhero is best recognised for his colourful blue and red suit.

But it's less Spider-Man and more Spider-Noir in an alternate universe spin-off which has taken a slightly darker turn.

The live-action series is based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, telling the story of Ben Reilly - a hardened private investigator in 1930s New York, played by Nicolas Cage.

And unlike most things you watch these days, viewers of the Prime Video show have the option of watching either in colour or black and white.

The drama is thought to be an homage to the film noir style - a hallmark in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s, with its shadowy looks and gritty plots.

Karen Rodriguez, who plays loyal secretary Janet, feels the black and white presentation "enriches the storytelling".

"We're playing with good and bad, heroes and villains. So who's in the shadows, who's in the light?"

"This kind of world that feels dark and anybody could walk in at any point. And there's a mystery to that, there's danger to it," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Aaron Epstein/Prime Character of Ben Reilly on the left wearing a brown waistcoat and maroon tie on a shirt, holding a magnifying glass, with his loyal secretary Janet, wearing a red top, looking at Reilly.Aaron Epstein/PrimeNicolas Cage stars as private investigator Ben Reilly, with Karen Rodriguez playing the role of Janet

In the show, Nicolas Cage's character is a former vigilante known as The Spider, who is working through issues from his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city's only superhero.

For Lamorne Morris, who plays journalist Robbie Roberston, the experience of creating for black and white has been "unreal".

"Our performance doesn't necessarily change much," he tells Newsbeat.

But there are specific considerations on set.

"There are moments when you're doing a scene and they might stop because your pocket square looks a lot better in black and white."

Reviews for the show have been largely positive, with Empire describing it as "an utterly insane stew that somehow makes perfect sense".

Screen Rant suggests black and white helps "the show's noir aesthetic".

But there has also been some criticism, with The Hollywood Reporter calling the options of cinematography "at the very least, irritating", adding that it being "optimised for both colour and black and white means it hasn't really been optimised for anything".

And with audiences used to watching colourful, attention-grabbing content, will a black and white option actually have any impact?

Morris hopes so.

"That's the plan. When you have one arm stretched into this world of the comic book franchise that is so loved.

"And you put that in black and white, hopefully the younger folks can really find a love for the old films, and go back and take a deep dive themselves.

"So that's part of the goal here," he says.

Cage has also previously said he hopes the black and white option will engage younger people who might be less familiar with that style.

Aaron Epstein/Prime A black and white image of the character of Robbie Robertson, wearing a hat and holding both hands out while in a crowd of people, who are behind him, and being held back by police. Aaron Epstein/PrimeLamorne Morris plays Robbie Robertson - editor of the Daily Bugle newspaper

Film student Alice Garland is a fan of the noir aesthetic, and she feels the option is a "great way" to bring in newer audiences.

The 22-year-old from Fife accepts that sometimes black and white shoots can feel "pretentious and tacky", but from watching the trailer, Spider-Noir feels different.

She tells Newsbeat that it gives a more "fatalism" vibe, adding the series "is being so open about being such an homage to film noir".

"I think it will definitely be a really fun difference [with the colour]."

And some of the cast make the point that it's not just in the visuals where there is a difference.

Aaron Epstein/Prime The character of Cat Hardy, a woman wearing a cream coloured hat and top with light red patterns. Behind her is the character of Bill Reilly, wearing a dark coat, tie and white shirt.Aaron Epstein/PrimeLi Jun Li feels colour and black and white provide something different to the audience

Li Jun Li who plays singer Cat Hardy, thinks from the perspective of the writing, it's created a "whole new way" of doing things.

"It's sort of like Spider-Man for adults in a sense," says Li.

"We are seeing a side of the story where they're not all just villains.

"They are nuanced characters with much more complex backstories and anti-heroes that we are seeing for the first time," she adds.

Abraham Popoola, who plays villain Tombstone, agrees and feels black and white gives the show "a gravitas".

"A sort of more dramatic, serious energy.

"As a fan of the comic books, you're so used to the character being a kid who's trying to find his way.

"To find a grounded, older version... an homage to all the noir movies of the past, it feels super exciting," he says.

All eight episodes of Spider-Noir are available to watch on Prime Video from 27 May.

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Originally reported by BBC News