In July 2020, during the height of the pandemic, and after 3 months of waiting for the green light, I began work on the 3rd MCU Spiderman film, No Way Home.  The budget for this film was set at $250 million.   Production design by Darren Gilford and Supervising Art Direction by Dave Scott.  During work on this production, we were tested, sometimes daily for Covid, and sustained an attrition rate of 15 to 18 percent on any given day, of people that were either sick or were being quarantined for exposure.

Below are some shots from the final film:

For my part, I had to recreate Midtown High School, which had already been shot in two films, on location in NYC.  The actual high school that was used was now covered in scaffolding due to renovations that had been halted during the COVID-19 shut downs.  A local art director was able to sneak out to the location and get measurements with photos sent from her phone.  Using that, and stills from the movies, I was able to get a set designed in less than a week.

Lola’s house in Spider-Man: No Way Home is a cozy, lived-in Filipino-American home that radiates warmth and authenticity, becoming the unexpected stage for one of the film’s most memorable scenes.  Every detail was attended to by veteran Art Director Sam Avila—from the patterned couch covers to the religious iconography, framed family photos, and kitchen trinkets—it all felt genuine, telling a story of heritage and generational pride that was a reflection of the character.

Here is the set on the day of shooting.  Set Decorator Rosemary Brandenburg and her team did an incredible job with the final details.  Photo is courtesy of Sam Avila.

Below is the paint elevation and finish schedule for the final set design.  This was composited by Sam over my construction drawings.  Image is courtesy of Sam Avila.