It seems like Sony Pictures is putting the wheels in motion for a sequel to Venom, although they might not be able to avail the services of original director Ruben Fleischer for the project.
After Venom had made a whopping $855 million at the worldwide box office from a production budget of merely $100 million, there was no way Sony would have refrained from doing a sequel. And now, Variety is reporting that a sequel to the critically-bashed but commercially-successful superhero movie is indeed in the works.
The studio has brought in Kelly Marcel, who shared the writing credits for the original movie with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, to pen the follow-up's script. According to sources close to the negotiation, the screenwriter is receiving a significantly bigger paycheck for the sequel. She is also getting an executive producer credit this time around.
The trade suggests that leading pair Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams will reprise their roles of Eddie Brock and Anne Weying in Venom 2. Woody Harrelson, who made a post-credits cameo as Cletus Kasady in the original movie, will return as well. We can expect to see him in his symbiotic form of Carnage in the sequel.
Although Ruben Fleischer previously seemed quite enthusiastic about potential sequels, Variety casts doubt on his return. Insiders insist that the director's involvement with the upcoming Zombieland sequel is likely to stand in his way. As a result, the studio might end up hiring a different director for Eddie Brock's second solo outing.
Although Sony is yet to officially say a word about Venom 2, the project is speculated arrive in theaters on October 2, 2020. A few months ago, the studio allotted the particular release date for an untitled Marvel sequel.
