A sequel to 2018’s Venom has been in the gestation stage since the comic book spin-off became a semi-surprise smash, defying expectations that it was too weird (or simply not good) to make Aquaman money. But it did make Aquaman money (or near to it), so Sony — who has nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe owned by Disney — is doubling down for part two, even, as per Variety, hopefully bringing back one of the writers from the original.
Her name is Kelly Marcel, and she’s one of Hollywood’s current go-to screenwriters, with credits on the Mary Poppins behind-the-scenes drama Saving Mr. Banks, the first Fifty Shades of Grey, plus a forthcoming film about Elvis and Emma Stone’s planned punk-rock Cruella de Vil movie. Marcel was part of the army of scribes tasked with giving Venom — one of the three antagonists of Spider-Man 3, played by Tom Hardy — his own renegade reboot/origin story.
Venom wound up nabbing a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it also scored $855 million at the global box office, and money doesn’t lie. Pre-production is still in the larval stage, but Michelle Williams is expected to return, and Woody Harrelson has been courted to play Carnage, the villain who will fight the film’s own villain-ish anti-hero.
One person not returning is Ruben Fleischer, who helmed the first Venom, as well as Zombieland. That film also starred Harrelson, so the actor and director will be like two ships passing in the sea. Meanwhile, Marcel and whoever else joins her in the writers room can always take the Venom sequel advice of Uproxx writer Mike Ryan.
(Via Variety)