One of the biggest surprise hits of 2018 was “Venom” from Sony Pictures. The character of Venom was created in 1987 and quickly became one of Spider-Man’s most popular villains. Sony acquired the rights to Venom when they bought Spidey’s film rights way back in the 1990s. The film was a smash. It earned more than $850 million at the global box office. However, it only cost $100 million to make. This is a paltry sum for an action movie that relies very heavily on computer special effects. It was assumed that a sequel would be made based on the amount of profit that the first film generated. Also, there was a teaser at the end of the film which set up a sequel by introducing Woody Harrelson playing the character Carnage.
A sequel was officially announced by Sony, to the surprise of nobody. However, the studio quickly announced that it was looking for a new director to helm the second installment. Sony eventually settled on Andy Serkis. He is renowned for his performance as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Serkis has let it be known that he has wanted to direct a movie for a long time. Now he will get the chance to do that on a very grand stage. He confirmed his hiring for the “Venom” sequel by putting out a post on Twitter.
Sony wants the sequel to be made quickly. They want it to be released while the fan interest in the first film is still very high. The studio is hoping that it develops into a franchise that will last for many years. They are also working on another movie based on a popular Spidey villain. “Morbius” will be released next year. It will feature Morbius, the Living Vampire. He is a scientist who turns himself into a vampire.
Andy Serkis had a role in the “Black Panther” movie. Therefore, he is no stranger to Marvel films. It was rumored for the past few weeks that Serkis was in serious consideration for the “Venom” sequel directing job. These rumors were only heightened by the fact that Tom Hardy, the film’s star, posted a message on Twitter that led people to believe that Serkis has officially been hired to direct. This turned out to be true. Now it will be up to Serkis to make a film that builds on the excitement created by the original.
