Andy Serkis is one of the main candidates to direct Venom 2.
The Black Panther and Star Wars actor has some stiff competition for the job, though, as Bumblebee’s Travis Knight and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Rupert Wyatt are also vying to oversee the film, too.
According to Variety, Serkis, Knight and Wyatt have just held preliminary meetings with the studio, and neither of them are currently regarded as the front-runner.
Serkis has recently moved into directing, making his debut with the 2017 drama Breathe, starring Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield, which was then followed by Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle.
However Serkis has plenty of experience working on huge films. Not only did he rise to prominence because of his performance as Gollum in Lord Of The Rings, but he also worked as the second unit director on The Hobbit’s An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation Of Smaug, and The Battle Of The Five Armies.
Cast member Tom Hardy attends the premiere for the movie “Venom” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 1, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Venom was a surprising smash hit for Sony when it was released last October.
Sure, the studio expected it do well, but that hope was dampened when it was savaged by critics, as it amassed just 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences were far from put off by this response, as they saw it in droves. So much so that it went on to gross over £691 million ($856.1 million) at the box office.
Read more: Tom Hardy confirmed for Venom 2
Venom’s original director Ruben Fletcher is too busy working on Zombieland 2: Double Tap to helm the follow-up, which Sony want to shoot in the fall.
Venom 2 is reportedly aiming for an October, 2020, release date, which makes sense as that it when its predecessor hit cinemas.
