Get ready for more symbiote shenanigans, as Venom 2 is gearing up to begin filming in November. This is a sequel that entered development almost instantly after Venom hit theaters last year and proved to be a larger hit than anyone expected, offering Sony a major boost in the comic book movie game. Now, they’ve got most of the pieces needed in place and are prepping to begin production, which means before we know it, Tom Hardy will be back as Eddie Brock.
According to a new production listing, Venom 2 will start filming on November 25 and will be shooting under the working title Fillmore. Beyond that, little else has been revealed. What we know for sure is that Andy Serkis has been tapped to direct the sequel. Serkis is known best for his on-screen work as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes movies, but he’s recently transitioned to directing as well, with movies like Breathe and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. This is easily his most high-profile gig to date.
Ruben Fleischer directed the first Venom, but he’s finishing up Zombieland: Double Tap right now and moving right into production on Venom 2 would have been an exhausting undertaking. Aside from Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams has also confirmed her return. The big hook here is that Woody Harrellson will be back as Cletus Kasady, who we got a small glimpse at in the first movie’s post-credit scene. The assumption is that he will become Carnage in the sequel, which will finally bring the beloved Marvel Comics character to the big screen. Another interesting development is that Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson is working on the movie, which adds some prestige to the project.
Related: Venom 2 Officially Locks in Director Andy Serkis
As it stands, Sony hasn’t officially locked down a release date for the sequel. However, they do have an untitled Marvel sequel set for October 2, 2020. With that in mind, it’s presumed this is the date they have in mind for Venom 2. That means the production schedule could be a bit tight if they hope to stick to that date. The studio also has Morbius, which stars Jared Leto, set to arrive on July 31, 2020, which will be the second live-action Spider-Man spin-off in their planned shared universe to hit theaters.
It’s worth mentioning the situation with Spider-Man. Now that Sony is no longer working with Marvel Studios, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is free to crossover with Tom Hardy’s Venom, and it’s highly likely that’s something the studio will want to do sooner rather than later. With that in mind, don’t be surprised to find out that Holland is going to have a cameo, or maybe more, in Venom 2. Granted, that hasn’t been announced and it’s partially speculative, but it makes every bit of business sense in the world. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further information on the project is made available. This news comes to us via Production Weekly.
