The Spider-world has been doing well for Sony of late, between the Oscar-scoring success of Into The Spider-Verse and the billion-dollar gross to date of Far From Home. So the studio naturally doesn't want to let Venom's sequel linger, and it is closing in on a potential director, with Andy Serkis, Bumblebee's Travis Knight and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Rupert Wyatt all taking meetings for the job.
Variety is quick to point out that none of the trio are the front-runner for the gig just yet, but they're certainly in contention to replace Ruben Fleischer, who handled the first film but is busy editing Zombieland: Double Tap, due out this autumn. Sony is looking for the Venom sequel to be shooting later this year, with Tom Hardy back as down-on-his luck journalist Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote that imbues him with powers, turning him into a dangerous anti-hero.
While the first film's reviews weren't exactly glowing, it did find success at the box office, and all signs point to Sony clearing space in October next year for its release. Kelly Marcel wrote the script, but there aren't any details of where the story will go next, despite hints at the end of the original featuring Woody Harrelson as serial killer Cletus Kasady, who is known in the comics as the villain Carnage.
We'll have to wait and see who will end up wrangling Venom back on to our screens, but it'll be preceded by Morbius, starring Jared Leto and due on 31 July next year