Just hours after the SAG-AFTRA strike reached a resolution, Sony Pictures is the first major studio to make a move, officially pushing Tom Hardy's Venom 3 from next summer to November 8, 2024 - where it has indeed secured a release in IMAX and on premium large format screens.
Deadline adds that Sony is hoping to get production restarted very soon, possibly even by the end of this week, so it seems probable that we'll be getting some major casting announcements fairly soon, especially since Hardy is the only listed cast member thus far.
That date had already been booked for a Marvel/Sony release, so the studio won't be doing any additional reshuffling, but, for the time being, it sure looks like Sony will be releasing three Marvel films next year with S. J. Clarkson's Madame Web arriving on February 14, 2024; J. C. Chandor's Kraven the Hunter set to roar into theaters on August 30, 2024; and Kelly Marcel's aforementioned Venom 3 in November.
In addition to directing, Marcel also co-wrote the feature with star/producer Tom Hardy, who reprises his fan-favorite role for the fourth time, following Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Meanwhile, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy, and Hutch Parker are attached as producers.
While not exactly critical darlings, the Venom films have proved to be exceedingly popular at the global box office. The first film grossed over $856 million worldwide ($213.5M domestic; $642.5M foreign) in 2018, while the better-received sequel grossed over $506.8 million globally ($213.5M domestic; $293.3M foreign) in 2021, although the latter was significantly affected by a still recovering post-pandemic theatrical landscape.
Looking ahead, Venom 3 will now open opposite James Hawes' The Amateur starring Rami Malek, and a week ahead of Barry Levinson's Alto Knights starring Robert De Niro. However, it won't likely face any major competition until later than month when Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2 opens on November 22.
The only undated film on Sony's upcoming superhero release calendar is the hotly-awaited Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which rumors have suggested may not actually arrive until sometime in 2025. Sony has already booked June 27, 2025 for an untitled Marvel/Sony film, so it seems probably that Beyond the Spider-Verse could land there, although many are also holding out hope that the June 2025 date was actually reserved for an untitled fourth Spidey solo adventure for Tom Holland.