VENOM Does Not Have A Director, But Does Have A Script From JUMANJI & THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Scribes
Despite conflicting reports, Sony's Spider-Man spinoff Venom does not have a director attached, but it does have a pair of writers who recently turned in a draft of the script. Come take a look!
Sony Pictures threw everyone for a loop this past week when they announced an October 5, 2018 release date for their long-rumored Spider-Man spin-off Venom and shortly afterward, we received a couple more details about the wildcard project.
First off, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film does not have a director attached just yet, which means it's probably unlikely that The Mummy helmer Alex Kurtzman - who has been attached to Venom since late-2013 - will, in fact, be tasked with bringing this project to life. Also, with Kurtzman's commitments to the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe now taking precedence, it was always somewhat of a long shot that he would return to the Spider-Man franchise.
Now, while the search for a director rages on, Venom does have a completed script from Scott Rosenberg, who recently worked on the script for Dwayne Johnson's upcoming Jumanji reboot, and Jeff Pinkner, who made contributions to the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. A previous draft was also turned in by Alien: Covenant scribe Dante Harper.
Further details revealed that Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are still onboard as producers, which unfortunately suggests that this spin-off will be more of the standalone nature rather than another Spidey-universe installment in the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe, although that is always subject to change. Amy Pascal, who co-produced Spider-Man: Homecoming, is also listed as a producer on Venom.
THR adds that Sony is hoping to launch a new franchise with Venom, presumably in the same vein as what Fox has been able to accomplish with Deadpool.
To provide some perspective, this isn't the first time Sony has seemingly jumped the gun on setting a release date, as just last December, they slated a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel for July 2019, nearly eight months ahead of the first one's release. Marvel Studios made no announcement at the time and even today, has yet to acknowledge said sequel as the official launching off point for Phase 4, despite the timing of its release after the still-untitled Avengers 4 making it an almost certainty.
So, even though Sony's development of Venom is more or less the polar opposite of how Marvel Studios tends to operate, there is always a chance - however, small it may be - that Venom could ultimately join Tom Holland's Peter Parker in the MCU.
So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!