Venom is a great case for why it’s sometimes a bad idea to tune up on a film for six months before you see it. Yes it looked ridiculous and silly and ill-advised, but then the movie came out and was surprisingly watchable and weird and fun. Still ill-advised perhaps, but more a lovable misfit than a soulless product by committee (even if it kind of was a soulless product by committee in nature).
A big part of that was due to Tom Hardy, who embraced the film’s dual role far more than it probably deserved and elevated it into something special. Obviously, Hardy will return for the sequel but it looks like his involvement will not be limited to just acting.
At a TCA panel, new Venom 2 director Andy Serkis briefly discussed the film and offered this very choice quote (from /Film):
“Tom is very involved with the writing with Kelly Marcel of the new story, so it’s very much centered around their take,” Serkis said.
Yes yes yes. Tom Hardy is getting in there from the ground up, helping to shape the story, hopefully making it weirder with every suggestion (“More lobster tanks, please”). I also hope this means a deeper exploration of the love story between Venom and Eddie Brock.
So, yeah, this is good news. We were all very surprised by Venom last year and hope its good qualities weren’t some accident that can’t be seized in the sequel. With Hardy helping behind the scenes, I’m feeling optimistic about its chances.