You heard us right, Spidey isn’t the only Sony/Marvel character that can undergo a reboot.
He’s one of the most famous super-villains in comic literature and yet movie-goers have only seen Venom for about twenty minutes when producers tried to squeeze his character into Spider-Man 3. We all know how that turned out. Now, according to an LATimes report, director Josh Trank (Chronicle has been contacted about directing the character reboot that has been in Hollywood since 2008 (before The Amazing Spider-Man was even greenlit).
The studio is negotiating with Josh Trank, the hot director of this winter’s found-footage hit “Chronicle,” to take the reins of the Spidey spin-off, said a person familiar with the project who was not authorized to talk about it publicly. Sony was not immediately available for comment.
The film would center on the gooey villain who was a mainstay of the Marvel comics and was a nemesis, incarnated by Topher Grace, in the third “Spider-Man” picture in 2007. (The character attaches himself to a human host and becomes as powerful as the web-slinging superhero.)
A Venom film has been long-gestating at the studio, dating back at least to 2008 and preceding plans for this summer’s Marc Webb-Andrew Garfield take on the character. Gary Ross negotiated to direct a Venom film back in 2009 but moved on to other projects, including the upcoming “Hunger Games.”
Jacob Estes (“The Details”) wrote a draft of a “Venom” script several years ago, but producers are seeking a new writer, said the source. (The Ross version was to craft Venom as less a villain than an antihero.) The film also would be seeking a new actor; Grace is not expected to reprise the role.
So what do you think? Should Venom be treated as a villain or an anti-hero? Are you excited to see Sony gearing up for what certainly looks like an Avengers style crossover between the films? Are you excited to see another take on the villain? Who should play him in this adaptation?