Acclaimed actor and motion-capture artist Andy Serkis is being considered to direct the follow-up to 2018’s Venom by Sony Pictures, according to industry reports.
Serkis most recently directed Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle in 2018, a darker adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
The recent development comes in light of Ruben Fleischer, who helmed the first Venom film, dropping out of the second installment.
Upon the rumor first surfacing on the internet, many fans of the extended Spider-Man universe expressed their satisfaction with Serkis being considered for the job, a reflection of his achievements in regards to big-budget Hollywood blockbusters.
Of course, the actor has had a remarkable track record, having been part of the highly-regarded Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes trilogies, in both of which he was amongst the lead ensemble as a fully CGI character, and largely pioneered motion-capture intensive acting for the 21st century and pushed the boundaries of cinematic special effects with his essential portrayals.
Starring Tom Hardy, 2018’s Venom released to less than enthusiastic critical responses, though the film still garnered positive plaudits with audiences, eventually going on an unexpectedly strong box-office run and grossing more than $800 million worldwide, and even reinvigorating Sony’s plans for a Sinister Six film in the process.
Hardy has since been confirmed to be back for part-two by Amy Pascal, and the script will be written by Kelly Marcel, one that’s also expected to provide center-stage to the beloved Woody Harrelson, who appeared as the supervillain Carnage during the mid-credits of Venom.
Though no official confirmation has come as of yet, Venom 2 is expected to start principal photography sometime this year and release around Autumn or Winter 2020.