One of the most unexpected successes in the world of comic book movies was 2018’sVenom, which turned aSpider-Mancomics villain into a billion-dollar grossing lead hero. Now, the sequel to the movie is set to release this summer. But the marketing campaign forVenom 2has been strangely quiet so far. In a new interview, the director of the film, Andy Serkis, explained that the state of theaters post-lockdown has put the brakes on the project’s marketing efforts.
“I’m super excited about [the movie]. Again, it’s not something I can particularly talk about right now because we’re saving it for when everybody can go and enjoy it in the cinema. Idon’t want to blow itor talk about it too much before then, but I’ve had a ball working on that film. It’s been great. [It’s] another bunch of brilliant actors, and it’s headed up by another keen SAS man, Tom Hardy [Laughs]. I hope youwon’t feel disappointed. It was a real pleasure working on it… I think that’s the question I get asked more than anything else: ‘When is the Venom trailer coming out?’ [Laughs]”
Considering how the firstVenommade a killing at the box-office, it is understandable that Sony would want to release the sequel in packed theaters as well, which meansVenom: Let There Be Carnagemay very well get delayed again if the situation with empty cinema halls does not improve by summer.
One big question that fans were hoping that the marketing campaign forVenom: Let There Be Carnagewould answer is with regards to the film’s rating. The originalVenommanaged to scrape by with a PG-13 rating, but fans are hoping the sequel will unleash a fully R-rated story with plenty of gore and graphic violence. Back in 2019,Venomproducer, Matt Tolmach acknowledged that the success ofJoker,DeadpoolandLoganhad made the possibility of an R-ratedVenomfilm all the more likely.
“I mean, I think you always have to think about [it], now that that works. Having said that, our movie worked really well. Our franchise exists as it is, and I don’t think anybody is looking to just say, ‘Hey, they [did it]!‘We have a place in the world. So it isn’t like suddenly everybody’s considering what to do with the rating. … I think what Joker does is it tells you that you can succeed. For a very long time, that was the narrative. And Deadpool sort of wrestled that to the turf, and then Logan, but for a long time, that was considered totally forbidden. … So you know, I think it’s the greatest thing in the world that R-rated movies are being embraced by massive audiences. And it just means that there are more opportunities for that kind of storytelling.”
Directed by Andy Serkis,Venom: Let There Be Carnagestars Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, and Stephen Graham. The filmarrives in theaters on June 27, 2025. This arrives fromComicBookMovie.com.
