'Venom' coming back for a sequel, will likely face Carnage

Hide the lobsters, Venom is coming back for seconds.

A follow-up to the comic-book blockbuster starring Tom Hardy is in the works, according to Variety, with Sony bringing back writer Kelly Marcel to pen the sequel script and act as executive producer.

Tom Hardy is expected to be back in the title role for <em>Venom</em> sequel. (Photo: Sony Picturesl)
Tom Hardy is expected to be back in the title role for Venom sequel. (Photo: Sony Picturesl)

While the studio has declined to comment on the news, it was perhaps not unlikely that a second movie would be in the offing.

Though critics mostly panned the Marvel movie, it ended up doing scorching business both in the U.S. and abroad. In all, Venom brought in a staggering $855 million, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2018. The movie was bolstered by a monstrous $111 million opening in China alone, Sony’s biggest ever in the emerging market.

Watch: Venom creator Todd McFarlane responds to critics:

Tom Hardy is contracted to return as Eddie Brock, the reporter whose run-in with an alien symbiote leaves him with a dual super-powered personality. As hinted at in the mid-credits scene, the sequel will likely find Venom facing off against archnemesis Carnage, whose human alter ego, serial killer Cletus Kasady, will be played by Woody Harrelson. Michelle Williams is also set to reprise her role as Brock’s love interest, Anne Weying.

However, it’s not clear whether director Reuben Fleischer will be returning; he’s slated to helm his long-awaited Zombieland sequel, which might impact his availibility for Venom 2.

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