It looks like it’s finally happening. After a decade in development hell – the project began life as an ill-fated spinoff of ‘Spider-Man 3’ – ‘Venom‘ is finally getting a movie. The film, which stars Tom Hardy in the lead role and is said to be heavily influenced by the ‘Lethal Protector’ and ‘Planet of the Symbiotes’ storylines began filming in October after years of false starts. But despite the fact that it’s already gone before the cameras, not all of the pieces are in place, as the film’s casting process is ongoing.
The latest casting development, per the Hollywood Reporter, is the potential involvement of Woody Harrelson. It is unknown what Harrelson’s role would be, though that’s hardly unusual for this film. If Harrelson does join the production, it will mark a reunion of sorts, as Harrelson previously collaborated with director Ruben Fleischer on ‘Zombieland’ back in 2009.
Any connection between ‘Venom’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is ambiguous at present. While Marvel Studios is not involved and has no apparent plans to integrate it into the MCU, Sony (or at the very least, producer and former Sony head Amy Pascal) does consider it to be set “in the same world” as ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. Given Marvel Studios’ lack of involvement, it’s probably best to take the latter statement with a grain of salt, though you can hardly blame Sony for trying to milk even the most tenuous of connections to the Marvel machine for all they’re worth.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, ‘Venom’ stars Tom Hardy as the title character and features an ensemble cast that includes Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, and Jenny Slate in as-yet-unspecified roles. The film is slated for release on October 5, 2018. Woody Harrelson will also be appearing in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ when it bows in May.
