Here's Venom!

Sandai Mera

_Sony may bite on Spidey spinoff
Thursday July 31 2:44 AM ET

With Heath Ledger's villainous Joker drawing attention and box office dollars, Sony is moving forward with "Venom," a potential "Spider-Man" spinoff based on a bad guy.

The studio is developing the project, based on the gooey nemesis who appeared in 2007's "Spider-Man 3" and is hoping the character could serve as an antidote to the aging "Spider-Man" franchise just as Fox has used Wolverine to add longevity to its "X-Men" franchise.

But getting any spinoff off the ground, let alone one centered on a villain, can be tricky.

The studio had commissioned a draft of the script from Jacob Estes, a writer of the specialty film "Mean Creek," released several years ago by Paramount Classics. But the studio is considering going in a different direction from Estes' script and is seeking writers for a new draft.

Casting also is no simple matter. Topher Grace of "That '70s Show" fame played the character in the film, but Sony is not yet convinced the actor can carry a big "tentpole" picture.

Neither Sony nor Marvel would comment for this story.

In "Spider-Man 3," Venom is essentially a parasite that attaches itself to a host via a sticky substance that then gives the host special powers. The fact that it is a substance rather than a character could give Sony leeway to cast a new actor.

"Venom" came about as part of the licensing deal between Marvel and Sony for the Spider-Man movies, which contained provisions allowing for the use of spinoffs based on other Spider-Man characters.

The project is part of a larger feeding frenzy for superhero projects, scores of which have been signed up in the last few months while movies such as "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" light up the box office.

Sony is developing a fourth "Spider-Man" film for 2011, but that picture would come out nine years after the original movie debuted, adding to the studio's desire to see new Marvel characters.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter_

I wonder if this will put to rest all the bitching over Venom not getting enough screentime in Spider-Man 3, probably not.

Tizoc

That's good to hear, hopefully the script will be good.

The_Krab

I wonder if they should use the same actor in Spider-Man 3, or a buff guy like in the original comics. I'm happy if they make him speak in 'We' instead of 'me'.

Zkaiser

Yes, the lack of we in the 3rd movie was disappointing.
"We are Venom!"

King_Ty

As long as it isnt that actor from SM3

captain usopp

i vote more spiderman.

Sandai Mera

Sony is developing a fourth "Spider-Man" film for 2011, but that picture would come out nine years after the original movie debuted, adding to the studio's desire to see new Marvel characters.

Hmmm I wonder how this will turn out?

Mr. Zoro

Well, it (Spider-Man 4)'s going to have Carnage, Black Cat, and The Lizard in it, so I dunno.

This new Venom thing though, sounds ok. I haven't really read the Spider-Man comics, but was there ever another person who was known as Venom besides Eddie Brock?

Sandai Mera

Yes Mac Gargan (aka Scorpion) is currently the host.

Mr. Zoro

Ah, I see.

Speaking of Scorpion, I remember his appearance in the first movie-based game. After you fight him, Spidey said "I have a feeling that's not the last time I'll see him", but Spidey never saw him again. What was up with that?

Sandai Mera

@Mr.:

Ah, I see.

Speaking of Scorpion, I remember his appearance in the first movie-based game. After you fight him, Spidey said "I have a feeling that's not the last time I'll see him", but Spidey never saw him again. What was up with that?

I'm assuming they never intended to have Scorpion reappear in another game though they contradicted themselves with Spider-Man 3 the game, though the Scorpion in that game is not the same Scorpion from the first.

Tizoc

….the game is not part of the movie's canon why anyone actually thought that way is beyond me.

Sandai Mera

^ No one was thinking that besides with Spider-Man letting Venom.

captain usopp

@Mr.:

Well, it (Spider-Man 4)'s going to have Carnage, Black Cat, and The Lizard in it, so I dunno.

is that fact or speculation? why do they have to have 3 badguys in every movie. it starts to cramp things.

Tizoc

Black Cat isn't exactly a villian…more like a love interest.

Dragon Warrior Steve

@Tizoc:

Black Cat isn't exactly a villian…more like a love interest.

Hmmm, like Catwoman! That's so coincidental.

McCallum.D.Connor

I heard that they are thinking about bringing out Spiderman 4 & 5 at the same time (near enough) so there should be plenty of screentime to bring venom into play, maybe some Venom/Carnage combos?

Mr. Zoro

@Tizoc:

….the game is not part of the movie's canon why anyone actually thought that way is beyond me.

I didn't say anything about it being part of the movie's canon at all, I was just asking in general. Sorry if I mislead you.

@Dragon:

Hmmm, like Catwoman! That's so coincidental.

Waddya know, another coincidence. Billionare makes gadgets in a cave. Am I talking about Iron Man, or Batman? Ya never know…
(And no one get technical with that, I know the minor flaws...)

@captain:

is that fact or speculation? why do they have to have 3 badguys in every movie. it starts to cramp things.

Fact, there was a reference in the Spider-Man 3 Thread that's buried somewhere in the forums. And I, too, think these multiple villians in movies is starting to get annoying…Unless they can really pull it off, like The Dark Knight.

captain usopp

i think the whole 3 villans in dark knight could have been a little better actually. not that i didn't enjoy the movie

King_Ty

Dark Knight did it good, buster

Zkaiser

Joker, Two-Face,….....?:blink: Who's the Third? (Please don't say scarecrow)

Tizoc

^The Mafia (16 chars)

captain usopp

i thought it was the scarecrow.
the whole 2face thing was still rushed to me, either way. not that i'm booing the movie. I just think the movies would be better if they concentraited more on story, than throwing villains in just to have a lot of villains.

Captain Kuro

wakka wakka spoiler tags

! @captain:
! > I just think the movies would be better if they concentraited more on story, than throwing villains in just to have a lot of villains.
! Nolan doesn't seem the type to use villains just for the sake of using them or just to have a fight scene though. From what I've read about the movie (although I have yet to see it yet), it seems like the use of Two-Face was intended for storyline purposes rather than to just have the character in the movie.
! According to Nolan:
! > "The more you find out about those fictional characters the less threatening they really are. Our decision with The Joker was to not deal with the origin story and to laugh at that convention. We wanted him to be absolutely threatening in what he represents as a force of anarchy and chaos," says Nolan. "That’s really the reason for Harvey Dent's prominence in the film. It's his story that has to provide the emotional backbone of the film. He's the character with an arc, with a rise and fall, who the audience hopefully connects with and follows."
! Or at least that was the intent. I've yet to see the movie, so I'm not sure how well they executed it though.
! EDIT:
At least it's not like the throwaway use of the Bane character in Batman and Robin.

Mr. Zoro

Spoiler tags. People use 'em.

I've seen The Dark Knight, but others haven't, and nothing gets me angrier than when someone ruins a story for me. If you happen to be one of the 4 people that haven't seen the movie yet, stop what your doing and see the movie.
Like, now.

Captain Kuro

@Mr.:

Spoiler tags. People use 'em.

I had considered it for about a second, but either forgot or decided there was no reason to bother since the preceding posts already contained that information.

But okay.

EDIT:

! alfred
-batman's butler, he always has something funny or wise to say