Andy Serkis Talks About Tom Hardy Asking Him To Direct VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE
When it was announced that Andy Serkis would be directing the Venom sequel, I wasn’t so sure about the choice. His two biggest feature films to date include Breathe and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, both of which were mediocre films. But, Tom Hardy saw potential in the filmmaker and asked him to come in and direct Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
When talking about why he thought Serkis was the right director for the job, Hardy shared, "Andy has spent years in front of the camera as well as behind it. He's done performance capture and animation, and he understands story and nuance and vocal landscapes. He's a great actor, a great director, and a decent man too. He was perfect to direct this and has done an amazing job."
Serkis went on to share his thoughts on being asked to direct the film, saying, "I thought Tom gave an extraordinary performance [in Venom]. It was right in my wheelhouse – creating characters using CG. When Tom gave me a call out of the blue, saying he thought it would be great if I directed the sequel and asking me to come on board, I think it was because he wanted a director who would be capable of safeguarding his performance, translating it into a visual-effects realm, with some degree of authority from experience with that."
The director went on to say, "We had been circling each other as actors for so many years, and it was wonderful to finally get the chance to work with Tom."
Now, we just have to wait and see if their collaboration paid off and see if they actually end up delivering a great sequel to Venom. One thing is for sure, Hardy led the charge on this project. Writer Kelly Marcel talked about Hardy’s creative force behind the movie, saying, "Tom is a creative force with a brilliant mind for generating ideas, so collaborating with him on the story for Venom: Let There Be Carnage was a really fun and exciting time where anything felt possible for these characters that we have grown so fond of. Tom worked tirelessly to bring this story to life both in development and on set. We all know how talented he is onscreen, but I'm very excited for people to get to see how brilliant he is offscreen as well."
Hardy will be joined by Michelle Williams, Reid Scott, and Peggy Lu. It will also feature Woody Harrelson as the maniacal serial killer Cletus Kasady/Carnage, Naomie Harris as Frances Barrison/Shriek, and Stephen Graham as Detective Mulligan.
The movie was recently slapped with a PG-13 rating for “intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material, and suggestive references.” It will hit theaters on October 1st.
Do you think Andy Serkis is going to end up delivering a great Venom film?