Venom (2018 film)

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Venom

Theatrical release poster

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

 Avi Arad
Produced by
 Matt Tolmach
 Amy Pascal

Screenplay by  Jeff Pinkner

 Scott Rosenberg
 Kelly Marcel

Story by  Jeff Pinkner

 Scott Rosenberg

Based on Venom
by

 Todd McFarlane
  David Michelinie

Starring  Tom Hardy

 Michelle Williams
 Riz Ahmed
 Scott Haze
 Reid Scott

Music by Ludwig Göransson

Cinematography Matthew Libatique

Edited by  Maryann Brandon

 Alan Baumgarten

Production  Columbia Pictures

company
 Marvel Entertainment
 Tencent Pictures
 Arad Productions[1]
 Matt Tolmach Productions[1]
 Pascal Pictures[1]

Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing

Release date  October 1, 2018 (Regency Village Theater)

 October 5, 2018 (United States)

Running time 112 minutes[2]

Country United States

Language English

Budget $100–116 million[3]

Box office $856.1 million[4]

Venom is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same
name, produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel[5] and Tencent Pictures. Distributed
by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the first film in Sony's Marvel Universe. Directed by Ruben
Fleischer from a screenplay by Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, and Kelly Marcel, it stars Tom
Hardy as Eddie Brock / Venom, alongside Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, and Reid
Scott. In Venom, journalist Brock gains superpowers after being bound to an alien symbiote whose
species plans to invade Earth.
After Venom appeared in Spider-Man 3 (2007), Sony attempted to develop a spin-off film based on
the character. Work began in March 2016 on a new version that would start a new shared
 universe featuring the Marvel characters that the studio possessed film rights to. Sony also intended
for Venom to share the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),
but ultimately distanced the film from Spider-Man. In March 2017, Rosenberg and Pinkner were set
to write, with Fleischer and Hardy added in May. Filming took place from that October to January
2018, in Atlanta, New York City, and San Francisco. The film was primarily inspired by the comic
book miniseries Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) and the story arc "Planet of the Symbiotes" (1995).
Venom was released in the United States on October 5, 2018. It received generally negative reviews
from critics for its script and lack of connection to Spider-Man, though Hardy's performance received
some praise. However, the film was a box office success, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing
film of 2018, with over $856 million worldwide, and set several box office records for an October
release. A sequel, Venom 2, is set to be released on October 2, 2020.

Contents

 1Plot
 2Cast
 3Production
o 3.1Development
o 3.2Pre-production
o 3.3Filming
o 3.4Post-production
 4Music
 5Marketing
 6Release
o 6.1Theatrical
o 6.2Home media
 7Reception
o 7.1Box office
o 7.2Critical response
o 7.3Audience response
o 7.4Accolades
 8Sequel
 9References
 10External links

Plot
While exploring space for new habitable worlds, a probe belonging to the bio-engineering
corporation Life Foundation discovers a comet covered in symbiotic lifeforms. The probe returns to
Earth with four samples, but one escapes and causes the ship to crash in Malaysia. The Life
Foundation recovers the other three and transports them to their research facility in San Francisco,
where they discover that the symbiotes cannot survive without oxygen-breathing hosts, which often
fatally reject the symbiosis. Investigative journalist Eddie Brock reads about these human trials in a
classified document in the possession of his fiancée Anne Weying, an attorney preparing a lawsuit
defense for the Life Foundation. Brock confronts Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake about the trials,
leading to both Brock and Weying losing their jobs. Consequently, Weying ends their relationship.
Six months later, Drake's symbiosis trials are closer to success, though one of his symbiotes dies
due to carelessness. Brock is approached by Dora Skirth, one of Drake's scientists who disagrees
with his methods and wants to expose him. She helps Brock break into the research facility to
search for evidence, and he learns that an acquaintance of his, a homeless woman named Maria, is
one of the test subjects. Brock attempts to rescue Maria, but the symbiote possessing her transfers
to his body without him realizing, leaving her dead. Brock escapes and soon begins displaying
strange symptoms. He reaches out to Weying for help, and her new boyfriend, Dr. Dan Lewis,
discovers the symbiote on examining Brock. Drake exposes Skirth to the remaining captive
symbiote, killing both. This leaves the symbiote inside Brock as the only known surviving specimen.
Drake sends mercenaries to retrieve the symbiote from Brock, but it manifests around his body as a
monstrous creature that fights off the attackers. It later introduces itself to Brock as Venom, and
explains that the comet is searching for planets where the symbiotes can possess and devour the
inhabitants. Venom offers to spare Brock if he helps the symbiotes achieve their goal, and Brock
comes to enjoy the superhuman attributes that the symbiote imbues him with. Brock breaks into his
old workplace to turn in evidence of Drake's crimes, but is surrounded by SWAT officers and is
forced to transform to escape. Weying witnesses this transformation and takes Brock back to Lewis's
office, where they explain that the symbiote is slowly rotting Brock's internal organs. Brock notes that
the symbiote has two weaknesses: high-pitched noises and fire. Although Venom claims that the
organ damage can be prevented, Weying uses an MRI machine to help Brock separate from the
symbiote. Brock is then captured by Drake's men.
Meanwhile, the fourth symbiote, Riot, makes its way from Malaysia to San Francisco by hopping
from body to body. It bonds with Drake, who agrees to take Riot in a Life Foundation space probe to
collect the rest of the symbiotes and bring them to Earth. Weying reluctantly bonds with Venom so
they can free Brock. When Brock and Venom are bonded again, the latter states that he has been
convinced to help protect the Earth from his kind through his interactions with Brock, and the pair
attempt to stop Riot and Drake with Weying's help. Venom damages the probe as it takes off,
causing it to explode and kill both Riot and Drake. Weying believes Brock is no longer bonded to
Venom after this, and that Venom also died in the explosion. However, the pair remain secretly
bonded and set out to protect San Francisco by killing criminals.
Brock also returns to journalism, and in a mid-credits scene, he is invited to interview incarcerated
serial killer Cletus Kasady, who promises "carnage" when he escapes.