The first rule of the Venom sequel is “No Eating People.”
That’s the opening note in the first trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony Pictures’ follow-up to the surprisingly entertaining 2018 film that introduced Tom Hardy as rogue journalist Eddie Brock, who becomes the reluctant host of the eternally hungry, violence-prone alien symbiote Venom.
Scheduled to hit theaters — and only in theaters — in September, Venom: Let There Be Carnage brings Hardy back as Eddie, who has apparently reached some sort of domestic détente with Venom since the events of the first film. The opening scene of the trailer features Venom messily preparing breakfast for Eddie while singing along to Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off — a very on-the-nose ode to the coexistence of two conflicting personalities.
Directed by Andy Serkis (yes, that Andy Serkis), Venom: Let There Be Carnage pits Eddie and Venom against yet another symbiote-enhanced villain, with Woody Harrelson reprising his Venom post-credits debut as serial killer Cletus Kasady. The film draws inspiration from Marvel Comics’ Maximum Carnage story arc, which has Venom attempt to stop the murderous rampage of Carnage, a symbiote who bonded with Cletus and gave the already psychotic murderer a significant power upgrade.
Much like the story in the comics, the film reportedly has Carnage recruit the powerful, unstable villain Shriek to join him in his killing spree, with Naomie Harris portraying the subject of Cletus’ twisted romantic obsession. Harris can be seen in the trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, too.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage was initially scheduled to premiere in October 2020, but was one of many high-profile films to have its release date pushed back due to widespread theater closures as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Unlike some of those films, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is betting on a full reopening of theaters by September. The trailer indicates it will only be available to audiences willing to risk a trip to the local cineplex to see it, as opposed to offering a streaming option for movie fans in regions with higher coronavirus risk or questionable COVID-19 safety measures in place.
