A new report comes out revealing there are talks of Sony electing to delay Venom: Let There Be Carnage's release date amidst Delta variant spikes. The sequel to the 2018 box office hit will see Tom Hardy return as Eddie Brock, the human host to the titular alien symbiote, as he attempts to revitalize his journalistic career while also acting as a lethal vigilante. After attempting to interview serial killer Cletus Kasady, a failed execution finds Kasady become the host to the dangerous symbiote Carnage and go on a murderous rampage through San Francisco.
Woody Harrelson returns as Kasady after making a cameo appearance in the post-credits of the first Venom, with Michelle Williams, Reid Scott and Peggy Lu also reprising their original roles. Venom: Let There Be Carnage will also mark the cinematic debut of Kasady's love interest and super-powered villain Shriek, portrayed by Oscar nominee Naomie Harris. Though having wrapped production early last year and slated for an October 2020 release, the sequel has seen its release delayed numerous times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, even as recently as being pushed back from September to October, and it now appears this may not be the final stop for the film.
As Delta variant spikes has resulted in studios once again reevaluating their release schedules, The Hollywood Reporter has put out a new analysis of what tentpole properties may see further delays in the near future. One such film is Sony's Venom: Let There Be Carnage, with buzz reportedly going around that the studio will once again postpone the release for the film. However, at the time of writing, no confirmation has been given from Sony that the superhero film won't make its current October release date.
Even as vaccines have gone out and some films, including F9: The Fast Saga and Free Guy, have seen box office success, the recent Delta variant spikes have put many audiences and studios on edge about the theater-going experience. Despite much anticipation for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and the film receiving critical acclaim, it has seen underwhelming numbers at the box office in its first two weeks of release, having only grossed $118 million thus far against its $185 million budget and falling 71 percent in its second weekend to a fourth place tally of just $7.5 million. While no specific number has been announced yet for the budget of the Venom sequel, the first sat at an estimated $116 million and had a break-even point of $450 million, likely instituting concern from Sony about the box office numbers for the follow-up as much as the safety of its audience.
Given Sony recently announced selling off the final Hotel Transylvania film to Netflix, the potential for the studio to delay Venom: Let There Be Carnage even further is certainly high. With the sequel having taken priority over Morbius, the original second installment in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, it's understandable the studio would want the Hardy-let film to be as successful as possible to keep their interconnected universe a financially viable undertaking. Only time will tell whether Venom: Let There Be Carnage arrives in October or will move once again.
More: Everything We Know About Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Source: THR
