Creators tease Sony’s planned Spider-verse
(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – This Fall’s “Venom” marks the true start for Sony Pictures’ plans to exploit its Marvel Comics properties outside of the core “Spider-Man” comic. We know both “Silver & Black” and “Morbius the Living Vampire” films are on the way, now Vulture has posted a story trying to gauge Sony’s overall game plan for this venture.
They spoke with “Venom” producer Avi Arad who discussed the appeal of his project saying: “This is an origin story and we have to try and make it the beginning of a long journey. Kids love Venom. It’s something about it that attracts the anti-hero sensibility. So we are very excited.”
In terms of “Silver and Black,” the movie featuring the teaming of thief Black Cat and mercenary Silver Sable, they say it will have a “Thelma & Louise”-style comedic tone. Filmmaker Emily Carmichael met with Sony about the project and tells the outlet: “At one of my early meetings on the project I got a peek at the phonebook-sized compendium of characters Sony has the rights to, all characters tangentially related to Spider-Man. It’s a cinematic universe, all right.”
Comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis says he’s had a number of meetings with Sony and is optimistic about the Spider-Verse’s potential: “I happen to have heard some of the plans that have not been made public. You’re asking if they’re cool? I thought they were very cool. Fans wouldn’t be annoyed with what they’re doing… the people who grew up wanting these movies are now making them. And not just a crappy Spider-Man movie. A really good Spider-Man movie. Everyone’s aiming high.”
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” co-scribe Jonathan Goldstein spoke a bit more plainly: “I think the success – or lack thereof – of Venom will determine a lot of what goes forward. There is a TV model to Marvel movies in that they are all tied together. I think that’s a tough thing to replicate in other studios. If I were a studio exec, I would focus on stand-alones and films that don’t require knowledge of other movies to work. I think you can take a character that was established in another Spider-Man movie and make it completely separate and different from the other movie you saw, as long as it works on its own as a good movie, first and foremost.”
Click here to check out the full piece. Additionally Deadline is reporting that Sony has cast Turkish-born actor Numan Acar in the currently shooting “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. Acar will play a character named Dimitri, but further specifics are under wraps.