Andy Serkis Confirms He's Directing 'Venom 2'

Over the course of his storied career, Andy Serkis has transformed himself for a number of different roles, including The Lord of the Rings’ Gollum, Black Panther’s Klaw, and Star Wars’ Supreme Leader Snoke. Now, however, he’s confirmed that he’ll be taking on a high profile role behind the camera, directing the upcoming Venom 2.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the news of Serkis’ directing broke earlier this week. Shortly thereafter, he confirmed the news on Instagram, posting a photo of himself with a Venom comic book and saying in the caption: “It’s actually happening. I can feel it, the Symbiote has found a host in me, and I’m ready for the ride...Can’t wait! Are you ready @tomhardy?”

Previously, Serkis was rumored to be a frontrunner to helm the film, and seemed to be unofficially confirmed as director after Venom star Tom Hardy prematurely posted a photo of the director on his Instagram. While Venom will mark his first foray into directing superhero films, Serkis has previously directed two feature films, Breathe and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and has served as second unit director on Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.

At this point, little definitive information is available about the story of the sequel, which will be penned by Venom screenwriter Kelly Marcel. However, the ending of the original film teased the appearance of Spider-Man and Venom villain Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson. Additionally, with Serkis posting a photo of the comic book Venom: Lethal Protector on his Instagram, it seems likely that the film could adapt that story, which sees Venom take the role of a vicious anti-hero in San Francisco.

Beyond that, it’s tough to say what’s going to become of Venom 2--but regardless, we’re beyond excited to see what Serkis will do with the project, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any new tidbits of information.