Gary Ross May Direct ‘Venom’ Spin-Off

Published by Jeff Leins on: October 7th, 2009

Columbia Pictures is in talks with Gary Ross to direct and rewrite the script for Venom, a spin-off of Spider-Man 3 focused on the dark, webslinging doppelganger.

Ross is the third and most recent screenwriter working on the Spider-Man 4 script for Columbia, director Sam Raimi, and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.  Things must be going well with that relationship if they’re considering him for their slow-moving spin-off.

If the BFDealMemo report is true, Ross would also be the third writing deal for Venom, after going through drafts by Jacob Estes (Mean Creek), followed by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland).  The studio has been considering it since at least February 2008 when word of a Venom-based movie leaked online.

As for his director credentials, Ross helmed the pleasant Pleasantville and Oscar-nominated Seabiscuit, so he’s not just some writer making his way behind the camera.

The Eddie Brock/Venom character was played by Topher Grace in the third Spider-Man, but will likely be recast.  The new film is intended to reboot the story of how a scientific accident (or alien symbiote in the comic books) attaches itself to a human and turns them violent.  Hopefully they’ll leave out the part where it makes them emo, sidewalk strut, and feel the urge to dance.

Unfortunately, since the script is still in flux, I don’t have more details for you on the direction Columbia Pictures is taking Venom.  He’ll be some sort of anti-hero who defends the innocent, but we don’t know how they’ll re-introduce the character or tell a story without his Spider-Man nemesis.