There’s been plenty of speculation regarding the exact reason of why director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) didn’t return to helm the sequel to the box office smash Venom, but he has finally revealed the true reason behind his departure was his scheduling conflicts with the long-awaited Zombieland: Double Tap.
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In an interview with Cinema Blend, the director discussed that his work on the highly-anticipated zomedy sequel has been extensive and kept him busy past the point in which he could return for the Venom sequel, plus with his jump from the superhero film to Double Tap, he was ready to take a breather.
“I had a week off with my family. And then went straight into prep on ‘Zombieland 2,'” Fleischer said. “So I’ve been making a movie for the past two and a half years with hardly a break. So I definitely wanted to get this one finished, and make it the greatest I could. And then I’ll probably take a little breather for myself.”
There were rumors that Fleischer and Hardy had on-set disagreements and heated incidents that led to the director not returning, but given the suspicious sources they came from, it appears these are all just hearsay.
Andy Serkis will direct Venom 2, marking his first forray in directing a comic book feature after appearing in two Marvel Studios movies. Venom 2 will mark the third feature film Serkis will tackle as director following Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, which released on Netflix last year.
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Tom Hardy will reprise his role as Eddie Brock in the film alongside Michelle Williams as Anne Weying. Woody Harrelson will also appear as Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, a showdown set up in a post-credit scene in the first film.
Venom amassed an enormous $855 million worldwide during its box office run despite negative reviews and a so-so response from fans (form your own opinion by picking the film up here).
