Confirming early reports that Venom will play up the horror elements of the Marvel Comics character, Columbia Pictures President Sanford Panitch revealed the film will draw on the works of directors John Carpenter or David Cronenberg, with a dose of "pop and fun."

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His comments come in a Variety article about Sony's plans to build upon the success of Spider-Man: Homecoming and create its own cinematic universe, beginning next year with Venom, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, the human host of the alien symbiote.

“I’ve always been drawn to the more antihero superheroes,” explained director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad). “There’s a dark element to [Venom] and a wit that has always appealed to me.”

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He elaborated on the almost Jekyll-and-Hyde dynamic in the relationship between Brock and the symbiote. "They become almost a third being, which is what Venom is," Fleischer said. "There’s a famous quote: ‘You’re Eddie Brock. I’m the symbiote. Together we are Venom.'"

Written by Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, Venom is expected to begin filming this September before swinging into theaters Oct. 5, 2018.