![]() Any Spider-Man movie will carry a PG-13 rating because the wall-crawler is more family friendly, and if “Venom” is too dark and gory, it might preclude other film match-ups, not just with Peter Parker’s alter-ego, but also with other members of the extended Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The feeling is that will give the studio greater leeway for future installments that will feature Spider-Man, something “Venom” does not do. But some members of Sony’s brain trust believe that the film should push the very limits of PG-13 without crossing over into a higher rating. Trailers for the film, which recently underwent reshoots in Los Angeles after shooting in Georgia, emphasized the horror movie elements, showing the title character as he’s about to bite a person’s head off. It’s unlikely that “Venom” will be the first R-rated Sony Marvel movie. However, the choice of title character reflects Sony’s diversity push - it’s a commitment that is also highlighted by the studio’s casting of Tessa Thompson in its “Men in Black” reboot” and the additions of Ella Balinska and Naomi Scott to its new “Charlie’s Angels” film. The film is viewed as being its own entity and will not be part of Sony’s planned movie universe. This winter, the studio is releasing Lord & Miller’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” an animated adventure that features Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teenager who assumes Spider-Man’s mantle. Sony also plans to experiment with budget ranges on the films it makes, and has even publicly said it is open to making comic book movies in the vein of “Logan” or “Deadpool” that are for more adult audiences. “We feel there’s no reason the Marvel characters shouldn’t be able to embrace diversity,” he added. “There are villains, heroes, and antiheroes, and a lot are female characters, many of whom are bona fide, fully dimensionalized, and utterly unique.” “Spider-Man connects to a lot of the characters,” said Panitch. Silk, for instance, is a Korean-American super-heroine, while Jackpot no twenty-something masked vigilante an older heroine, likely in her mid-forties, which is unique in a geek culture that prizes youth. The studio is leaning in to female stories at a time when there’s pressure on Hollywood to create more movies featuring women and minorities. Sony is also eager to work with Prince-Bythewood on other projects.īlack Cat likely won’t be the only woman to anchor one of Sony’s Marvel movies. If Prince-Bythewood does leave, Sony is adamant that she will be replaced by another female director. She will, however, remain on board as a producer of both the Black Cat and Silver Sable films. ![]() ![]() “We believe Black Cat is enough of her own character with a great backstory and a canon of material to draw from to justify her own film,” said Panitch.Īlthough a final decision has yet to be made, Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Secret Life of Bees”), the writer and director who was originally attached to make “Silver & Black,” will likely depart the project. Instead, the characters will be in standalone films, the first of which will likely feature Black Cat. Namely, the studio is scrapping “Silver & Black,” which was supposed to chronicle the team of Silver Sable, a mercenary who runs a company that hunts war criminals, and Black Cat, a burglar named Felicia Hardy. Some of Sony’s previously announced plans for Spider-Man and company are being reworked. “We’re focused on being faithful to the comics,” said Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures, and the executive who has been overseeing what is being dubbed internally, Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters, or SUMC. The studio is also in the process of developing movies based on Silk, Jackpot, and Nightwatch, and is actively looking for writers to pen scripts. Sony has already announced plans to make “Morbius,” with Daniel Espinosa (“Safe House”) directing Jared Leto as the titular vampire and frequent Spidey nemesis, and has lined up Richard Wenk (“The Equalizer 2”) to write a screenplay focused on Kraven the Hunter. If all goes according to plan, and long-lead box office tracking indicates that the film will at least open well, then Sony will quickly segue from “Venom” into a series of sequels and standalone films featuring heroes and villains who populate the Spider-Man universe. ![]()
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