Comics
Marvel Just Cast Tom Hardy as ‘VENOM’!
Huge breaking news this Friday afternoon as Deadline is reporting that Sony’s Venom movie is officially happening with Tom Hardy starring as the title character and Zombieland‘s Ruben Fleischer directing!
They also note that Venom is from Sony’s Marvel Universe and is not a spinoff but the first movie after Spider-Man from its Marvel Universe of characters. Hardy’s Eddie Brock is able to converse and have a relationship with the symbiote, which culminates to him becoming Venom. In the Marvel Comics universe, Venom has appeared alongside Spider-Man, Iron Man, Deadpool, Hulk, and many other Marvel Comics characters.
The character was introduced in 1988 in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #298-300, scripted by David Michelinie and drawn by the legendary Todd McFarlane and Mike Zeck. Venom is an alien symbiote that needs a human host to survive. In return, the alien empowers its victim with incredible powers.

Hardy is an exciting choice, especially to play Brock. His talents were completely wasted when he portrayed Bane in Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight Rises; why on Earth would they cover up the face of one of the best actors of our time for an entire movie?! Hardy kicked ass and took names in the new Mad Max, pictured below, and was also in The Revenant and Inception.
Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 was a huge misstep, mostly because it was alleged that he was forced into including the popular character into the storyline. Raimi has gone on record that he isn’t a fan of Venom nor does he understand the character’s motivations. To put it simply, it’s a story about rejection, which Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote share in common. Their shared hatred of Peter Parker’s success fuels their hate and fuses them into one. It’ll be interesting to see how Sony plans on telling a solo Venom story if he’s the film’s protagonist. Deadpool and Logan are the best examples of the ultimate anti-hero, but what would drive a Venom story? Carnage? At least we know it will be “R”-rated!
Sony will release on October 5, 2018.
Production will start this fall.
Are you as happy with the casting and director choice as we are?!

Comics
‘Exhuma’ Prequel Spinoff Webtoon ‘Maengjong’ Debuts This Weekend
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.


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