Producer Amy Pascal has confirmed that a sequel to 2018 blockbuster "Venom" is moving forward at Sony with Hollywood star Tom Hardy set to reprise his role.
Pascal shared the news in an interview with Fandango, where the producer said Hardy will be back as Eddie Brock aka Venom in the follow-up.
"I can say that Tom Hardy will be back, magnificently playing that character as no one else can," she said.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the 2018 film also featured Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed. Despite the mixed reviews it received, the film made a splash at the box office, earning over USD 850 million in worldwide gross.
Pascal believes there are two reasons for the movie's success -- Sony creating a franchise surrounding the character, and Hardy's portrayal of the anti-hero.
"It's a couple of things. One of them is that Sony did a great job creating that franchise and giving it a life and giving it its own world.
"Then there's Tom Hardy. When you think of Venom, you'll never be able to think of anyone but Tom Hardy sitting in that bathtub of lobsters. And once you saw Tom Hardy do this character, that's all you needed to know," she added.