So far, the sequel to last year's comic book anti-hero adventure Venom is shaping up rather intriguingly. Following on from the recent news that Black Panther star and motion capture maestro Andy Serkis will be sitting in the director's chair, we now know who will be working their magic on the cinematography for Venom 2, and it is another very interesting choice.
The three time Academy Award Winning Robert Richardson will be joining Serkis on this gooey comic book endeavour, as our hero Eddie Brock returns with his symbiotic companion to fight crime, take names, and more than likely eat a few heads along the way. Richardson has worked a vast array of critically acclaimed, wonderful films such as Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, Oliver Stone's biographical wartime drama Born on the Fourth of July and has worked in collaboration with director Quentin Tarantino on various projects including Inglourious Basterds and this years Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. He also did Andy Serkis' directorial debut, 2017's biographical drama Breathe.
As well as working with some of the most talented directors of all time, Richardson also has three, count 'em, three Academy Awards adorning his mantelpiece. Nominated for a variety of his previous work, Richardson is one of Hollywood's most sought-after cinematographers, and the person of choice for the holy trinity of A-list directors Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese, having worked with them all on numerous occasions.
Richardson worked with Tarantino on this year's golden age of Hollywood fairytale Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, having previously collaborated with him on the likes of Inglorious Basterds, westerns Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, as well as both Kill Bill and its sequel.
He has also worked with Scorsese a number of times, putting his creative eye to Casino, Bringing Out the Dead and Shutter Island. It was Scorsese's Howard Hughes drama The Aviator and his children's fantastical celebration of cinema, Hugo, that won Richardson two of his three Academy Awards.
Working with Oliver Stone has ranged from wartime nightmare Platoon to crime misadventure Natural Born Killers, with biographical conspiracy thriller JFK earning Richardson his third golden statue.
Alongside Andy Serkis at the helm and Richardson behind the scenes, Tom Hardy will be reprising his duel role as bizarrely accented journalist Eddie Brock and the extraterrestrial goop that has inhabited his body. Michelle Williams is also expected to return as Eddie's on-again-off-again girlfriend, in addition to Woody Harrelson who is likely to return as Cletus Kasady, hopefully this time with a slightly less ridiculous wig.
Harrelson cameoed in the first film in a post credits scene (sporting the previously mentioned hairpiece) and has long been touted as the sequel's villain, with his currently incarcerated character Cletus eventually joining forces with a rival symbiote ominously named Carnage.
Though Venom was not exactly beloved by critics, audiences could not get enough of Hardy and his parasitic pal, and the film made an eye-watering $800 million becoming the highest grossing superhero origin of all time. Despite the critical spanking, the talent being gathered so far is sure to intrigue even the most venomous of Venom detractors. ComicBook.com.