With Sony’s Venom movie starring Tom Hardy now in theaters, and setting box office records, the film’s producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are opening up on their plans for the next Spider-Man spin-off that will continue to expand on the studio’s universe of Marvel characters, Morbius.
The film which will be based on the Marvel comic Morbius the Living Vampire is set to feature Jared Leto in the starring role of Dr. Michael Morbius, the popular anti-hero who first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #101. In the comics, the famed scientist attempted to cure himself of a rare blood disease but developed a form of vampirism instead.
Speaking with Collider, Arad and Tolmach were asked when production on the project was expected to begin, to which they revealed principal photography is set to kick off early next year:
ARAD: More or less, February?
TOLMACH: Yeah, the plan is early part of next year. We’re still working on it.
In addition, the producers were also asked about the potential of having an R-rated film set in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters to which they were candid that fans shouldn’t expect an R-rated comic book film unless it’s absolutely integral to the storyteller’s success:
ARAD: Again, what I said to you before, it depends on the story. If the success of the story depends on being R-rated…
TOLMACH: Then it could be, yeah.
ARAD: Then, of course, we can do it. But at least for me, I have grandkids, kids, whatever, all these things, and some of these movies, they’re dying to see. You know? As I took my grandson, seven, to the recording session of Venom. And he had the time of his life.
TOLMACH: I don’t think there’s a rule written somewhere in stone that all of them have to be one thing, alright? I think what Avi’s saying is right. I think we’ve all talked about, “Well, if one of these presents itself in a way…” Look, we have all seen, as you’ve said, the R-rated versions of these movies now working. So, that’s out there. You can succeed to a staggering degree.
Sony’s Morbius film is set to be directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) from a script written by Netflix’s Lost in Space creators Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Arad and Tolmach will produce the film with Lucas Foster. Palak Patel will oversee for the project for the studio.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on Morbius and Sony’s Universe of Spider-Man Characters as we learn it.
Source: Collider