Sony’s Venom Franchise Heads to Animation With Final Destination Directors

Sony Pictures is taking the Venom franchise in a fresh direction by developing its first animated movie featuring the popular symbiote anti-hero. The studio has enlisted Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein to direct and produce this new project. These filmmakers recently revitalized the horror series with Final Destination: Bloodlines, which became the highest-grossing and best-reviewed entry in its franchise, earning around $315 million worldwide. Their success in breathing new life into established properties makes them an intriguing choice for expanding Venom beyond live-action.

The live-action Venom films starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock delivered strong box office results at first. The 2018 original brought in $856 million globally, followed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021 with $506.8 million, and Venom: The Last Dance in 2024 with $478.9 million. While the series maintained fan interest, the numbers showed a gradual decline. Shifting to animation offers Sony a way to keep the character active and appealing, especially drawing inspiration from the massive success of Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Verse films produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, which have earned critical acclaim and Academy Awards.

Tom Hardy appears connected to the animated Venom in some capacity, though specifics remain unclear. He might return to voice the character he made iconic or take on a producing role after leading the trio of live-action movies. Producers Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach, who were involved in the previous films, are expected to contribute here as well, but details are still preliminary since the project is in its early stages. No screenwriter has been attached yet, and Sony Pictures Animation is currently assembling a writers room to craft the script and explore different story directions.

Venom first appeared in comics as a villain in Amazing Spider-Man No. 300 in 1988, created by Bill Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. The character quickly grew into a fan favorite and one of Spider-Man’s key adversaries, earning his own solo series in 1993. On screen, he debuted in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 with Topher Grace in the role before Hardy took over for the standalone Sony films. Animation could allow for creative freedom in depicting the symbiote’s wild, shape-shifting abilities and chaotic personality without the constraints of live-action effects.

The animation process tends to take considerable time, often several years from development to release. With no script in place and the project just getting underway, fans should expect a longer wait for this Venom adventure. Lipovsky and Stein continue building their careers, having also worked on projects like the live-action Kim Possible movie and developing an original thriller at Universal with Amblin Entertainment. Their involvement signals Sony’s confidence in bringing a bold, possibly reinvigorated take on the Lethal Protector to animated form.

What do you think about Venom going animated, and how would you like to see Tom Hardy’s involvement play out in the comments.