Tom Hardy goes full-on Venom

Sony Pictures has released a full trailer for Spider-Man spin-off Venom, which features the titular alien symbiote played by Tom Hardy.



“Being part of this movie is a dream come true,” Hardy said. “He’s one of my favorite characters as well.”

Tom Holland, who currently plays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is rumoured to make a cameo in Venom. Holland can be seen next in Avengers: Infinity War.

Venom, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, is in cinemas this October.

Watch the first trailer for Venom starring Tom Hardy

Sony has released the first teaser trailer for Venom starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock. The Spider-Man spin-off, focussing on the titular symbiote villain, is supposedly separate from Spider-Man and the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) at Disney.



It would be very surprising if Tom Holland's Spider-Man doesn't make an appearance. Holland can be seen as the beloved web-slinger in Avengers: Infinity War this April.

Venom is in cinemas this October.

Tom Hardy's cameo cut from The Last Jedi

If you're wondering where Tom Hardy's First Order Stormtrooper was in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he was cut from director Rian Johnson's divisive sequel. However, Hardy's scene will be included as part of an additional twenty minutes of footage in the upcoming Blu-ray disc release.

Hardy's character possessed a thick southern accent who, after initially appearing threatening, turns out to be an ally of Finn (John Boyega) (via SlashFilm).

“I know who you are…. FN 2187!” Hardy's character reportedly says. “Damn boy, I never took you for officer material.”

Did you spot Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards fighting in the trenches on Crait in The Last Jedi?

You can read my spoiler review for The Last Jedi here. Suffice to say I've already pre-ordered the 4K Blu-ray disc, which is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

The Last Jedi is the longest Star Wars movie yet

Director Rian Johnson has announced his upcoming Star Wars sequel is 150 minutes. This surpasses Attack of the Clones.

Speaking at a press conference in France, Johnson confirmed the running time, which makes The Last Jedi the longest Star Wars film to date. "Disney gave us a real freedom in writing," he said. "It was something very organic. For me, it was like when I worked on my old movies."

The director went on to address if The Last Jedi was merely a retread of The Empire Strikes Back. A criticism levelled at The Force Awakens for drawing heavily on A New Hope.

"I guess I’d be hesitant to use the word ‘homage’ because that makes it sound like it’s just kind of turning the crank and replaying an old tune because we all like it,” he told SciFiNow. "But telling a story that brings new things and pushes everything forward in an interesting way, that is in this world that we all recognise, there’s something very powerful about that."

However, Johnson appreciates the nostalgia for the original trilogy, which he grew up watching.

"It’s very interesting, the idea of the inescapable draw of nostalgia, because it’s there and it’s impossible to deny the emotional reaction that I have walking onto the interior of the [Millennium] Falcon."

In related news. The Last Jedi trumps The Force Awakens for star cameos. Daniel Craig (James Bond) may have played a First Order Stormtrooper in JJ Abrams' franchise reboot. However, Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), Princes William and Harry and Gary Barlow are rumoured to don Stormtrooper armour to ward off the Resistance this December. Gareth Edwards, who directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is confirmed to be in the new film.

Personally, if The Last Jedi is amazing then it bodes well for Johnson's own Star Wars trilogy and affirms Disney's trust.

Book tickets to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi from Fandango. This is an affiliate link and therefore I may receive compensation for any referrals.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in cinemas 15th December.

Tom Hardy cast in Spider-Man spin-off Venom

Tom Hardy, fresh from reading a bedtime story on CBBC, is playing Eddie Brock in Sony's upcoming Spider-Man spin-off. Venom.

Whilst Hardy's casting as the alien symbiote was met with enthusiasm. He played DC Comics' Bane in Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. News the spin-off is not directly linked to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), possibly precluding a face-off against Tom Holland's Spider-Man, is a fly in the ointment. However, it would be a surprising missed opportunity, by the studio, in the wake of so much goodwill following Captain America: Civil War.

Venom was last seen on the big screen in Sam Raimi's middling Spider-Man 3 in 2007. Sony's gambling on Spider-Man: Homecoming successfully rebooting the franchise and there's a PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man video game to promote, too. More news on the latter at E3. Hopefully.

Venom, directed by Ruben Fleischer, will usher in further spin-offs. Is the comic book cinematic universe in danger of further brand dilution? I stopped reading comics in the mid 1990s as it became expensive and, frankly, a chore to follow Marvel's or DC Comics' increasingly fractured, commercially cynical, universes. This has now transferred to film and television adaptations, where I've stopped following franchises. Because bored.

This may appear frivolous on my part and I'm no stranger to a time when geeks didn't have the luxury of Hollywood's current superhero stable featuring multi-movie story arcs and infinite reboots.

Production begins on Venom later this year with a release date of 5th October 2018. Perhaps in time for the launch of PlayStation 5. Tom, would you mind signing one for me?

Legend Ends

“The Dark Knight Rises” is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download.

In the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, Gotham City is threatened by the masked terrorist Bane, forcing Batman to return from an eight-year absence and fight for his city one more time.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. "The Dark Knight Rises" also stars Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose") as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

Synopsis:
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

I missed Christopher Nolan's tech noir opus at the cinema, but the 35mm/IMAX hybrid print on Blu-ray disc is reference material.