A couple of weeks back, theater listings for Venom: Let There Be Carnage had the movie’s running time listed at 90 minutes, which is awfully brief for the superhero genre. When you include the credits, which are expected to feature a stinger that breaks the internet, then there’s only going to be 80 minutes or so of story in the symbiotic sequel.
Ruben Fleischer’s opening installment ran for 112 minutes, which itself was relatively short when almost every major comic book blockbuster stretches to at least two hours, if not a whole lot longer. In a recent Instagram live with IGN, director Andy Serkis confirmed that Let There Be Carnage is as lean and mean as the reports suggested, and he explained why he decided to trim as much fat as possible.
“It was actually always going to be leaner. We always wanted this film to be a real thrill ride. And a fast, muscular movie, not hanging around too much with exposition. But having said that, I think what we’ve done is achieve a real balance between dropping anchor with all of the characters so that you feel that you’re fully immersed in them and that we’re not just rushing through to the next battle or action part.”
At just an hour and a half, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is going to be one of the briefest Marvel adaptations ever made, with 2007’s 92-minute Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer the only other project that comes close. Expect things to move rapidly, then, especially when Woody Harrelson’s Carnage isn’t the only bad guy Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock needs to contend with.
Naomie Harris’ Shriek and possibly even Stephen Graham’s Toxin will factor into the narrative, so Venom: Let There Be Carnage won’t even have time to pause for breath, and it’ll be done and dusted before audiences even know what’s hit them.
Published: Sep 19, 2021 05:13 am