Andy Serkis revealed in a recent interview that he was toying with the idea of calling his superhero sequel Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart, before he settled on Let There Be Carnage. The filmmaker knew exactly how to pitch the project, which fully leans into and embraces the insanity that the first installment often tried to shy away from in favor of self-seriousness.
In essence, the smash hit blockbuster is a cross between an odd couple story and a romantic comedy, with the notable caveat that one of them happens to be a parasite from outer space. It’s ludicrous on paper, and even stranger in execution, but fans can’t get enough of it.
In a chat with DiscussingFilm, writer and producer Kelly Marcel admitted that she lost her mind when Tom Hardy first suggested Serkis as director, but once she’d overcome her nerdier indulgences she realized that he was the ideal person to helm such a bizarre film.
“Firstly, I just completely embarrassed myself by fangirling because I was just such a huge fan. It was Tom’s idea, he came to me and was like, ‘What do you think about Andy Serkis?’. I probably screamed for a few minutes. Then he was asked to come on to the movie by Tom and I had lunch with Andy in Los Angeles, and it was just embarrassing. Basically, I asked him to do a Gollum impression, I was just really like, ‘Oh my god, it is really Andy Serkis’. I was losing my sh*t. So yes, I was very excited when Andy came on board, then I calmed down, somewhat.
He was the perfect addition to the team and he really got the tone of what we were trying to do, which is a sort of weird balance between rom-com mixed with horror. Andy was just so down for that. But also, he’s brilliant with CGI and knows how to make a creature feel real. He’s also the loveliest man on the planet, by the way.”
Based on comments he’s been making on the press circuit, it looks likely that Serkis will be sticking around behind the camera for the inevitable Venom 3, which will be music to the ears of audiences who loved the breezy 97-minute Let There Be Carnage, a deliriously demented romp that more than made up for its lack of depth with a ton of entertainment value.
