Venom Director Cites John Carpenter And David Cronenberg As Influences

Despite leaving myself open to verbal thrashings from friends and readers online alike, I’ve been honest in admitting that Venom is one of the comic book movies I’m looking forward to most in 2018. After missing the mark with the iconic character in 2007’s Spider-Man 3, surely Sony would have to do a better job with a solo outing, right?

Admittedly, I wasn’t as pleased with the first trailer promoting the film due to it having been decidedly Venom-less, but the second was much more to my liking, as the big reveal of the titular anti-hero in its closing moments was enough to guarantee that I’ll purchase a ticket on opening weekend. It looks like others agreed with me, too, as that particular video package rivaled Wonder Woman‘s trailer when it came to YouTube views.

Now, in addition to praising lead actor Tom Hardy over what he was able to accomplish with his headlining gig in past interviews, director Ruben Fleischer has spoken about which filmmakers inspired him while crafting this particular picture, citing some of the greats as influences during a chat with Empire Magazine:

Here’s what he had to say to the publication:

“Among my influences were John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, even An American Werewolf In London.”

Considering that the character of Venom has long enjoyed crossover appeal between the superhero and horror crowds, it’s refreshing to learn that Fleischer looked to the work of those legends while also crafting something that’s “more pop and fun.”

But when it comes to the grotesque protagonist himself, the director had this to offer:

“Unlike most superheroes who get bitten by a spider or invent their own Batsuit, Venom is really the combination of two beings to create a third.”

Venom opens in theaters on October 5th, so we’ll just have to wait and see how well the “third” is received by a wider audience.