Like any comic property that has a million built-in fans, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is already getting swirled up in the rumor mill. Most recently is the thought that Marc Webb is planning on bringing Venom back to the big screen. The boys over at /Film do a good job collecting what meager evidence there is here. If you don’t feel like clicking over, it goes something like this: Webb tweeted a photo of a locker numbered #14 that looks exactly like a locker numbered #14 from the Ultimate Spider-Man comic books that contained the Venom symbiote. Additionally, Sony seems fairly intent on making a stand-alone Venom movie for some reason, despite never having gotten the character right to begin with. Their thinking is simple. If comic book fans have a soft spot for Venom, why not bring him to the big screen? Sounds great, Sony, but it’ll only work if you don’t ruin him.

While it was only a matter of time before Chronicle it-boy director Josh Trank signed on for yet another feature, the news of today’s project is a bit surprising, if only because he’s been so publicly attached to a host of other projects since his unexpected hit. Deadline Argo reports that Trank has signed on to “develop to direct” Sony’s adaptation of of their video game, Shadow of the Colossus. Trank is reportedly a big fan of the game, and he specifically “sought out the job.” As my video game knowledge is slim (and will likely stay that way as the only video game I’ve ever cared about is Grand Theft Auto), a trip to the game’s Wikipedia page reveals a lot of vital information about it. Per the page, “the game’s storyline focuses on a young man named Wander who enters a forbidden land. Wander must travel across a vast expanse on horseback and defeat sixteen massive beings, simply known as colossi,in order to restore the life of a girl named Mono. The game is unusual within the action-adventure genre in that there are no towns or dungeons to explore, no characters with which to interact, and no enemies to defeat other than the colossi.” The game has also garnered a lot of praise in the industry, and is considered “an important work of art due to its minimalist landscape designs, immersive gameplay and emotional journey.” There’s also a pony in it! 

There was a time when Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick turned in scripts for it and a time when Hunger Games director Gary Ross was looking to direct, but the Spider-Man 4 implosion defeated Spidey’s nemesis as well. Sony was keen to get things rolling for Venom – based, of course, on the drooling symbiotic mirror enemy – and now that The Amazing Spider-Man is attempting to re-deliver the franchise, it’s time to start having meetings about who could bring this character to life best, apparently. According to an anonymous source quoted in the LA Times, Sony is looking to Chronicle co-writer/director Josh Trank to be taken over by the alien monster. It would be a good move for a newly found director, but there’s something gimmicky about it all. It’s as if Sony is purposefully trying to do the opposite of what Marvel is doing (and with its own characters no less). While Marvel is focusing on individual movies for its heroes, Sony is left (copyright style) to explore individual characters in the Spider-Man universe, so they’re going with villains. Venom was a popular character, but the big question is whether the all-brawn, no-brains baddie deserves to be the center of his own movie. What story do you tell? How much CGI saliva will it take? Would it be followed by a Lizard movie? Or a Green Goblin flick?

In which two men, one having never seen a zombie film and the other a casual fan of the genre, create the best zombie flick since Shaun of the Dead. And in which, I get the scoop of the century on who will be playing Venom.

Last we checked, the production of a Venom spin-off was on hold, stuck in script draft notes hell. Don’t look now though, as Sony appears to have some new plans…

The writers of the Spiderman 3 spin-off talk about developing the storyline under the burning gaze of Marvel and Sony.

Todd McFarlane wants Venom to be creepier than ever for a possible spin-off movie. McFarlane is one of the artists who created Venom for the Amazing Spider-Man comics.

Maybe the biggest disaster in Spider-Man 3, aside from Tobey Maguire’s dance moves, was the decision to kill off fan favorite Venom. Now Sony may be ready to bring him back in his own project.

You’ve seen Spider-Man, you’ve seen Venom – Now take a look at Anti-Venom!

Dear Marvel, please keep Sam Raimi away from this movie…