Sony shifts release date for 'Venom: The Last Dance'

Columbia Pictures has officially unveiled the title for the upcoming instalment in the Tom Hardy-led Venom franchise. Directed by Kelly Marcel, the film is titled "Venom: The Last Dance" and will hit theatres earlier than expected, now scheduled for release on October 25, as announced by Sony on Tuesday.

This date change moves the film up by two weeks from its previously slated release date of November 8.

Starring Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Venom: The Last Dance" sees Hardy reprising his role as the Marvel antagonist he first brought to life in 2018's "Venom," directed by Ruben Fleischer.

Marcel, who has writing credits on both previous Venom movies, not only directs this instalment but also pens the script alongside Hardy, with the story credited to both of them. The film is produced by Hardy, Marcel, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, and Hutch Parker.

Following the success of its predecessors, with the first film grossing over $850 million globally and the sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" crossing the $500 million mark worldwide, "Venom: The Last Dance" aims to continue the franchise's strong performance. This marks the third Venom film to be released in October, a timing that has proven successful for the series.

Originally slated for a June 2024 release, production on "Venom: The Last Dance" was briefly halted due to last year's actors strike, resulting in the shift to a November release date.

However, production resumed in November, with Hardy referring to the film as the "last dance" in an Instagram post, indicating that this instalment is billed as the final one in the series.

"Venom: The Last Dance" is the latest addition to the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, following the recent release of "Madame Web," starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, which has seen underwhelming performance at the box office since its release last month.