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September 5, 2008


Even as Sony Pictures moves ahead with plans for Spider-Man 4 & 5, the studio is also actively developing the spin-off film Venom, featuring the monstrous alien villain brought to cinematic life in last summer's Spider-Man 3.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, Sony has tapped a pair of unidentified writers to script Venom. Mean Creak scribe Jacob Estes had previously hired to pen the screenplay but the studio decided to go in a new direction with different writers.

And what of Topher Grace, who played Venom's alter ego Eddie Brock? DHD says, "Given that comic book artist/writer and action figure maker, Todd McFarlane, who is one of the creators of the Marvel villain, doesn't think a Venom movie could do well with a villain as the central character, my sources think Sony should let Topher Grace, even though he was blown up at the end of Spider-Man 3 (yet a portion of the Venom costume survived), stay in the role because the likable actor could be a a sympathetic evildoer."

But might there be another actor angling to don the black suit?

MTV posted an interview with Vin Diesel last week where the Babylon A.D. star said he wants to play the title role in an unspecified Marvel villain movie.

Makes you wonder, don't it?