Woody Harrelson & Cinematographer Robert Richardson Confirmed for Venom 2

Everything about Venom 2 keeps getting better and better. Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood cinematographer Robert Richardson has joined director Andy Serkis’s sequel. Richardson joining Serkis and stars Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams raises all sorts of interesting questions about what Venom 2‘s look might be, and how different it might feel from director Ruben Fleischer’s original. Richardson has not only shot six films with Tarantino, but he’s also lensed films for Martin Scorses (Hugo, Shutter Island The Aviator) and Oliver Stone (JFK), to name a few marquee directors. Then Richardson went ahead and confirmed that Woody Harrelson was reprising his role as Cletus Kasady, improving this sequel yet again.

Speaking with Collider, Richardson spoke about what lured him to the project and Harrelson’s involvement. Richardson lensed Serkis’ directorial debut Breathe, so the two already have a rapport. He was also set to shoot Ben Affleck’s stand-alone Batman, which he referenced with Collider:

“I was looking forward to entering into that arena with Batman years ago with Ben [Affleck]. I thought, ‘Well this is something I haven’t done that I would love to try to do.’ And then Andy Serkis, who I worked with on Breathe, gave me a call a month ago and said that he was up for this and would I be willing. I’d seen the film. I watched it again, then they sent me a script and I felt like, yeah, I would say yes anyway to Andy just because I would say yes to Andy, but I also think it’s a great…I think it’s unexplored yet, and it’s going to explode, and this film, I think, will help it explode, because you have a remarkable central character with Venom, but now you’ve got Woody Harrelson, who’s going to obviously make his own little entrance here…I look forward to it. It’s a massive change for me, but I’m excited. I think Hardy is one of our best. He never misses. I so look forward to sitting with him and watching him perform”

Getting Harrelson’s Carnage back in action for Venom 2 is great news, as is nabbing a cinematographer of Richardson’s caliber. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of tone Richardson and Serkis set with the sequel, which will build on Fleischer and cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s work in the original.

Venom 2 is slated for an October 2, 2020 release.

Featured image: DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 09: Woody Harrelson arrives at the closing ceremony of the 43rd Deauville American Film Festival on September 9, 2017 in Deauville, France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)