Gary Ross to pen ‘Venom’

Gary Ross, director of Seabiscuit, is writing the Spider-man spinoff Venom for Columbia. As well as writing the script, the film is a potential directing vehicle for Ross, who is already writing Spider-Man 4 for the studio. Ross would also produce alongside Avi Arad and Marvel.

Topher Grace portrayed the character in the 2007 movie, which ended with both the human and the alien symbiote apparently destroyed in an explosion. According to THR, the studio had no comment on Grace’s involvement nor on Ross writing the project. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote Zombieland, previously worked on the script, as did Jacob (Mean Creek) Estes.