Sony and directorAndy Serkishave tapped Oscar-winning cinematographerRobert Richardsonto shootVenom 2starringTom Hardy, Collider has confirmed.
Richardson is coming off ofQuentin Tarantino’s Sony hitOnce Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and he previously worked with Serkis on his 2017 directorial debutBreathe. He has won a trio of Oscars for his work onJFK,The AviatorandHugo, and has six other nominations to his name, including three for Tarantino’sInglourious Basterds,Django UnchainedandThe Hateful Eight. Another nomination is expected to be in the cards for Richardson given his exceptional work onOnce Upon a Time, which has grossed $106 million at the domestic box office thus far.
Serkis signed on to directVenom 2just last week, and while you don’t often see a cinematographer board a project so soon after its director, Richardson’s hiring indicates that Sony is eager to get moving on the symbiote sequel after the first film grossed $856 million worldwide in October 2018.
Michelle Williamsis expected to return for the sequel, which is expected to give much more screen time toWoody Harrelson’s villainous Carnage, who we saw behind bars at the end of the first film.VenomscribeKelly Marcelreturned to pen the sequel.
In addition to shooting Tarantino’sKill Billfilms andMartin Scorsese’s underratedCasino, Richardson is well known for his work with directorOliver Stone, includingNatural Born Killers, which featured multiple kinds of film stock and a dizzying array of stunning shots. I was also very impressed by his visceral work in last year’s indie dramaA Private WarstarringRosamund PikeandJamie Dornan. Richardson is represented by Iconic Talent Agency, and the Hollywood Reporter broke the news of his hiring.
