'Venom' sequel release delayed by Sony amid new COVID-19 wave

LOS ANGELES, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Sony Corp’s movie studio on Thursday delayed the release of the superhero sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage by nearly a month to mid-October as the United States grapples with a new wave of COVID-19 infections.

The movie starring Tom Hardy as the Marvel Comics character will now debut in theatres on Oct. 15 instead of Sept. 24, Sony Pictures said via email.

Hollywood studios have been shuffling their schedules throughout the pandemic but had hoped for a moviegoing rebound in the autumn.

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has led to a rise in infections in the United States, raising concern about whether audiences will feel safe sitting in cinemas.

The original Venom movie in 2018, in which Tom Hardy plays an investigative journalist whose body is invaded by an alien with violent instincts who feeds on a diet of human flesh, took in more than $850 million at global box offices.

Apart from Hardy the 2018 film also starred British actor Riz Ahmed as villainous corporation owner Carlton Drake and Michelle Williams.

Venom was created by comic book writer Todd McFarlane, who invented the new character after he struggled to draw Spider-Man.