"Venom" was an unexpected box office hit despite terrible reviews: Now the sequel is gearing up, with several names being mentioned to direct.

Reportedly on Sony executives' short list: Andy Serkis (“Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle”), "Bumblebee," director Travis Knight, and Rupert Wyatt ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes."

Ruben Fleischer directed the first movie, but he's busy on post-production for  "Zombieland 2: Double Tap."

Sony hopes to shoot the film in the fall.

An untitled Marvel sequel is currently slated for October 2020 and fans are assuming it's "Venom 2," since the first film opened on October 5, 2018.

"Venom" grossed a massive $855 million worldwide, making a sequel inevitable.

The next film in Sony's Spider-verse is "Morbius," starring Jared Leto as the Living Vampire, which is due out next summer.

[Via Variety]