Venom 2 is on well on its way, according to a now-deleted Instagram post from Tom Hardy. The actor posted a behind-the-scenes photo of himself captioned “W3’R’V3N0M2 day one,” indicating filming has begun. The post has since been taken down.
Despite being critically panned, the first Venom managed to earn $856.1 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million. Development for a sequel was announced back in January, with Hardy set to reprise his titular role and Andy Serkis hired to direct. The deleted post indicates Hardy may have gone against Sony’s wishes in announcing the start of filming. No official release has been made from Sony as of yet.
Venom 2 will star Hardy alongside Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, and possibly Naomie Harris, who may join as the villainous Shriek. No official confirmation has been made regarding Harris’ involvement.
The film is set for release in October 2020, according to Variety.