Film Bits: ‘Venom’ Releases First Trailer

‘Venom’ Releases Underwhelming First Trailer

The union between Marvel Studios and Sony that allowed Spider-Man to re-enter the world of the powerful MCU was a unique opportunity to course correct the flailing Spider-Man franchise and give the character the home it deserved. It was a complicated deal that allowed Marvel to control Spider-Man while giving Sony control over the rest of the Web Slinger’s associated characters, without really answering the question about where they fit into the larger canon. Anyone hoping for answers to that question with the release of the first Venom trailer today were left without any clear answers. Venom, of course, is a wildly popular antagonist of Spider-Man, and rumors have been swirling about whether this movie will take place within the MCU or if it’s a part of a different universe all together. We won’t know for sure until October, but the first trailer certainly leaves a lot to be desired. There’s plenty of Tom Hardy, who plays Eddie Brock/Venom, in the upcoming film, but not much of anything that tells what this film is about. There isn’t even any shot of Venom himself, although we do see a swirling mass of a contained black goo, which fans will immediately recognize. As first looks go, this feels like something that they pushed out due to necessity rather than as something completely ready. Still, Hardy does seem like a solid choice for Eddie Brock. Hopefully we’ll see some actual footage of Venom before the film’s October 5 release date.

(Sony)

‘Tully’ Might Be the Film of the Season

We’re not exactly sure what Tully is on about, but color us intrigued. The new film from writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Evil Dead) and director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) seems like a potentially stunning exploration of motherhood in the modern era. What we know is that the film stars Charlize Theron as an exhausted mother of two and Mark Duplass as her distant husband; the two are apparently gifted a nanny (according to IMDb) in the form of the titular Tully (Mackenzie Davis). Beyond that, there’s not much we can glean from this sparse trailer, though with the lineup of talent both behind and in front of the camera it certainly seems like it has the potential for something special. Tully hits theaters on April 20.

(Focus Features)

‘Jessica Jones’ Season Releases First Full Trailer

The only positive takeaway from last year’s The Defenders was how badly we needed another season of Jessica Jones. Marvel and Netflix’s second MCU series was arguably their best output since the partnership began, and the world has been sorely lacking in Krysten Ritter’s hard drinking, hard fighting, take-no-nonsense private eye. Thankfully, in just one month, we’ll be getting what we wish. The first trailer for the new season find Jessica searching for answers to her mysterious past and the reasons why she developed her superhuman strength in the first place. It appears as though we’ll be taken down another twisting noir adventure that pits the detective against forces she might not be able to handle. If season two is even half as great as its predecessor, we’re going to be in for a fantastic treat. Jessica Jones season 2 premieres March 8 on Netflix.