After getting dog-piled by critics – entirely unfairly, in my opinion – it’s looking like Venom is having the last (toothy and drooling) laugh. The film has absolutely cleaned up at the box office, both domestically and internationally, with it now having grossed more than Logan ($619 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp ($622 million), Justice League ($657.9 million) and even Wonder Woman ($821.8 million). It’s an astonishing debut for Sony’s awkwardly named Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters, and the film will only add to its haul when it hits digital release on December 11th and Blu-ray on December 18th.
We’ve already gotten a good look at the striking cover for the Blu-ray edition, but we now have a full list of special features, which you can see below:
- Venom Mode: When selecting this mode the film will engage informative pop-ups throughout the film to provide insight on the movie’s relationship to the comics, and to reveal hidden references that even a seasoned Venom-fan may have missed!
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: These deleted and extended scenes will give fans even more of the Venom action they loved in theaters!
- Ride to Hospital – Eddie and Venom take a ride to the hospital.
- Car Alarm – Let’s just say that Venom is not fond of car alarms.
- San Quentin – Extended post-credits scene at San Quentin.
- From Symbiote to Screen: A mini-documentary about the history of Venom in comics and his journey to the big screen. Interviews with Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Ruben Fleischer, Oliver Scholl, and Director and Comic Fanboy Kevin Smith.
- The Lethal Protector in Action: Go behind the scenes with the production crew and learn the secrets behind the awesome Motorcycle stunts, wire stunts, and drones.
- Venom Vision: A look at how Ruben Fleischer came to the project, gathered his team, and made Venom a reality. Utilizes interviews from cast, crew, and producers as well as Fleischer himself.
- Designing Venom: Designing and creating Venom meant a huge challenge for VFX artists; follow the amazing journey.
- Symbiote Secrets: Blink and you may have missed it! Enjoy the hidden references throughout the film.
- 8 Select Scenes Pre-Vis sequences: See the progression of the visual effects, storyboards and fight choreography compared to the finished film.
- “Venom” by Eminem – Music Video
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone, Swae Lee (From Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sneak Peek: Meanwhile in another universe…
Now, these seem like pretty bog standard special features to me, but I guess they’ll do the job if you’re curious about how the film was made. My favorite thing about the movie was the bizarre and memorable way Tom Hardy approached the character, so I’m a bit put out that there doesn’t seem to be anything that focuses on his process in developing Eddie Brock and his thoughts on how he interacted with the symbiote. Also a little disappointing is the lack of a director’s commentary from Ruben Fleischer, though I guess Venom Mode will go some way to filling that hole.
Regardless, this release is sure to end up being unwrapped in households across the country (and the world) on Christmas Day, and it sounds like there’s an awful lot to keep fans engaged with the movie. In the meantime, expect a lot more from Sony’s new universe, as according to a recent report, they already set a pair of 2020 release dates for some new Marvel adaptations, one of which is thought to be Venom 2, and if that means Woody Harrelson and Tom Hardy in a scenery chewing contest as Carnage and Venom, then sign me the hell up.