Los Angeles, May 20 (IANS): Actor Tom Hardy has been roped in to star in the upcoming superhero film "Venom", a spin-off to the "Spider-Man" franchise.
The Sony Pictures-backed project will be directed by "Zombieland" fame Ruben Fleischer, reports theguardian.com.
According to sources, Hardy is a huge fan of Venom. His only film in the superhero genre was 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises", in which he played Bane.
Hardy will play Eddie Brock, a freelance photographer who becomes infected by an alien life form that needs a host in order to survive.
Meanwhile, actor Tom Holland will next be seen playing Spider-Man in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project, "Spider-Man: Homecoming", which is slated to release on July 7 in US.
"Venom" is set to hit theaters on October 5, 2018.