Serkis Claims “Venom” Sequel Pushes PG-13 Limits

Sony and Marvel’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage will release in the next few weeks after a lengthy delay due to the ongoing pandemic. As such, the media build for the film is in high gear, with a new trailer having recently released and the various people involved doing interviews.

In fact, the movie’s director, Andy Serkis, recently spoke with IGN through an Instagram Live interview about the project. Specifically, he discussed the choice to once again stick with a PG-13 rating, which is a choice many fans and critics have been skeptical about. Serkis is of the mind that the rating wasn’t a hinderance and will allow for a broader audience, commenting that:

You could go down an R-rated adult version of this. Of course, you could. You could have done that with the last film. But we wanted to reach a big audience with this and… there are several rules you have to abide by. However, having said that, I think we have pushed to the very limits [with] the danger and darkness and the threat and the menace of Carnage. Just because you don’t see so much gore — perhaps there’s not so much blood or… seeing heads being bitten off — you can still suggest that. The suggestion, leaving it to the audience’s imagination, can be just as powerful. I think that’s just what we managed to do. It’s certainly not shying away from the darkness. And the real heart of Carnage as a character isn’t compromised at all.

Venom and Carnage, as characters, seem like perfect fits for R-rated content, but Serkis seems to be abiding by the classic horror trope of less is more, along the lines of Jaws, where the giant man-eating creature wasn’t often seen, but the idea and suggestion of its presence was enough to scare audiences.

While the original 2018 release was a success, many were critical of the lack of gore. But it seems like there will be more of a focus creating an atmosphere of subtle fright, rather than shoving into the face of moviegoers. Either way, viewers will find out soon as Venom: Let There Be Carnage releases on October 1st.