'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' release date moved forward to Oct 1

Sony Pictures has announced that Tom Hardy-starrer ''Venom: Let There Be Carnage'' will release in US theatres two weeks earlier than planned.

A sequel to 2018 hit ''Venom'', the movie will now hit the cinema halls in the US on October 1, instead of earlier release date of October 15, reported Deadline.

The move comes on the heels of the strong performance of Disney and Marvel Studios' superhero feature ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' at the US box office.

''Shang-Chi'', which released last week, raked in USD 90 million at a time when the US is witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant.

''Venom: Let There Be Carnage'' has been directed by actor-filmmaker Andy Serkis, who took over the director's chair from Ruben Fleischer.

The movie will see Hardy returning as journalist Eddie Brock aka antihero Venom.

It will feature actor Woody Harrelson as the antagonist Cletus Kasady aka Carnage, who made a last-minute cameo in ''Venom''.

The cast also includes Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, and Stephen Graham in supporting roles.