Hollywoodreporter.com recently mentioned a possible Spider-Man spin-off by Sony featuring the Spider-Man villain Venom. The success of Heath Ledger’s Joker and the record breaking box office dollars from The Dark Knight has moved the studio towards a possible Venom movie. Sony is developing the project based on the Spider-Man 3 adversary much the same way that Fox is using the Wolverine film to bolster the X-Men franchise.

The studio had previously commissioned a draft of the script from Jacob Estes. Sony is considering a different path and is seeking writers for a new draft. Topher Grace who played the character in Spider-Man 3, but currently speculation abounds whether Grace would be given the opportunity to play Venom in a spin-off film or if Sony might cast another actor for the role. Sony is currently developing the Spider-Man 4 film for a 2011 release.