Last we heard of a Venom spin off, a group of A list writers were being sought. Now it looks like the film might be going in a different direction, and not necessarily with the actor who played him in Spiderman 3.

Could Venom hold a film on his own?

The Hollywood Reporter, through Coming Soon says that one writer who was working on the project isn't anymore. Jacob Estes who also wrote Mean Creek had written a script, but Sony want to take it in a different direction. They are now looking for new writers to come up with a different take.

It also looks like Topher Grace, who played Venom in Spiderman 3, isn't a certainty for the role in the spin off. It seems Sony aren't sure he would be able to carry a film purely based on Venom.

Spiderman 4 is also still in development for a 2011 release, so I wonder where this one will fit in. The source says that Sony are hoping that a Venom film could give a new injection into the Spiderman franchise, along the lines of what the Wolverine film could be doing for X Men.

Do you want to see a Venom spin off? Could it spice up the Spiderman franchise, or dilute it?