Doctor WhoalumMatt Smithis nearing a deal to join Oscar winnerJared Letoin Sony’sMorbiusmovie, which is based on the Spider-Man villain of the same name.
Daniel Espinosa(Safe House) will direct from a script byMatt SazamaandBurk Sharpless, who co-created the Netflix seriesLost in Space.Avi AradandMatt Tolmachare producing Morbius withLucas Foster, while Sony executivePalak Patelwill oversee the project for the studio. Production will begin in the next month or two, according to sources.
In the latest expansion of theSpider-Manuniverse, Leto will play Morbius, a world-renowned biochemist dying of an unknown blood disease, who injects himself with vampire bat DNA in hopes of being cured. Instead, he turns into a real vampire.
If I had to wager a guess regarding Smith’s role, I’d bet he’s playing Loxias, a good friend of Morbius who has the same unknown blood disease as him. When Loxias takes the so-called cure, he’s transformed into a killing machine, and it’s up to Morbius to stop him. I’d heard thatEddie Redmaynewas the top choice for the role and that Sony also made a play forJames McAvoy, both of whom are well-known to fanboys thanks to theFantastic BeastsandX-Menfranchises, respectively. Smith brings his own geek cred as the star ofDoctor Who,Terminator Genisysand, of course, his upcoming turn inStar Wars: Episode IX.
Morbius was created in 1971 and was positioned as one of Spider-Man’s many villains. The bloodthirsty character received his own series in 1992 withMorbius, the Living Vampire, which had a 32-issue run through April 1995.
I’ve never been a big fan of Smith’s work on the big screen, but I’m willing to give him another shot, as it’s hard to judge him based onLost River,Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesand that unwatchableTerminatormovie. After all, Smith recently earned an Emmy nomination for his turn as Prince Philip on the second season ofThe Crown. It’s a big year for his feature career, even withoutStar Wars. Not only does he have the spy thrillerOfficial Secretsdebuting at Sundance this month, but he next stars in the biopicMapplethorpeas well as the buzzy New Regency thrillerHis House. Smith is represented by UTA and Troika, and his casting was first reported byVariety.
