In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
Post production sound was centered at Sony Pictures in Culver City, with sound editorial led by supervising sound editors Andrew DeCristofaro and Darren 'Sunny' Warkentin. Final mixing was performed by re-recording mixers Kevin O’Connell and Tony Lamberti in the studio’s 334-seat Cary Grant Theater.
The soundtrack incorporates many of the sonic elements that made the first two films in the series so much fun while ratcheting things up several notches for the thrilling finale.
“The sound teams for the earlier films did an incredible job at bringing the world of Venom to life,” says Warkentin. “We wanted to be true to that so that the characters feel like they are part of that same world. At the same time, we introduce many new characters and story points that were both highly entertaining and challenging to create.”
Those new elements include the film’s diverse cast of alien creatures known as symbiotes.
“We had a purple symbiote with electrical powers, a green symbiote with spidery tentacles, and a symbiote with lava running through its body,” notes DeCristofaro. “Each one needed individualized sound matching their personalities and physical characteristics. Their voices and body movements had to be instantly recognizable as some appear only briefly during the climax amid intense action.”
Vocalizations for symbiotes with dialogue were created by manipulating and augmenting the voices of human actors.
“We wanted the symbiotes to have a human quality and express authentic human emotion,” Warkentin explains. “We recorded actors both individually and in loop groups. We then layered them with different sound effects, including animal sounds, to bring out their creature side.”
The various elements of the symbiote sound treatments came together during the final mix. Lamberti points to the Green symbiote, who enters the body of Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham), as an example of how layers of sound are used to complement an actor’s performance.
“The character has a very deep voice, and he talks slowly,” Lamberti observes. “The sound editors prepped tracks with growling and a low-end rumble tailored to specific lines. In the mix that was melded together so that you feel his presence. You sense that he is a big character and that what he says has gravity.”
Sound artists also created the sound of the Xenophage, a ferocious symbiote hunter loyal to Knull, the film’s chief villain. The creature has multiple spindly legs and terrifying, razor-sharp teeth.
“When you first see the Xenophage, in a slow-motion fight aboard an airplane, you think, ‘Wow,’” DeCristofaro relates. “The creature has thousands of rotating teeth that it uses to grind and pulverize its prey. Creating those sounds was a challenge, but they give the character weight and texture. You don’t feel the creature until you hear it.”
A central plot of the film involves a mysterious device called Codex that is embedded in Venom’s body. DeCristofaro says that sound is used to help the audience understand what the Codex is and how it functions.
“The Codex embodies a pulsating lifeforce,” he explains. “We used a combination of pure energy and organic sounds. But we found something that sounded perfect in one scene did not stand out against the background in other sequences. So, in certain moments, we went with a sound that was more tonal, more pure energy. The important thing was to maintain continuity so that, no matter what was going on, you can identify what you’re hearing as Codex.”
The sound work wasn’t all about alien creatures. The team also created ambiances for locations, notably a giant government laboratory located below Area 51 in Nevada.
“We wanted the site to feel like a scientific facility, but also a fortress,” says Warkentin. “The facility is being decommissioned, so there are times when you hear explosions and giant rattling happening on the surface.”
Sound design plays an especially impactful role in the film’s opening and closing scenes. The opener features Knull imprisoned on the dark planet Klyntar and surrounded by his Xenophage minions.
“The sound is organic and textured,” notes DeCristofaro. “There’s a lot of movement. You hear the tentacles as they wrap around Knull. We establish an ominous feeling that sets up the story that follows.”
The closing is an extended battle set in the Area 51 lab where multiple symbiotes engage with the Xenophage in waves of stellar action.
“Sound helps guide the audience, and indicate what they should be paying attention to,” says Warkentin. “If the focus is on Venom, then maybe we don’t need to hear the guys in the background firing guns. With so much happening so quickly, it can be hard to keep up. Sound helps clarify the action.”
“A human listener can only latch on to two or three things at a time,” agrees Lamberti. “So, in mixing the final track, we become very specific at each moment in deciding what the audience hears. Over the years, Kevin and I have developed a shorthand for how we approach big action scenes to maintain focus, tension and excitement.”
O’Connell notes that the sound team worked with enthusiasm and shared purpose, and he credits director Kelly Marcel for setting a strong vision.
“Kelly was a joy to collaborate with,” says O’Connell. “She encouraged us to explore, create and experiment. She wanted the movie to be consistent with its predecessor while still sounding fresh and unique, and she gave us the ability to do that.”
“We’re ecstatic with this soundtrack,” concludes Lamberti. “Andrew, Sunny, Kevin and I banded together to ensure that this was the best Venom yet. It starts with the opening moment and continues through to the epic final battle. It goes like gangbusters. It’s exciting, dynamic and loads of fun.”
Venom: The Last Dance is now available to buy or rent on digital.