Gary Ross to write and direct 'Venom'

Gary Ross is working out a deal with Columbia to rewrite and possibly direct "Venom," the “Spider-Man” spinoff that's been in development for quite a while already. It's based on one of Spidey's tough villains.

In "Spider-Man 3," Venom was played by Topher Grace, who played Peter Parker's rival and is later transformed into Spidey's opponent after being infected by a nasty alien organism sticking to his skin.

Variety says it is unlikely Grace will return to reprise the role, as the studio is looking to start a potential "Venom" franchise from scratch. In the film, Venom is the antihero turning into a defender of the innocent.

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Daily news dose: 'Year One' gets PG-13; Neeson, Fiennes join 'Clash of the Titans'

Here's your dose of film news for April 11, 2009:

• Harold Ramis' upcoming comedy "Year One" finally received a PG-13 rating following some cuts, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film stars Michael Cera and Jack Black as lazy hunter-gatherers banished from their village. I saw the trailer a couple of times and never laughed once, so I will walk into this one with the lowest possible expectations. It looks terrible.

• Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are set to star in Louis Leterrier's "Clash of the Titans." Neeson plays Zeus, father of Perseus (Sam Worthington), while Fiennes is on board to portray Hades. Mads Mikkelsen, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos co-star. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay wrote the script. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• That Sony is developing "Venom" is not exactly news, but here's the current project status: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have turned in a first draft and are waiting for a response. Reese said, "Then they had specific rules about the villain and the backstory and stuff like that, so there were certain things they wanted us... certain parameters they gave us." (ComingSoon)

• During his promotion tour for Joe Wright's upcoming "The Soloist," Robert Downey Jr. also spoke a bit about "Sherlock Holmes," due in theaters this December. Besides his desire for a PG-13 rating, the actor also said he thinks they're going to make a sequel if the first one scores. Read more at MTV.