There's no doubting that the latest Venom movie has one of the most fitting titles possible: Venom: Let There Be Carnage. It sounds so over-the-top and goofy, and yet, it is actually a smart play on words for the movie's villain. However, before the title was first announced, there were a number of other title ideas floating around the studio, one of which had a much deeper meaning than it may first appear: Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Director Andy Serkis spoke in an interview with Collider about how Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart was the ongoing title before Let There Be Carnage. "We did think for a moment it might be called Love Will Tear Us Apart, that was a going concern for a little while. But Let There Be Carnage just seems to do it," Serkis stated. And much like the film's current title, there's more than one way to look at it.
On the surface, the alternate title speaks about Eddie Brock and Venom's relationship. While sounding cheesy, there's no denying the loving, albeit complicated, relationship the two share as they live every moment of their lives together. They are also certainly being torn apart. With Eddie's desire to resume living a normal life and Venom's desire to eat bad guys, there's a little bit of a clash in what each other wants in life.
However, Love Will Tear Us Apart is actually named after a 1980 song by the band Joy Division. Though the themes are in the film, the song's overall tone is much darker than that of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The song's lyrics talk about marital problems and mental illness, inspired by lead singer Ian Curtis' personal life. Sadly, Ian Curtis took his own life just one month before the single was released and never had the chance to see the impact it would have on people.
Titling the movie Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart could've been a nice tribute to the band and Ian Curtis, so it's sad that they didn't stick with it. However, it's understandable why the studio didn't go with the title. After all, it may have been a little too heavy for a movie about two alien symbiotes battling it out. And admittedly, the Let There Be Carnage works all too well on many levels.
To decide if Venom: Let There Be Carnage went with the right title, the film is in theaters now.
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