Kelly Marcel

Kelly Marcel began her film and television career as an actor in supporting roles on British television but quit acting to pursue screenwriting, leading to collaborations with actor Tom Hardy including her first feature film jobs as script editor on Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn’s crime thriller, Bronson (2008), starring Hardy, and the British crime thriller, The Heavy (2009), with Gary Stretch and Vinnie Jones.

Marcel sold her first screenplay (with Sue Smith receiving co-writer credit) to Disney, the acclaimed comedy-drama Saving Mr. Banks (2013), co-starring Emma Thompson (as Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers), Tom Hanks (as Walt himself), Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford and Colin Farrell under John Lee Hancock’s direction, and grossing a healthy $118 million worldwide.

Marcel received solo screenwriting credit for Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated screen adaptation of E.L. James’ best-selling erotic novel, Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), co-starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan under Sam Taylor-Johnson’s direction, which was trounced by critics after premiering at the Berlin film festival but grossing a spectacular $569.7 million take (against $40 million costs).

Kelly Marcel reunited as co-writer and executive producer with her longtime creative partner Tom Hardy for a very fruitful Marvel Cinematic Universe three-movie franchise (under the Columbia Pictures producing umbrella and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing), starting with Venom (2018), starring Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom, with Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze and Reid Scott under Ruben Fleischer’s direction, and grossing a powerhouse $856 million (against $116 million).

Marcel—between Venom projects–was story co-author on Disney’s 101 Dalmations franchise reboot, Cruella (2021), starring Emma Stone in the title role of Cruella de Vil, with Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Mark Strong, but had only $233.5 million returns (barely topping total costs) during the COVID-19 period.

Marcel returned as the sole screenwriter of the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), again starring Tom Hardy and returning cast members Michelle Williams and Reid Scott, along with newcomers Naomie Harris, Stephen Graham, and Woody Harrelson under Andy Serkis’ direction, and earned $507 million (on a $110 million budget) for Columbia/Sony.

Marcel made her feature directorial debut and was also the sole screenwriter, story co-author (with star Hardy), and producer on the final film in Columbia/Sony’s three-film MCU franchise, Venom: The Last Dance (2024), with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham, budgeted similarly to the second film at around $110 million.