Sony’s highly anticipated superhero film Kraven the Hunter had a disappointing debut, failing to live up to expectations despite the fame of its iconic comic book villain. The movie, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the notorious foe of Spider-Man, opened with a modest $11 million from 3,211 theaters, landing at No. 3 on the domestic box office charts. This result marks a significant underperformance for Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters (SUMC), especially considering that Kraven was supposed to be a major addition to Sony’s expanding superhero universe. In fact, Kraven debuted behind Madame Web, another underwhelming project from Sony that earned $15.3 million in its opening weekend earlier this year.
The disappointing start of Kraven is compounded by its overwhelmingly negative critical reception. The film holds an abysmal 15% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a clear indication that critics found little to praise in the movie. Additionally, Kraven received a “C” grade on CinemaScore, a measurement of audience feedback that further indicates the film did not resonate with the general public. The combination of these poor reviews and a soft opening suggests that the movie is unlikely to experience a significant box office rebound in the coming weeks. In fact, barring any holiday miracles, it seems that Kraven the Hunter is headed for a quick exit from theaters with a weak performance overall.
Sony’s Ongoing Struggles with Spider-Man Offshoots
Kraven the Hunter is Sony’s third Spider-Man-adjacent film of 2024, following the release of Venom: The Last Dance and the controversial Madame Web. While the Venom films, led by Tom Hardy as the antihero symbiote, have been relatively successful at the box office, with the first two installments grossing well over $850 million globally, the third film of the franchise has failed to live up to its predecessors. Venom 3 didn’t achieve the same box office highs as its predecessors, signaling a potential decline in audience interest. However, Venom still remains one of Sony’s better-performing superhero franchises, showing that there’s still some strength in its corner of the Spider-Man universe.
But beyond Venom, Sony has struggled to produce successful films focused on lesser-known Spider-Man villains. The studio’s attempt to build a larger cinematic universe with characters like Morbius (played by Jared Leto) and Madame Web has faltered badly. Morbius, a 2022 film centered on the vampire villain of the same name, opened with an underwhelming $39 million and was ultimately panned by both critics and audiences. This failure further highlights Sony’s struggles to replicate the success of its Venom franchise and raise the profile of other Spider-Man characters.
The underperformance of Kraven the Hunter adds to this troubling track record for Sony. These movies, often based on lesser-known characters from the Spider-Man comic universe, have failed to capture the same magic as Marvel’s more prominent heroes like Spider-Man himself, who continues to be one of the most beloved and commercially successful superheroes in cinema history. Kraven the Hunter was expected to be a potential hit for Sony, but its failure suggests that the market for these offshoot films may be oversaturated or simply not as appealing as initially thought.
High Production Costs and a Lackluster Response
Kraven the Hunter came with a hefty price tag, costing upwards of $110 million to produce. The film was originally budgeted at around $90 million, but costs ballooned following the strikes by writers and actors in 2023. This meant that production was delayed, resulting in higher expenses as the filmmakers had to rework and refine the story while also waiting for the talent to return to work after the strikes were settled. Despite the extra effort and investment, the results at the box office have been disappointing.
Directed by J.C. Chandor, Kraven the Hunter explores the origins of Sergei Kravinoff, the alter ego of Kraven, and his journey to become the world’s greatest hunter. The character’s complex backstory is explored through a troubled relationship with his crime lord father (played by Russell Crowe), as Kraven is driven by a need to prove himself. However, the film’s grim tone, the controversial R-rating, and its convoluted plot may have alienated potential audiences. Despite a strong lead performance by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kraven has failed to attract the attention of either critics or moviegoers.
Box office analyst David A. Gross explained that Kraven’s budget was adjusted to reflect the realities of the market, but that $110 million production cost is still high for a film that isn’t resonating with audiences. As superhero films have become more common in the cinematic landscape, it has become clear that only the most established brands—like Marvel’s Avengers franchise or Spider-Man: No Way Home—can consistently rake in high earnings at the box office. For films like Kraven that focus on niche characters, maintaining high production values may not be enough to guarantee success. Unfortunately for Sony, Kraven the Hunter appears to be another misstep in their superhero movie ambitions.
Warner Bros. Faces Setback with “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. experienced its own setback this weekend with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an anime-style fantasy film set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The film opened in fifth place with a meager $4.6 million from 2,602 theaters, which is considered a weak start for a franchise as beloved as The Lord of the Rings. The film carries a modest budget of $30 million, so while its losses may not be catastrophic for Warner Bros., the film’s weak reception at the box office still signals that it may not achieve the kind of success the studio was hoping for.
This animated film, set 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, focuses on the story of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, and his fight against invading forces. Although War of the Rohirrim was well-received by some fans for its lush animation and connection to Tolkien’s world, the film failed to generate enough buzz to translate into strong ticket sales. Additionally, the film opened to a tepid “B” grade on CinemaScore, further reflecting that its appeal was limited.
For Warner Bros., the War of the Rohirrim film was more about protecting its intellectual property rights to the Tolkien works than it was about making a huge box office splash. The movie was fast-tracked to ensure that New Line Cinema wouldn’t lose the film rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved works as the studio works on two live-action Lord of the Rings films scheduled for release in 2026 and beyond. The first of these films, tentatively titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed by and star Andy Serkis. While the box office may not have been the primary concern for War of the Rohirrim, the film’s weak performance still indicates that there may be challenges ahead for this side of the Lord of the Rings franchise.
“Moana 2” and “Wicked” Continue to Dominate
While Kraven and The War of the Rohirrim struggled, Disney’s Moana 2 continued to soar at the box office. The animated sequel, which was originally commissioned for streaming, has now become a major theatrical hit. In its third consecutive weekend at No. 1, Moana 2 earned $26.6 million from 4,000 theaters, bringing its total earnings in North America to $337.5 million. Globally, the film has grossed $717 million, marking it as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. With the holiday season just beginning, Moana 2 is well on its way to becoming one of the top films of 2024.
Right behind Moana 2 is Wicked, the big-budget musical adaptation of the popular Broadway show. The film continues to perform strongly, earning $22.5 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $359 million. With an additional $524 million globally, Wicked has become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in U.S. box office history. Its success at the box office is further proof that the demand for musicals, especially those based on popular properties, remains strong with audiences.
“Gladiator II” Holds Steady, Ready for the Holiday Push
Also performing well was Gladiator II, which earned $7.8 million in its fourth weekend of release. The long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning Gladiator continues to perform strongly, bringing its North American total to $145.9 million and its global earnings to over $398.5 million. Given the film’s continued success and the holiday season on the horizon, it is likely to remain a strong performer at the box office.
Looking Ahead to the Holiday Movie Season
Heading into the busy holiday season, box office revenues overall are down 4.8% compared to 2023 and 23% behind 2019, according to Comscore. However, films like Moana 2 and Wicked are expected to continue to dominate the box office until Christmas, with several other highly anticipated films opening in the days leading up to the holidays. On December 20, audiences will be treated to the release of Disney’s Mufasa (a prequel to The Lion King), Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and A24’s Babygirl. Additionally, on December 25, Nosferatu (a remake of the 1922 silent horror film) and A Complete Unknown, a biographical drama about Bob Dylan starring Timothée Chalamet, will land in theaters.
Until then, the box office will remain dominated by Moana 2 and Wicked, with audiences flocking to theaters for some much-needed holiday cheer. The upcoming releases could help boost box office numbers, but for now, Disney’s Moana and Wicked continue to rule the multiplexes, and Kraven the Hunter will have to wait for a potential redemption in the home viewing market.
