Long-delayed Sony/Marvel movie “Kraven the Hunter” hit theaters this week and is on track to gross just $10-12 million in its opening weekend. That’s a poorer result than “Madame Web” ($15.3 million domestic debut), made even worse by the fact that “Kraven” had a slightly bigger production budget of around $110 million. Directed by J.C Chandor and starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role as Sergei Kravinoff, a vigilante with animal-like strength and reflexes, “Kraven the Hunter” was part of Sony’s efforts to capitalize on its stable of Marvel Comics characters.
The studio has previously had success with “Venom,” which improbably overcame the absence of Spider-Man and found commercial success, while also finding its way into the hearts of many fans. “Venom: The Last Dance” was the only Sony/Marvel movie to turn a profit at the box office this year, though it still had the lowest total ticket sales of the trilogy. “Madame Web” wrapped up its theatrical run with a little over $100 million globally.
Word of mouth is unlikely to save “Kraven the Hunter” in the coming weeks. The movie now has a dismal C grade from CinemaScore, based on audience exit polling, to go with its similarly disastrous Rotten Tomatoes score. Between the lingering success of “Moana 2” (still No. 1) and “Wicked,” plus incoming competition from “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Mufasa: The Lion King” next week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see “Kraven” crushed out of the box office top 5 in its second weekend.
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