As a lifelong cinema enthusiast who’s seen more superhero films than I can count (and that’s saying something!), I must admit that 2024 has been a year of underwhelming performances for our beloved comic book adaptations. The latest addition to this unfortunate list is Kraven the Hunter, a film that seems to have missed its mark by a country mile.
The movie titled “Kraven the Hunter,” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, hasn’t made much of an impact at the box office. Despite being the sixth and supposedly final film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, its release was marred by poor performance in both its opening weekend and subsequent second weekend. Unlike a formidable predator that would dominate the box office, “Kraven the Hunter” has been more like a timid animal, failing to outperform films like “Wicked” and “Moana 2.” Despite some movies managing to find success over holiday weekends, “Kraven the Hunter” has struggled to stand out amidst the crowd of new releases, with lesser-known characters such as a hedgehog and a lion outperforming the hunter.
According to Deadline, Kraven the Hunter saw a significant decline during its second weekend, earning only $3.1 million and ranking seventh at the box office. Compared to the drop of Joker: Folie à Deux earlier this year, Kraven’s 72% decrease might seem less severe, but it is still worse than Madame Web, which experienced a 61% drop between its first and second weekends. In just ten days since its release, Kraven the Hunter has managed to gather only $17.4 million, lagging behind the $28 million that Madame Web had earned at the same point in time, around early 2024.
With a domestic gross of only $17.4 million and a worldwide total of $42.8 million, the film “Kraven the Hunter” is struggling to recover its reported production cost of $130 million. This Sony Pictures release may hold the title for the lowest-earning Spider-Man character-based film, surpassing this year’s “Madame Web.” While “Madame Web” benefited from a “so bad it’s good” appeal that drew some viewers, “Kraven the Hunter” appears to have failed to generate any interest among moviegoers.
Kraven Brings the Terrible 2024 Superhero Box Office Track Record to a Close
2023 has been a challenging year for films adapted from comic books, with most of them underperforming at the box office compared to their expectations. The only notable exceptions are Deadpool and Wolverine, which have raked in an impressive $1.3 billion worldwide. Unfortunately, the majority of other movies based on comic book properties such as Venom: The Last Dance, Joker: Folie à Deux, and Madame Web have either been disappointing or outright flops at the box office. It seems that Kraven the Hunter may follow suit, potentially making it the least successful comic book film of the year, given its current trajectory, as it’s unlikely to surpass Joker: Folie à Deux’s $58 million domestic earnings.
2024 was a challenging year for the superhero film genre, but fans are optimistic that upcoming releases like “Superman” and “The Fantastic Four: First Footsteps” in 2025 will serve as a significant comeback and remind viewers of why they adore this genre and its characters. Although the genre is expected to recover, the image of one of Spider-Man’s most renowned villains may not. Kraven the Hunter was so well-liked that numerous directors, including Sam Raimi, Marc Webb, Jon Watts, and Ryan Coogler, sought to adapt the character when they entered the Marvel universe. If he had fought Spider-Man or Black Panther, his fanbase would likely have expanded significantly. Unfortunately, Kraven the Hunter will now be associated with one of the biggest box office failures. This could potentially be a silver lining because for anyone to have a negative association with the character, they would most likely have seen or remembered the movie, and given the ticket sales, few have or will.
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2024-12-23 08:01