MOVIE NEWS – Far from dominating the box office, Kraven the Hunter experienced a significant decline in its second weekend, following a lackluster debut. The sixth and potentially final installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), Kraven the Hunter features Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Spider-Man villain, reinterpreted here as an anti-hero.
After a series of postponements, the movie finally premiered to a meager reception, being overshadowed by holdovers Wicked and Moana 2. While some films manage to gain momentum during the holiday season, Kraven the Hunter has been overshadowed by new releases, with both animated and live-action competition outperforming the film.
Dismal Box Office Performance
According to Deadline, Kraven the Hunter plummeted by 72% in its second weekend, landing at number 7 on the box office charts with a mere $3.1 million over the three-day weekend. While this 72% drop might not be as severe as Joker: Folie à Deux‘s 81% fall earlier this year, it surpasses the performance of Madame Web, which saw a 61% decrease from its first to its second weekend, and even Morbius, which declined by 62%. In its first 10 days of release, Kraven the Hunter has amassed a disappointing $17.4 million domestically, falling short of Madame Web‘s $28 million during the same timeframe at the start of 2024.
With a domestic total of only $17.4 million and a global tally of $42.8 million, Kraven the Hunter faces an uphill battle to recoup its reported $130 million production budget anytime soon. Kraven the Hunter is on track to become the lowest-grossing film based on a Spider-Man character, a record previously held by Madame Web. While Madame Web managed to attract some attention due to its “so bad it’s good” reputation, Kraven the Hunter seems to be struggling to find an audience.
A Bleak Year for Superhero Films Concludes with Kraven
Kraven the Hunter serves as a disappointing conclusion to what has been a challenging year for comic book adaptations. With the notable exception of Deadpool & Wolverine (a significant outlier, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide), all major comic book movies have either underperformed (Venom: The Last Dance) or outright bombed (Joker: Folie à Deux, Madame Web) at the box office. At its current pace, Kraven the Hunter may end up as the year’s lowest-grossing comic book film, as it is unlikely to even match Joker: Folie à Deux‘s $58 million domestic total.
Source: MovieWeb
