Sony's upcoming installment in their Spider-Man Universe, the Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led Kraven the Hunter, was delayed to December 2024. The studio has a clear Christmas reason for this change.
In an interview with Collider, producer Matt Tolmach spoke to Collider about his new series, Dark Matter. The release date change was an effort to release Kraven the Hunter during the “best release period.”
“Kraven moved to Christmas because we're excited about it and Christmas is the best release period there is, when you get people with time to go back to the movies over and over again,” Tolmach said. “That was a real reflection of how the studio felt about the movie. We're really excited.
“But that's a great move that reflects just the feeling about the movie,” he continued.
So, it sounds like Sony is banking on Kraven the Hunter's rewatchability during the Christmas break. Tolmach has a point — school will be out for many kids when the film comes out on December 13.
What is Kraven the Hunter about?
Kraven the Hunter is the origin story of its title character. Taylor-Johnson stars in the film as Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven, a big-game hunter. He is eager to prove himself as the greatest hunter of them all.
Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe also star in the film. Crowe plays Kraven's father, Nikolai.
J. C. Chandoor directed the film based on a script from Richard Wank, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Wank also developed the story. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and David Householter will produce the film.
Kraven the Hunter is Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s latest venture in the comic book movie genre. He previously starred in Kick-Ass and the MCU. In the MCU, Taylor-Johnson played Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Since then, Taylor-Johnson has starred in the likes of Tenet, The King's Man, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy. He started his career with standout roles in Shanghai Knights and Nowhere Boy.
Coming up, Taylor-Johnson will star in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu. The film is a remake of the 1922 German film of the same name. Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Simon McBurney, and Ralph Ineson will also star in the film.
Sony's Spider-Man Universe
Even after being delayed, Kraven the Hunter will be the sixth entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. The franchise kicked off in 2018 with the Tom Hardy-led Venom film. In 2021, a sequel, Let There Be Carnage, was released.
The Venom films were both box office successes. Venom grossed over $850 million at the box office. Let There Be Carnage grossed over $500 million despite coming out during the pandemic. That brings the Venom series' cumulative total to over $1.3 billion.
Things began going downhill when Morbius was released in 2022. The film was a flop after grossing just $167 million worldwide during its theatrical run. The Sony Spider-Man Universe's troubles continued when Madame Web was released in 2024. It barely topped $100 million at the box office and opened to just $15.3 million domestically.
At least before Kraven the Hunter is released, the Sony Spider-Man Universe has Venom: The Last Dance coming out. The film will be released in October 2024 and could possibly put the franchise back on track.
Kraven the Hunter will be released on December 13.
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