While Sony gave the film a promotional push in recent weeks, it seems the film’s dreadful reviews – including a one-star pan from The Independent, who called it “abysmal” – affected cinemagoers’ desire to watch it: Kraven the Hunter had the worst opening weekend of any Sony-produced Marvel film.
The film pulled in just $11m (£8.7m) in the US and $15m (£11.8m) globally, earning it overall takings of $26m (£20.5m) – an even more meagre amount when considering it cost between $110-$150m (£86.9m-£118.5m). As of 22 December, the film had made just $30.2m (£24m).
These global takings sit behind the equally-as-maligned Morbius, starring Jared Leto, which took $39m. Madame Web was another Spider-Man spin-off released by Sony and, while despised by the critics, it amassed half of its budget back in the opening weekend alone, with takings of $49.1m.
Sony did enjoy big success with the Venom franchise, which became a sleeper hit when it launched in 2018.
The first Venom made $856.1m (£676.2m) with 2021 sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage amassing $506.8m (£400.3m).
Meanwhile, the third and final entry in the series, Venom: The Last Dance, has made $475.5m (£375.6m) since being released earlier this year. At the time of writing, this makes it the ninth highest-grossing film of the year.
While Sony gave the film a promotional push in recent weeks, it seems the film’s dreadful reviews – including a one-star pan from The Independent, who called it “abysmal” – affected cinemagoers’ desire to watch it: Kraven the Hunter had the worst opening weekend of any Sony-produced Marvel film.
I know reviews can have an impact, but these kinds of movies tend to thrive or fail more on the advertising and word of mouth. Otherwise, poorly reviewed movies wouldn’t succeed, and plenty of action movies are wildly successful without positive reviews.
Media outlets like to inflate their own self importance. See it all the time.
I’m not the target audience, so perhaps this had no effect, but the name seems really dumb. There’s a sign for it right outside my window and work and I just keep thinking “Kowardly: the hunter”
Like Morbius, Kraven was a B-tier villain that nobody really cared about or wanted to see a movie of. I’m convinced this is all just some kind of money laundering scheme because there’s no way Sony executives keep thinking this will work.
I think a lot of these movies entered production after the first 2 Venom movies. By the time Sony realized they weren’t going to see the same success, it was too late to pull the plug. I think Kraven is the last one in the pipe so I doubt we’ll see anymore. Even Venom 3 didn’t do that great.
It’s a good theory. But keep in mind: these are corporate executives. They can barely check their own email.
I think riding marvels coattails only goes so far
It’s not the worst of the SS-MU but Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a lot of heavy lifting. Just hurry up and make him Bond.
“It has a woman in the lead role” - every movie review website & most of the general internet
It does? Not, uh… Kraven?
Not this one, I’m just guessing at why the movie etc etc
Absolutely no one is saying that about Kraven.
Try to more discerning with your manufactured outrage.
I thought it wasn’t that bad. I liked the action sequences and what they were trying to do with the story. If the dialogue wasn’t so hacked together I would have liked it much better.
so… sony pictures i a money laundering scheme, right? am i crazy to think this?
A bit like the career of Uwe Boll, I wonder if it’s a tax scam.
he’s so hot wtf
