After the disappointing performance of Madame Web in theaters earlier this year, fans of the expanding live-action super-villain franchise were understandably worried about what that means for the future of the Spider-Man universe at Sony. When the studio announced that Kraven The Hunter was getting yet another release date shift, audiences wondered if it meant there were doubts about this franchise entry as well. During an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub to promote his Apple TV+ series, Dark Matter, Kraven producer Matt Tolmach addressed the change and explained why Sony ultimately decided to release the movie at Christmas.
Tolmach told Collider that the date selection was just a matter of strategy since moving Kraven away from its former late summer release date meant that the movie wouldn’t have to fight for its space against other established franchises. With a reduced number of superhero movies being released in 2024, Kraven gets to fill that void in December. He stated:
” 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. 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.”
Christmas Might Be A Good Time For ‘Kraven’
A December release date might indeed benefit Kraven the Hunter. During Christmas, the superhero movie will offer something distinctly different from Wicked and Mufasa: The Lion King on either side of its release date. But since Kraven is aimed at older audiences, the film also gets a jump on December’s other adult offering, Nosferatu, by coming out two weeks earlier. If Sony had stuck with the previous August 30 release, Kraven could have had a hard time competing with the highly anticipated R-rated reimagining of The Crow.
Kraven The Hunter will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) as the title character — a famous Spider-Man villain who sets out to become the best animal hunter in the world. From what we know, the story will be set before Sergei Kravinoff meets and develops a vendetta against Peter Parker. The cast also features Russell Crowe (The Pope’s Exorcist), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Christopher Abbott (Poor Things), Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark), Chi Lewis-Parry (Gladiator 2) and Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus).
