Forget the web-slinging, it’s time for some big-game hunting.
“Kraven the Hunter,” the latest (and possibly final) entry in Sony’s universe of Spider-Man villains, has made $2 million in Thursday previews at the box office.
The R-rated Sony super-villain film is projected to make a disappointing $13 million to $15 million in its opening weekend. A debut in that range would make it the lowest opening weekend ever between the “Venom” trilogy, “Morbius” and even the universally criticized “Madame Web,” which opened with $15.3 million earlier this year. The COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes delayed the “Kraven” and ballooned its budget to $110 million from $90 million.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars in the movie, directed by J.C. Chandor, as Sergei Kravinoff, better known to Spider-Man fans as the fearsome, big-game hunter Kraven. The movie plots his origins and complicated relationship with his father and ruthless crime lord Nikolai (Russell Crowe) that sets him on the path to become a buff, leather jacket-wearing villain. The cast includes Oscar winner Ariana DeBose as Kraven’s love interest Calypso; “Gladiator II” villain Fred Hechinger as Chameleon, Kraven’s half-brother and a master of disguise; Alessandro Nivola as the thick-skinned crime boss the Rhino; and Christopher Abbott as mercenary the Foreigner.
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Universal’s musical “Wicked” will battle “Kraven” for second place, as it looks for $18 million to $20 million in its fourth week of release. Also opening this weekend is Warner Bros.’ animated “Lord of the Rings” prequel, “The War of the Rohirrim,” which is aiming for a $6 million to $7 million launch. It made $625,000 in Thursday previews. However, Disney’s “Moana 2” should have no problem keeping the box office crown for the third straight week, as it eyes $25 million to $28 million this weekend.