It’s been a long road for Kraven the Hunter. The forthcoming sixth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has been delayed three times over the past two years. It was originally set to hit theaters on January 13, 2023, before its release date was pushed first to October 6, 2023, and then to August 30, 2024. It was delayed again from that date and is now on the verge of hitting theaters this coming December. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Kraven the Hunter will receive the enthusiastic welcome at the box office that Sony Pictures may have hoped it would.
According to Box Office Pro, Kraven the Hunter is currently expected to earn between $20 million and $25 million in its domestic opening weekend. If that estimate proves to be true, that will be a quiet opening for a film that reportedly cost north of $100 million to make. For further context, a $25 million opening would put Kraven the Hunter ahead of Madame Web, which grossed just $15.3 million at the domestic box office in its first weekend earlier this year, but below Morbius, which raked in a larger $39 million opening in its debut weekend back in April 2022.
This projection also suggests that Kraven the Hunter will fall short of Venom: The Last Dance‘s $51 million debut weekend domestic gross in October. (Venom: The Last Dance has, notably, performed worse than Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, both of which earned around $213 million at the domestic box office compared to The Last Dance‘s $133 million.)
None of this is, of course, good news for Kraven the Hunter. Not only are its early low estimates concerning but the new film is also expected to face some stiff competition as both Wicked: Part One and Moana 2 are expected to still be performing well in the early weeks of December when Kraven the Hunter makes its long-awaited theatrical debut. As an R-rated comic book movie, it’s possible its differences from its more family-friendly competition could help it, as could a surge of positive word-of-mouth hype.
A lot could, in other words, change for Kraven the Hunter before its opening day. For now, though, it’s looking like the film may bring Sony’s already uneven superhero year to a low-key, potentially disappointing close.
Kraven the Hunter is set to hit theaters on December 13.
