How ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Turned a Box Office Flop Into a Streaming Success Against All Odds

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Currently, many individuals are cautious about attending the cinema to watch a movie that may not captivate them. Although some movies might seem intriguing, moviegoers often choose to avoid the entire experience and instead stream these films at home. This decision could potentially cause certain films to underperform in theaters.

In Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, several films have followed this pattern, with the latest one being no exception. The only franchise that has truly thrived within the SSU is Venom, but other movies have often fallen short commercially. Kraven the Hunter was the third release in a year overflowing with SSU titles, and now, following its success on Netflix streaming platform, the superhero film has resurfaced in the charts once more. (Source: Box Office Mojo)

Even though FlixPatrol doesn’t disclose viewership figures, it’s clear that Kraven the Hunter was a significant success on Max in Central and South America. Debuting on April 26, it quickly rose to become the top movie in 20 different territories just the following day. On a global scale, Kraven the Hunter currently ranks third in popularity, trailing behind Jack Quaid’s and Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal’s , which is enjoying a new sequel in theaters at present.

In contrast to being the first R-rated film for the Sony Pictures Universe (SSU), many aspects worked positively for “Kraven the Hunter.” After the dismal critical reception and box office failure of “Madame Web” at the start of the year, as well as “Venom: The Last Dance” in October, “Kraven the Hunter” was unveiled during the holiday season with minimal promotion.

In the movie, Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrayed Sergei Kravinoff, who is more famously known as Kraven the Hunter. The narrative revolves around Kraven’s intricate bond with his harsh father, which pushes him towards vengeance, transforming him into the world’s greatest hunter and one of its most feared. Alongside Aaron, the film featured Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger, and Christopher Abbott. J.C. Chandor was in charge of directing, while Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway collaborated on the screenplay, with a story by Wenk.

Following its debut, Kraven the Hunter‘s reception was harshly criticized, leaving it weak to retaliate. The superhero movie received a dismal 15% from critics, which significantly hindered its potential for financial triumph at the box office. Despite the fact that the audience appreciated Kraven the Hunter, awarding it a 73% approval rating on Popcornmeter, it wasn’t sufficient to overcome these negative reviews.

The game that Kraven the Hunter aimed to bag was simply out of his league – it required more than $220 million to thrive, a feat that seemed unlikely given the unfavorable timing and negative reviews. Ultimately, Kraven the Hunter had to surrender its weaponry, managing to gather only $60 million in returns.

Following the recent triumph on Max, “Kraven the Hunter” made its debut on a streaming service on March 13 in the U.S. Despite not grabbing the top spot, its initial performance was promising, launching with 7.1 million views and 15 million hours watched within its first week (limited to just three days on the platform). This number grew further, with an additional 6 million views and a total of 12.8 million hours viewed in subsequent days.

What’s Next in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?

Despite Kraven the Hunter seemingly dealing a fatal blow to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it may not be as dire as it seems. In fact, there are indications that the franchise is still alive and kicking. Previous reports hinted at its demise, but a former Sony CEO suggested that we might see more from this universe in the future.

Previously, Sony has acknowledged they’ve been developing a project centered around Hypno-Hustler, with Donald Glover potentially portraying the character. Simultaneously, they’ve revealed plans for ‘El Muerto’, a film inspired by Spider-Man villains modeled after luchador wrestlers, starring Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. Contrastingly, Sony Studios will be releasing ‘Spider-Noir’, featuring Nicolas Cage, and collaborating with Marvel on ‘Spider-Man: New Beginnings’. At present, there are no announced feature films from the Sony Studios in the immediate future.

Kraven the Hunter is streaming on Netflix.

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2025-04-30 00:05