The team behind Kraven the Hunter has broken their silence on the real reason why Sony decided to push back the movie’s release date from summer to this winter: so that fans can enjoy the movie more over the snowy season.
"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," said producer Matt Tolmach in an interview with Collider, "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."
Starring Aaron Taylor Johnson as the Marvel villain, Kraven the Hunter was previously set to be released on August 30, 2024, but was pushed back this April to December 13, 2024, closer to Christmas. But that’s not the first time the Spider-Man spin-off has been shifted, it’s actually the fourth as its original release date was January 13, 2023, but was bumped to October 6, 2023, and then moved to August 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
However, Sony’s hopes for a bigger release at a later date may fall short as it did with its 2022 movie Morbius’ infamous rerelease. Joining Sony's Spider-Man Universe after Venom and Venon 2, Morbius hit theaters on April 1 making $160 million at the global box office, but after the movie started to grow in popularity online, spawning a whole collection of Morbius-themed memes, the studio decided to rerelease it in hopes of drawing in more viewers. However, the rerelease didn't go to plan as after it was added to over 1,000 theaters beginning on June 3, it only managed to stir up $300,000.
But who knows, maybe the tactical date will work for Kraven. The movie follows Taylor-Johnson as Russian autocratic turned people hunter Sergei Kravinoff, AKA Kraven, an infamous Marvel villain who first appeared in 1964's Amazing Spider-Man #15. As per the official synopsis, the film will be set "before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man" and will tell "the visceral story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be."
Alongside the Kick-Ass star, the cast also includes Ariana DeBose, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe.
Kraven the Hunter will hit theaters on December 13, 2024. For more, check out our guide to the other biggest upcoming superhero movies, or keep up to date with all upcoming movies heading your way in 2024 and beyond.
