As a veteran movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of comic book adaptations and animated epics. This weekend, two new releases are joining the fray – “Kraven the Hunter” and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”.
“Kraven the Hunter” could get declawed in its big screen debut.
The upcoming spinoff film based on Sony’s Marvel characters, titled “Kraven the Hunter,” is projected to earn between $13 million and $15 million during its opening weekend in approximately 3,200 theaters. According to current predictions, this movie may compete with the underperforming February release “Madame Web” ($15.3 million debut) for the unfortunate title of having the lowest opening among Sony’s Marvel productions. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the main character in this film, which encountered numerous pandemic and strike-related delays during its production process. The budget for “Kraven” was initially estimated at $90 million but eventually rose to over $110 million due to last year’s writers and actors strikes. This is significantly more than the $80 million spent on “Madame Web,” although less than what rival studios like Disney or Warner Bros. usually invest in superhero films. “Kraven” was co-financed by TSG.
In the movie “Kraven the Hunter,” directed by J.C. Chandor, we delve into the backstory of Sergei Kravinoff, a character from the comics who is also known as Kraven the Hunter. This story encompasses his strained relationship with his crime lord father (played by Russell Crowe) and his ambition to become the world’s top hunter. Following “Venom: The Last Dance” in October, “Kraven” marks Sony’s third superhero adaptation related to Spider-Man this year. The symbiote trilogy, starring Tom Hardy, has demonstrated resilience against criticism and commercial success, though the last film didn’t reach the box office heights of its predecessors. So far, Sony hasn’t managed to create a comic book hit with their characters, except perhaps for “Venom.” They also faced challenges in 2022 with “Morbius,” a thriller inspired by vampires and starring Jared Leto as the villainous character who is one of Peter Parker’s well-known adversaries.
This coming weekend, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” by Warner Bros., an anime fantasy film based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters and set 183 years before the storyline of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, is hoping to earn single-digit figures during its opening weekend. With a budget of $30 million, it has received mixed reviews and managed to secure only $2 million from 31 territories during its international premiere last week. This weekend, it will be released in an additional 42 markets outside the U.S.
The “War of the Rohirrim” wasn’t primarily driven by box office success; instead, it was strategically developed and expedited to secure New Line Cinema’s rights for adapting Tolkien’s novels. This was crucial since Peter Jackson and the teams responsible for the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies were working on two new live-action films slated for 2026 and beyond. The first of these upcoming movies, provisionally named “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” will be helmed by and feature Andy Serkis as director and star.
Even though there are two fresh releases, it’s expected that Disney’s “Moana 2” will continue to hold the top position on domestic box office rankings for a third weekend in a row. It aims to earn an impressive $25 million to $28 million during its third week. Initially intended for streaming, this Polynesian-themed adventure has proven to be a blockbuster hit in cinemas, grossing $300 million in North America and over $600 million worldwide.
In the meantime, the “Wicked” adaptation from Universal is predicted to compete with “Kraven the Hunter” for the second position. Anticipated to earn around $18 million to $20 million in its fourth weekend, this blockbuster musical has already garnered a substantial $322 million domestically and $457 million globally. Currently, it holds the record as the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in domestic box office history, surpassing “Grease” ($188.62 million) from 1978, and ranks second behind “Mamma Mia” (2008) as the biggest worldwide stage-to-screen remake with earnings of $611 million.
In its fourth week, the second part of “Gladiator II,” often referred to as the companion film to “Glicked” (a blend of the two films sharing simultaneous release dates and spiritual successor to “Barbenheimer”), is anticipated to bring in approximately $6 million to $7 million. This quarter-century-in-the-making sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 Academy Award-winning film, “Gladiator,” has already grossed $132 million in North America and a staggering $368.4 million worldwide.
Both parts of the film “Glicked” have hefty price tags – Universal shelled out approximately $300 million for two “Wicked” films, while Paramount splurged over $250 million on “Gladiator II”. Consequently, they need substantial earnings to validate their high costs.
Read More
- SUI PREDICTION. SUI cryptocurrency
- „People who loved Dishonored and Prey are going to feel very at home.” Arkane veteran sparks appetite for new, untitled RPG
- LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
- Destiny 2: A Closer Look at the Proposed In-Game Mailbox System
- Clash Royale Deck Discussion: Strategies and Sentiments from the Community
- Jennifer Love Hewitt Made a Christmas Movie to Help Process Her Grief
- ICP PREDICTION. ICP cryptocurrency
- Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic Was Inspired By Akira And Cowboy Bebop
- Critics Share Concerns Over Suicide Squad’s DLC Choices: Joker, Lawless, and Mrs. Freeze
- EUR IDR PREDICTION
2024-12-11 01:46