Kraven The Hunter Hit With Massive Delay Weeks Before Release
Kraven the Hunter has become the latest casualty of the ongoing Writers’ and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The movie, featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role, has been pushed from its original October 6 release to August 30, 2024. Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse, which was set for release on March 29, 2024, has been delayed indefinitely, KoiMoi reports.
Sony has pushed the release of Kraven the Hunter from October 6, 2023, to March 30, 2024, due to the Hollywood strikes.
Kraven Hunter’s journey to the big screen has been fascinating as he was initially considered for different movie appearances until Sony decided to give the character his own film. Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the project marks the supervillain’s first appearance in a major movie. The film is a collaborative effort between Columbia Pictures and Marvel, with direction by J.C. Chandor and a screenplay by Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway.
Wenk was brought on board in 2018, with Marcum and Holloway following soon after. Chandor entered negotiations to direct Kraven the Hunter in 2020 and was confirmed in May 2021, coinciding with Taylor-Johnson’s casting. Additional casting took place in early 2022.
Levi Miller will portray a young Sergei Kravinoff. Ariana DeBose portrays Calypso, a voodoo priestess, and Kraven’s love interest. Russell Crowe appears as Nikolai Kravinoff, Kraven’s estranged father.
Fred Hechinger takes on the role of Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon, Kraven’s estranged half-brother who is a master of disguise. Christopher Abbott will portray the Foreigner, a mercenary and assassin, while Alessandro Nivola will play Aleksei Sytsevich / Rhino.
Filming began in late March 2022 in London, England, continuing until mid-June. The production also included shooting in Iceland and Glasgow. In April 2022, Sony debuted footage from Kraven the Hunter as part of a “showreel” featuring their upcoming films at CinemaCon.
Kraven treats his adversaries as equals, leading to instances where the character is portrayed as more of an antihero and an ally of Spider-Man.
The first official trailer for Kraven the Hunter was unveiled during Sony’s panel at CinemaCon in April 2023. On June 19, the trailer leaked online, prompting the release of the official movie poster and a red-band trailer on the same day. While plot details have not been disclosed, the story is said to follow Kraven’s quest to become the world’s ultimate predator and preeminent Hunter.
Kraven the Hunter in Comics
Kraven the Hunter first appeared in Marvel comics in The Amazing Spider-Man #15, which hit shelves in 1964. The character quickly gained fame as one of the web-slinger’s most formidable foes. He holds a prominent place in Spider-Man‘s rogues’ gallery and is considered a founding member of the Sinister Six alongside Doctor Octopus, Electro, Vulture, Mysterio, and Sandman.
According to the comic book lore, Sergei Kravinoff (later known as Kraven the Hunter) emerged as a skilled tracker and big game hunter in Africa, developing an obsession with capturing Spider-Man to prove his worth. Driven by a strong sense of honor, he treats his adversaries as equals, leading to instances where the character is portrayed as more of an antihero and an ally of Spider-Man.
The almost year-long delay of Kraven the Hunter is a major blow to fans that have been waiting to see the supervillain make his big-screen debut for a while. If the strikes end soon, the movie may get bumped up the Sony release schedule. Only time will tell.
