The numbers are in, and it’s a rough start for Sony’s latest Spider-Man spinoff, Kraven the Hunter. After years of delays, the $110 million antihero flick opened with a feeble $4.7 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,211 locations. To put that in perspective: it’s less than the $6 million opening day of Madame Web, a film whose February release was met with yawns and wrapped its domestic run with $43 million.
If Kraven claws its way to the low end of expectations—a $13 million opening weekend—it still faces an uphill battle to profitability. A CinemaScore of C doesn’t inspire much hope either. That’s a grade lower than the infamous Morbius (C+) and hardly better than Madame Web (also C+). Sony might want to rethink its live-action Marvel strategy outside of Venom, whose trilogy remains the only spinoff showing any real bite.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ animated prequel The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opened in fifth place with $2 million from 2,602 theaters. Though expectations for this $30 million Tolkien spin-off were modest, it’s hard to ignore how underwhelming that number is for such a beloved franchise. Sure, it’s technically “mission accomplished”—New Line Cinema retains the Tolkien rights, and there’s already another project (The Hunt for Gollum) on the way—but shouldn’t the legacy of Middle-earth be setting trends, not quietly cashing in?
The IP Rollercoaster: Hits, Misses, and What’s Next
For Kraven, the excuses write themselves: an R rating, bad buzz, and a release date shuffled more times than a Vegas card deck. But what about Rohirrim? Anime has been booming stateside—just look at the $20 million-plus openings for Demon Slayer: Mugen Train or Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Yet the Rohirrim campaign lacked the spark to ignite a broader audience. Even diehard Tolkien fans might’ve missed the memo that this project existed.
The bright side? The relatively small budget cushions the blow, and Warner Bros. keeps their hands on the precious Tolkien IP. The downside? A B CinemaScore and tepid reviews suggest that fans of Middle-earth might not rush to support the next installment without better marketing or storytelling.
Meanwhile, on the Box Office Throne…
Disney’s Moana 2 continues to ride a tidal wave of success, clinching the No. 1 spot for the third weekend in a row. Friday’s $6 million haul brings its domestic total to $320 million in just 15 days. That makes it one of the top five North American releases of the year, proving that Moana isn’t just riding nostalgia but creating a cultural moment.
Right behind it is Universal’s Wicked, which added $5.8 million on Friday and will cross $350 million domestically this weekend. Expect it to leapfrog Despicable Me 4 ($361 million) to become Universal’s crown jewel of the year.
In fourth, Gladiator II held steady with $2.1 million on Friday, signaling a modest 40% drop in its fourth weekend. By Sunday, it will surpass $145 million domestically, comfortably outperforming peers like Venom: The Last Dance ($139 million) and A Quiet Place: Day One ($138 million). A solid run for swords and sandals in a marketplace increasingly dominated by capes and CGI.
Takeaways
Kraven the Hunter is shaping up to be another cautionary tale about the risks of franchise fatigue and over-reliance on IP. Rohirrim shows that even a storied brand like The Lord of the Rings can’t coast on its name alone. And as always, Disney’s animated juggernaut proves that when the product delivers, the audience shows up.
For now, it’s clear that the winners at the box office are the films that know their audience—and deliver with precision. Until Sony figures that out, it seems Kraven is destined to fade quietly into the background.
“Follow the money, follow the story.”
