The box office performance forecast for Kraven the Hunter appears increasingly bleak, with predictions suggesting it may struggle to surpass the $12 million mark during its opening weekend. Following a disappointing preview night and lackluster Friday earnings, industry analysts are expressing skepticism about the film’s ability to capture audience interest. Some estimates even propose that the film might fall short of the $10 million threshold, potentially marking it as one of the lowest-performing superhero films to date, which could significantly impact its long-term profitability and franchise potential.

The dismal box office trajectory for Kraven the Hunter continues to deteriorate, raising concerns among stakeholders. Despite initial hopes that the film might meet conservative box office estimates, recent reports from Deadline indicate a grim forecast, with the opening weekend now projected to top out at around $12 million. More pessimistic predictions even suggest that it could struggle to reach $10 million, potentially positioning it among the worst-performing superhero films in cinematic history. This disappointing performance could have far-reaching implications for the future of superhero cinema, particularly for lesser-known characters.

What’s contributing to this poor performance?

Initial reviews for Kraven have been overwhelmingly negative, and the film’s CinemaScore rating has fallen even lower than anticipated, landing a lackluster C rating. In contrast, Madame Web, which has received its fair share of criticism, managed to secure a C+ rating from audiences. This indicates a troubling trend where viewers appear to be responding even less favorably to Kraven than they did to a film many considered subpar. The only slight positive for Kraven is its performance compared to Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which is projected for a mere $5 million opening weekend, though Kraven had a significantly higher production budget of $110 million.

In other box office news, Moana 2 is expected to earn approximately $26 million, while Wicked is forecasted to bring in around $20 million. Additionally, Gladiator II is trailing Kraven with an estimated opening of over $7 million and a cumulative domestic total of $145 million. There is currently no information available regarding the earnings of Interstellar‘s re-release this weekend, but it may even surpass LOTR in the rankings.

Overall, the outlook for Sony’s Spider-Verse appears to be hitting a tough patch, raising doubts about the continuation of live-action adaptations that do not feature Tom Hardy as Venom or Tom Holland as Spider-Man. As the franchise faces challenges, it remains to be seen whether any future projects will manage to capture the audience’s attention without these popular leads, especially with the upcoming Spider-Noir series on the horizon.