(Image Source: Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures)
After its theatrical debut last Friday, "Kraven the Hunter" has posted its opening weekend box office figures, grossing approximately $11 million in North America. This performance falls short of the $15.33 million opening posted by fellow franchise entry "Madame Web" earlier this year, making "Kraven the Hunter" the lowest-grossing North American opening weekend for any film in Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man Universe" of ancillary characters.
Overseas, "Kraven the Hunter" also struggled, earning a meager $15 million. Its current global total stands at just $26 million. This is a clear warning sign for a superhero film with a reported production budget of $110 million, and it is likely to become the first film in the series to fail to cross the $100 million global box office mark.
(Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Another spin-off released the same week, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," fared even worse. It managed only $4.6 million in its North American debut and just $2 million from 31 international markets last week. Despite carrying the prestigious "Lord of the Rings" brand, an opening weekend under $10 million is a shocking result. However, Warner Bros. Pictures might not face significant financial losses, as the film was produced on a relatively modest budget of just $30 million.
Beyond its box office performance, critical reception for "The War of the Rohirrim" has also been less than stellar. It holds an average critic score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.7 rating on IMDb.
(Image Source: Disney Pictures)
Variety magazine further reported that Warner Bros. might not have been concerned with "The War of the Rohirrim"'s box office success in the first place. The animated film was reportedly rushed into production by Warner Bros. to ensure its New Line Cinema division retained the film rights to "The Lord of the Rings" franchise. Film rights granted often expire or cannot be extended if new adaptations aren't put into production within a specific contractual timeframe.
Elsewhere, non-new releases continue to perform strongly: the surging "Moana 2" has already surpassed $717 million globally, while the critically acclaimed "Wicked: Part 1" has accumulated $524 million. Both musical films are enjoying steadily climbing box office totals.
via： Variety