‘Kraven’ himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is now begging audiences to give his movie a chance. Forget about the toxic buzz, the middling trailer or the lengthy reshoots — this movie will surprise you in how great it’s turned out to be.
Taylor-Johnson is making his plea via an interview with ScreenRant:
I think what we've done, what we've set up in this story is a really rich character that definitely has the legs to go on and do more damage. I think he should go toe-to-toe with some superheroes that we know […] So really come see this movie, man. Come see this movie. I promise you it won't disappoint. It's got all the beats that you want and more.
A few weeks ago, ‘Kraven’ director J.C. Chandor told ComicBook that people need to “give our film a chance.” A Sony source had also told Deadline that the studio was ecstatic about the reshoots and that it’s now a good film!
Yesterday, Sony tried to rub off the toxic buzz by releasing the first 8 minutes of ‘Kraven The Hunter” online, free of charge. ‘Kraven,’ which cost a reported $130M, is currently on track for a tepid $20M opening weekend. Sony’s hoping that it’ll have some legs during the holiday season.
What I’m wondering is that, if Sony and company do have such confidence in this film, then why does the review embargo only lift on the same day as its Thursday previews?
Taylor-Johnson has a lot riding on ‘Kraven’ as well. He does not want a colossal bomb to infect his filmography. It should also be noted that Paul Mescal has now overtaken Taylor-Johnson in the next Bond betting odds. This is the first time someone has dethroned ATJ since he was first rumored in 2022. Perhaps there is something there
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.