Sony's Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led Kraven the Hunter film finally got a release update after a long period of delays and the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Originally slated to premiere in January of 2023 before being pushed back to October and then again into 2024, the actors' strike delayed the upcoming Spider-Man spin-off film into uncertain territory. Negotiations with studios are currently underway, and should they be successful, work will resume on many currently stalled projects.
For their part, Sony hasn't forgotten about the film and seems to have plans to focus on completing it as soon as the strikes end.
Kraven the Hunter Prioritized by Sony
A new report from TheWrap indicated that Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven the Hunter movie will be among the films "first in line to get attention" following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Successful negotiations have led to the return of writers to work, but other sectors of the film industry remain on hiatus. Kraven has long since wrapped most of its production and reportedly needs only "minor reshoots" and ADR before it's ready to hit the big screen.
There remain issues to be negotiated over, with streaming residuals being the cause of a breakdown in recent talks between strikers and studios.
Will Kraven Be Delayed Again?
The future of Kraven really hinges on the state of negotiations, just as it has for the months since its initial delay.
The biggest drive for Sony to release the movie quickly will be to recoup the investment made so far into the project, which may not be as successful as they once hoped.
After the delays and a confusing initial trailer, fan interest in the film is far from stellar.
Fortuitously for Sony, Insomniac Games' upcoming Spider-Man 2 will feature the character heavily.
This may just be enough to redraw fan interest in the project and get them to the theaters, so long as Sony can rebuild interest in the film.
Whether Kraven's appearance in a video game or the promise of a future on-screen clash with Spider-Man will reignite passion remains to be seen.
Ultimately, it seems unlikely (though still possible) that Kraven the Hunter will suffer further delays.
Given the small amount of work required to finish the film and the fact that prior to the strike the film would have released this month, it feels quite likely that the more than ten months Sony has given themselves will be ample time, even if negotiations go longer than expected.
Kraven the Hunter will be stalking into theaters on August 30, 2024.
