First 8 Minutes of ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Released by Sony

Sony has released the first eight minutes of Kraven the Hunter, and they do not disappoint, surprisingly enough. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the classic Spider-Man villain, the upcoming R-rated film sees Sony once again attempt to get their cinematic universe off the ground. While the opening of the film may not convince non-believers, Kraven the Hunter keeps its promise of being an action-packed film with a lead character not afraid to get his hands dirty.

The footage (below) sees Kraven (Taylor-Johnson) infiltrate a Russian prison in the opening minutes of the film, eventually showing off his brute strength and pretty incredible parkour moves. He seems to be on the hunt for a gang leader, and after killing his target, he retreats from the snowy facility and heads into a snowstorm. Although the footage is likely a bit edited (especially towards the end) it gives fans a good look at what Kraven the Hunter will be bringing when it arrives in theaters in December. The movie remains true to its promise of a bloody, R-rated affair, and while the preview is not revelatory, it may be the most promising look we’ve had for the film thus far.

Of course, the preview does not show any significant plot details, and it looks quite good, but releasing the first eight minutes of a film before its release is normally not the greatest sign. Still, it’s been proven Sony likes to do this even with their good superhero films (few and far between), so Kraven the Hunter still has a decent chance at impressing audiences. Check out the official synopsis:

“‘Kraven the Hunter’ is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. “

‘Kraven the Hunter’ Wants a Fair Chance After Sony Mishaps

While Sony continues its efforts at creating a unified, Spider-Man-related universe, Kraven the Hunter hopes to cut away from the noise and be a standalone adventure. With post-credits scenes and possible MCU connections unlikely, it seems the latest supervillain adventure is one that wants to stand on its own merits. A rare goal nowadays, Kraven the Hunter wants to wash the bad taste left by Morbius and, most recently, Madame Web. Even the film’s director, J.C. Chandor, pleaded with fans to give Kraven a chance after the previous releases failed to impress.

The big hurdle that remains for Kraven the Hunter is managing to make a splash at the box office. While early predictions spell trouble for the Sony film, anything is certainly possible, especially as more people are going to theaters than in recent memory. Venom: The Last Dance faced mixed reviews, and it’s still crushing at the box office. Of course, not as many audience members are probably as familiar with Kraven, but perhaps Aaron Taylor-Johnson and the R-rating is enough to get butts in theater seats come December.

Kraven the Hunter is the fourth movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, set in the same Marvel continuity as Tom Hardy’s Venom and Jared Leto’s Morbius. Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the titular Kraven goes on a solo adventure as an anti-hero, this time independent of his comic book counterpart’s crusade to hunt down Peter Parker.

Release Date

December 13, 2024

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Russell Crowe , Fred Hechinger , Ariana DeBose , Christopher Abbott , Alessandro Nivola , Levi Miller , Chi Lewis-Parry , Billy Barratt , Jessica Zhou , Michael Shaeffer , Dritan Kastrati , Greg Kolpakchi , Elander Moore , Filiz Fairweather , Duran Fulton Brown , Alex Skarbek , Rachel Handshaw , Preslav Shipkaliev , Murat Seven , Robert Ryan

Runtime

127 Minutes

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