While the realm of comic book adaptations continues to captivate audiences, not all films follow a smooth path to the big screen. One such project is Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter, a long-anticipated live-action film that faced numerous production delays since 2023. Due to many speculated reasons, the film almost suffered the same fate as Marvel’s planned solo Gambit movie. But thankfully, Sony Pictures finally confirmed the film’s release date to be December 13, 2024.
Now, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is tasked with bringing Spider-Man’s most iconic villain to life, in his upcoming movie, Kraven the Hunter, alongside a stellar cast. Meanwhile, following his previous Marvel roles in the Avengers franchise and Kick-Ass, Johnson’s earnings for portraying Kraven has become a topic of keen interest. While the exact salary details are not publicly confirmed, let’s check out his estimated earnings.
What is Kraven the Hunter About?
Taking place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, where films like Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web are set, Kraven the Hunter establishes an origin story, detailing the earlier years of Sergei Kravinoff. While the details of the plot are kept under tight wraps, the trailer seemingly revealed that the film will delve deep into the psyche of the titular character.
Established as an animal lover, Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven the Hunter is shown to have a tense relationship with his father, Nikolai Kravinoff, a Russian crime lord and a big game hunter. But despite their differences, Kraven’s half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov aka The Chameleon revealed in the trailer how the father-son duo are seemingly two sides of the same violent coin.
Following the trailer, the synopsis for the film suggested that while confronting his ruthless father, Kraven not only built a legacy of his own but also became one of the most feared and notorious hunters in the world. But how exactly does Kraven go from being an “animal lover” to the world’s greatest hunter? Well, the suspense remains up in the air until the film’s release in December 2024.
The Epic Cast of Kraven the Hunter
Leading the cast of J. C. Chandor’s Kraven the Hunter as Sergei Kravinoff is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has been a familiar face in the world of superhero and comic book movies. Johnson has particularly been a staple in the Marvel Universe, considering his previous role as the title hero in the Kick-Ass films and his appearance as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Meanwhile, donning the role of young Sergei Kravinoff in the film, Levi Miller took on the responsibility of appearing in the flashback sequences, as per IMDb. Followed by the Argylle actress Ariana DeBose as the voodoo priestess Calypso, who played Kraven’s love interest in the comics. Additionally, Fred Hechinger is set to appear as Kraven’s half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov.
The film’s ensemble cast includes several other high-profile actors including veteran actor Russell Crowe in the role of Kraven’s father Nikolai Kravinoff in the highly anticipated movie. Further, there’s Alessandro Nivola as Aleksei Sytsevich aka The Rhino, and Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner. With such a talented roster, Kraven the Hunter is expected to offer not just an action-packed spectacle, but also a compelling narrative driven by strong performances.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and His Co-Stars’ Estimated Salary
Upon learning about the stellar cast of any film, it’s the actors’ estimated salary that sparks the most interest among fans. So, let’s take a look at the stars’ salary from Kraven the Hunter, as estimated by Showbiz Galore. Considering how Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the titular actor in the film, he’s likely to have received a lucrative payday for his role as Kraven.
As per the outlet, while the exact salary details have not been disclosed, Johnson is expected to earn around $2M for his portrayal of the iconic villain. Considering that the upcoming movie has been made with an estimated budget within the $100M-$130M range, as per Variety, the MCU star’s salary seems to reflect the high stakes of the project, which Sony has high hopes for.
As for Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s co-stars, Russell Crowe, a seasoned Academy Award-winning actor, is also expected to bag a substantial paycheck for his role. According to the outlet, Crowe is thus expected to earn an estimated $5M salary for his role as Kraven’s father. Followed by Ariana DeBose, the actress is expected to have negotiated a competitive salary of $600,000 for her role as Calypso.
Meanwhile, Fred Hechinger reportedly earned $400,000 for his role as Dmitri Smerdyakov aka The Chameleon. Followed by Alessandro Nivola’s $500,000 paycheck, Christopher Abbott‘s estimated salary of $400,000, and Levi Miller’s staggering earnings of $200,000 for playing the young version of Kraven.
Kraven the Hunter’s Production Delays and Final Release Date
For fans who have been eagerly awaiting Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s movie, the road to its December 2024 release has been anything but smooth. Well, according to CBR, the plans for Kraven the Hunter to appear on the big screen date back to the early 2010s when the villain was planned to appear in Sam Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man movie, starring Tobey Maguire.
However, the idea was dropped after Sony planned to reboot the web shooter with Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man films. Thereafter, the universe’s version of Kraven was wilfully ignored, until May 2021 when J.C. Chandor was chosen to direct Kraven the Hunter. Thereafter, Aaron Taylor-Johnson was chosen from a list of other contenders to play the titular character, following his performance in Sony’s Bullet Train.
Pre-production began in 2022, with actors such as Russel Crowe joining the cast. Soon, casting elements were confirmed in 2023 after the film completed its post-production. Unfortunately, despite being close to release, Kraven the Hunter faced delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.
Initially expected to be released by January 13, 2023, the date was moved to October 6 of the same year. However, due to the Hollywood strikes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s film was further shifted to August 30, 2024. Eventually, after multiple setbacks almost leading people to speculate that the film might end up facing the same fate as Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie, Sony Pictures confirmed the film’s release date for December 13, 2024.
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