Kraven's and The Lord of the Rings' films fail to draw crowds at cinemas
Following a tranquil start the previous week, December's blockbuster films commenced this weekend with Sony's Kraven the Hunter and WB's anime adaptation Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Despite being novel experiences, neither movie managed to surpass Disney's power and the spellbinding magic of the Wizard of Oz.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kraven ranked third, trailing behind both Moana 2 and Wicked: Part One, which have been in theaters since late November. As of now, the R-rated action film has accrued $26 million globally, with $11 million derived from domestic audiences. Sony's venture of producing films centered around Spider-Man villains without their titular hero has resulted in decreasing returns this year, and it appears even the gruesome acts of Aaron Taylor-Johnson failed to alter this trend. Reviews have predominantly been harsh, indicating that Sony may become more choosy about the characters they greenlight for standalone films, assuming Sony's Spider-Man Universe continues to exist.
On the other hand, Rohirrim amassed $5 million domestically and $10.3 million globally. Set approximately 200 years prior to the Peter Jackson films, it features talent from the earlier productions, including co-writer Philippa Boyens, and EPs Jackson and Fran Walsh. So far, it has garnered a mixed reception. Presently, the Lord of the Rings franchise is in an unusual stage: alongside the ongoing Prime Video show, WB is attempting to initiate at least one new film centered on Gollum, who starred in last year's critically panned video game. Additionally, the Jackson films were re-released in theaters this summer, and it's possible that audiences may have grown tired of the Rings franchise, assuming they were even aware of Rohirrim in the first place.
As for Moana and Wicked? They continued to rake in earnings; the former swam to $717 million globally and held the top spot domestically at $26.6 million, edging closer to the $1 billion mark. Wicked has now made $500 million, but it has an advantage with the sing-along version debuting in theaters on Christmas Day. Speaking of Christmas, next week brings the release of Sonic 3 and Mufasa on December 20, and Nosferatu on Christmas Day, which may push Kraven and Rohirrim out of theaters.
If you saw either of this weekend's new movies, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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